Why empathy is needed at all stages of the UX research process

Empathy: The ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation. In Cambridge dictionary.

We often hear that empathy is an essential quality in a user experience practitioner. This is commonly interpreted as empathizing with the needs and issues of the users that the product is being designed for. In reality, empathy plays an important role throughout the research and design process.

User experience research is complex, and involves understanding user needs, attitudes, behaviors at a deeper level. The process of defining a research problem, picking research method/s, collecting data, conducting analysis, generating insights, recommendations and future directions, is multi-faceted. This also intersects with the design process. The truth is that there are a number of factors involved at every stage — this is where empathy plays a key role! In this article, I make the case for why empathy moves beyond just empathy for users, and should extend to all aspects of the research and design process.

1. Empathy for the user: This is a big one! In order to get the most out of a conversation with a user, it is important to make them comfortable. At the beginning of the conversation, set clear expectations for how the conversation will go. If the user is participating in an activity like a co-creation exercise, tell this to them. Ask the user what they are comfortable sharing (Ex. comfort sharing their screen when running virtual studies, recording themselves, login information, any private information as applicable to your context), and then build from there. This practice helps establish trust between the user and the researcher. During the conversation, paying attention to what the user is saying, doing and demonstrating is important to cultivating empathy.

• The verbal: When trying to understand user needs, it is important to really listen (and not listen with the intention to respond) to users’ expressions of experience with the product.
• The non-verbal: As important as it is to listen to what the user is saying, it is also important to observe their behavior (what the user actually does). Sometimes, it might be difficult for the user to articulate their issues with the product. Their expressions, body language, gestures might provide rich cues in this case.

Check out Empathy in UX Design: What It Is and Why It’s Important. The article does a great job discussing key practices to help cultivate empathy for users in design.

2. Empathy for stakeholders: The design and research process is collaborative and iterative; rarely is UX solitary. Research projects generally kick-off with a discussion around the problem area, deciding the scope for the project (who is the target user, what is the problem, why is this being done), and delineating definite aims. The process involves stakeholders from different orgs within the business, who may approach the problem space from their own lens. It is also important to cultivate empathy during this stage of the design process. Much like the users, those involved with the product are also instrumental in shaping it. Empathy for stakeholders can be cultivated by:

• Listen: Listen with the intention to understand the other person’s viewpoint (without formulating a response while the person is still talking). Sometimes, priorities might change mid-way through a project, shifting the research direction. It is important to be empathetic and listen to stakeholders’ point of view, and try to understand why!
• Clarify: If something is unclear, don’t be afraid to seek additional explanation (Sometimes, it also helps to re-phrase a suggestion/comment in your own words to get a better understanding).
• Assimilate: Synthesize incoming information, simplify, and formulate your response
• Present opposing views: If you have a differing viewpoint, don’t be afraid to present it; but do so politely.
• Sum it up: Design/research kick-offs can be loaded with a lot of information. A follow-up email/message with a quick summary of the conversation with action items, items that are TBD and clear next steps goes a long way in helping cultivate empathy.
• Regular correspondence: Provide regular project status checks to stakeholders to avoid gaps in communication. Involve stakeholders at all stages of the research process (not just in the planning and the recommendations phase) to avoid any disconnect.

3. Empathy for/during the research process: The UX research process involves a lot of moving pieces. There are also a lot of things that may not go as planned during this. Consequently, researchers can become flustered. Empathize with the process, and adapt as required. Here are some common issues one might encounter and how you might deal with it:

• Business direction changed: Try to understand why and what you can do to adapt. What can you do to find more information about this development?Can you modify your current plan to better suit these needs?
• User recruitment challenges: Can you think of alternate ways to get to your target users? Have you tried creative methods (such as focused sub-Reddits/Facebook groups to get to a niche user base, LinkedIn for business customers, social media posting/hashtags to broaden recruitment, internal sales and customer success team logs)?
• Unexpected findings: Sometimes research findings can challenge the working hypothesis. Understand the ‘why’ behind this, synthesize and present the insights.
• No/Few findings: It may be time to introspect and modify the research guide and relate them to the aims for the project. Is there a disconnect between the questions and the original goals? If yes, it may be appropriate to modify your guide to better suit your research questions.

4. Empathy for yourself: While managing expectations of the business, stakeholders and the users, researchers may often forget to be kind to themselves! The research process can be rigorous, and often operates on tight timelines. Here are things you can do to help yourself:

• Taking a step back: If things get too demanding during and after the research process, take some time off and re-visit the project with a fresh mind.
• Acknowledging failure: If something went wrong, take time to introspect about what you can do to rectify it. Take active steps to set it right in the next iteration.
• Saying no: Stretching yourself too thin is never a good idea. If a research request does not fit within your roadmap, it is best to table it.
• Acknowledging your wins: If your project was a success (hooray!), take some time to acknowledge and celebrate this!

Concluding thoughts

Empathy is an essential skill, not just in UX, but life in general. In the UX research and design process, it extends beyond empathy for users. It is something that is cultivated over time. With experience, empathy will become ingrained in your every action as a UX practitioner. Remember to be empathetic to the users, to the stakeholders, to the process and most importantly, to yourself!

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this article are mine and do not represent those of my employer