Stage 01

Engage

Begin with people, not answers.

Meet people in their context. Observe, ask and listen to uncover needs, behaviours and lived experience. Seek to understand not only what people do, but why they do it. Pay attention to emotions, motivations, challenges and workarounds that shape their daily experiences. Build empathy through genuine engagement, capture meaningful insights and uncover opportunities that might otherwise remain hidden, creating a richer foundation for innovation and problem-solving.

Develop the best possible understanding of your users

The first step in the 5E Design Thinking Framework problem-solving process is ENGAGE. The main aim of the ENGAGE stage is to develop the best possible understanding of your users, their needs and the problems that underlie the development of the product or service you want to create. Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iteration. It is a human-centered approach that encourages designers to focus on the needs and wants of the people who will use their products or services.

The empathy step is a crucial part of the design thinking process as it involves understanding the needs and perspectives of the people for whom we are designing. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is an essential skill for designers as it helps them connect with their users, understand their needs, and design products or services that meet those needs. The empathy step also helps designers avoid common biases and design products or services that truly meet the needs of their users. By developing a sense of empathy and compassion for their users, designers can create products or services that are relevant, useful, and desirable. Empathy is crucial to problem solving and the human-centred design process as it allows design thinkers to set aside their own assumptions about the world and gain real insight into users and their needs.

Core activities

Key components of the Empathy step

Observation

Observation is the first component of the empathy step. It involves observing people in their natural environment, without interfering or interrupting. This can be done through field research, such as interviews, surveys, or observations. Field research allows designers to gain insights into the lives and experiences of their users. It helps them understand the context in which their products or services will be used and the challenges that users face. By observing people in their natural environment, designers can see how they interact with the world and identify opportunities for innovation.

Immersion

Immersion is the second component of the empathy step. It involves putting oneself in the shoes of the user and experiencing their world. This can be done through role-playing or simulation exercises. For example, a designer might wear a weighted vest to simulate the experience of being elderly or have a meal at a homeless shelter to better understand the needs of the homeless. Immersion allows designers to experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities faced by their users. It helps them empathize with the user and develop a deep understanding of their needs.

Engagement

Engagement is the third component of the empathy step. It involves interacting with users directly to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and perspectives. This can be done through in-depth interviews, focus groups, or co-creation sessions. Engagement allows designers to build rapport with their users and establish a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. It enables designers to ask open-ended questions, listen actively, and learn from the insights and experiences of their users.

Research and empathy

Gather evidence without losing sight of people.

Depending on time constraints, you will gather a substantial amount of information to use during the next stage. In order to do this, you undertake extensive research, both secondary and primary using a series of ethnographic research tools.

The empathy step also helps designers avoid common pitfalls such as designing for themselves rather than their users. It is easy for designers to assume that their own preferences and experiences are representative of their users. However, by taking the time to observe, immerse, and engage with their users, designers can overcome these biases and design products or services that truly meet the needs of their users. One of the key benefits of the empathy step is that it helps designers develop a sense of empathy and compassion for their users.

Methods to consider

Observation, interviews, contextual inquiry, stakeholder mapping and empathy mapping.

Evidence and output

Research evidence, lived-experience insights and a clearer account of user needs.

Why it matters

Key Benefits of the Empathy step

By immersing themselves in the world of their users, designers can see the world through their eyes and gain a deeper understanding of their struggles and challenges. This can lead to a greater appreciation for the diversity of human experiences and a desire to design products or services that are inclusive and accessible to all.

Deep User Understanding

Empathy helps designers and problem-solvers to deeply understand users' emotions, motivations, and pain points. This leads to more accurate and insightful problem framing.

Identifying Real Needs

By empathizing with users, designers can uncover needs that may not be immediately obvious or explicitly stated. This often leads to more innovative solutions.

Reduces Bias

The empathy step encourages stepping into the users' shoes, reducing the risk of assuming their needs based on personal biases or preconceptions.

Enhances Creativity

Understanding the user's perspective broadens the scope of potential solutions, enabling teams to think more creatively and develop more effective, tailored innovations.

Builds Trust and Engagement

When users feel understood, they are more likely to trust the design process and engage with the resulting products or services.

Improves Problem Solving

Empathy ensures that problem-solving efforts are focused on the right challenges, resulting in solutions that are more likely to succeed in real-world applications.

Increases User-Centered Innovation

Solutions that are created with empathy are more likely to be user-friendly, functional, and adopted by the target audience.

Methods and tools

Practical ways to work through Engage.

Open a focused guide while keeping the method connected to the broader framework.

Engage

Begin with people, not answers.

Develop the best possible understanding of your users

Key components of the Empathy step

Observation

Immersion

Engagement

Gather evidence without losing sight of people.

Key Benefits of the Empathy step

Deep User Understanding

Identifying Real Needs

Reduces Bias

Enhances Creativity

Builds Trust and Engagement

Improves Problem Solving

Increases User-Centered Innovation

Practical ways to work through Engage.

Problem Statements (How Might We)

Observation

Interviews

Empathy maps

Personas

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