Lesson video

Hello there.

Welcome to your design and technology lesson for today.

My name is Sam Booth.

It's absolutely fantastic that you could join me.

Today's lesson is empathy and user understanding, that absolutely key part of iterative design, where we have to show empathy towards our end users if we are gonna design successful products that can be used by as many people as possible.

This lesson is part of the inclusive design unit about mental health and wellbeing.

Today's outcome, I want you to be able to analyze existing personas and create new personas to represent diverse user needs and experiences.

Because today's lesson covers aspects on mental health and wellbeing, we have some ground rules.

First of all, listen to others, it's absolutely fine to disagree with each other, but we need to listen properly before making assumptions and deciding how to respond, and when disagreeing, remember to challenge the statement, not the person.

Respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but don't use names or description that can identify people including ourselves.

There's no judgment.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged.

And final, everyone has the right to their own level of participation.

They can answer a question or they can choose not to, or they don't even have to join in discussions.

We never, ever put anyone on the spot.

We have five keywords for today.

Let's have a look at the first three.

The first one is empathy, understanding and sharing the feelings or perspective of others.

Persona, a fictional user profile created to represent needs and behaviors.

We have user needs, the requirements or expectations of the person using a product.

The next two key words are diversity, recognizing differences between people and experiences.

And finally, user-centered design, a design approach that puts the needs of the user first.

We have two learning cycles today.

The first is understand empathy in design.

So let's take a look.

User-centered design is an approach where the needs, wants, and experiences of the end user are put at the center of the design process.

Designers not only focus on the product, but also on how people use that product, the challenges they might face when using that product, and how that product can actually improve their lives.

Quick check for understanding.

Which statement best describes user-centered design? Is it A, it ensures the designer's preferences come first, B, it focuses only on making the product attractive, C, it puts the user's needs and experiences at the center of the design process, or D, it is mainly about reducing costs in manufacturing? Pause the video now.

Have a go at this and come back to me when you've completed it.

It is of course C, it puts the user needs and experiences at the center of the design process.

Well done with that.

Empathy is imagining what it is like to be in someone else's situation, a bit like putting yourself in their shoes.

In design, empathy helps us understand how users might feel, what challenges they face and what they need from a product or service.

Without empathy, designs can exclude people or fail to meet real needs of those users.

Here we have an example of what is called anti-homelessness benches.

They're an example of unempathetic design, it ignores human needs for rest and comfort.

The idea behind these benches is that people can't lie down or take a rest on those if they want to lie down.

And the idea is it's to discourage homeless people from sitting outside these buildings.

And you can imagine that is very unempathetic, not very nice at all.

So we're now gonna look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Now, what this is this is a model that shows humans basic needs must be met before higher needs like confidence and growth.

So let's start at the beginning.

So the first one is survival needs, things like air, water, food, shelter, those basic needs you need to survive.

We then have safety.

So no war, no crime, financial stability, then love and belonging, that social acceptance.

After that, we have esteem, self-respect, and from others.

And of course, self-actualization, personal growth, that is what is at the top.

Now, designers can use empathy to recognize where their product fits within these human needs.

Should we have a look at some examples of those? In fact, what you could do is you could have a little think yourself now.

So pause the video, have a look at the hierarchy, and try and think of some products that might fit into each of these stages.

Maybe have a chat with a person next to you or do this alone.

Pause the video now and come back to me when you've had a think.

So, did you think of any example products that you could fit into each of these stages of the hierarchy? Let's have a look at some.

So, first of all, we have survival.

Well, we're talking about drinking, weren't we? So you could say a drinks bottle here.

So I thought for safety as well, so this is a bicycle helmet, keeping you safe when you're riding your bike on the roads.

We then have social media and that could be applied to love, and of course, self, well, some kind of creativity app, something where you get to have a little bit of time to yourself, where you get to create something original.

Quick check for understanding.

How does Maslow's hierarchy of needs link to design? A, it shows that only physical needs matter in design, B, it helps designers understand the range of user needs from basic to complex, C, it explains how to reduce the cost of production, D, it shows the steps designers must follow to manufacture products.

Pause the video now, have a go at this, and come back to me when you've answered.

It is of course B, it helps designers understand the range of user needs from basic all the way up to complex.

Well done.

Inclusive design aims to create products and services that work for as many people as possible.

We can't make designs that work for absolutely everybody, but what we wanna do is make it work for as many as possible.

Empathy is the foundation of this because it allows designers to recognize diversity.

Different users may prioritize comfort, independence, safety, or mental wellbeing.

Empathy ensures that every perspective is important.

Diversity involves recognizing differences between people and also their experiences.

Check for understanding.

How does empathy support inclusive design? Is it A, it helps designers identify and respond to diverse user needs, B, it removes the need for testing products with real people, C, it ensures that designs only suit the majority of users, and D, it focuses mainly on aesthetics.

Pause the video now, have a go at this and come back to me when you've answered.

It is of course A, it helps designers identify and respond to diverse user needs.

Well done.

The theme of this unit is inclusive design, mental health, and wellbeing.

Empathetic design can support mental health.

And let's a look at some examples of how it can do this.

So rocking furniture is calming for the brain and the body, and it helps self-soothe.

Apps with take a break reminders can encourage healthy screen time and reduce stress.

Lighting can be used to elevate mood like sun lamps, which give off a warm glow rather than unnatural light, like most lamps.

Unempathetic design can be bad for mental health, and let's have look at some examples.

If you've got an alarm clock with a harsh sound, an aggressive sound, and no customization, so it wakes you up the same way every morning, that's not a great way to wake up.

You could have self-checkout machines with aggressive error messages, and I'm sure you've been at one of these machines where it's got you very frustrated.

Apps that make it difficult to silence their notifications.

And of course, waiting rooms with fixed chairs facing each other with absolutely no consideration of personal space.

Check for understanding, which is an example of unempathetic design? Is it A, a school including quiet study spaces for pupils, a website with adjustable text size, a chair designed for one body type, or an app that allows users to customize their background? Pause video now, have a go at this, come back to me when you've answered.

It is of course C, a chair designed for one body type.

Well done.

Users are diverse, meaning they have different challenges, priorities, and expectations.

For example, a teenager might need privacy when using a wellbeing app.

An adult with low self-esteem may prefer simple, clear instructions.

Someone with OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder, may want designs that reduce distractions.

Check for understanding.

Why do different users have different design needs? A, because they all want the same product features, B, because their challenges, abilities and priorities vary, C, because designers want to create as many versions as possible, D, because empathy is not needed in most designs? Pause the video now, have a go at this, and come back to me when you've answered.

The answer is of course B, because their challenges, abilities, and priorities vary.

So now onto your first task, task A, I want you to define user-centered design, then I would like you to explain how empathy can help designers identify user needs using Maslow's hierarchy.

I then want you to analyze the difference between empathetic and unempathetic design, giving one example of each.

And finally, a company is creating new school furniture.

Sketch or describe one empathy-led feature that considers diverse users and explain how it links to Maslow's hierarchy.

Pause the video now, have a go at this task, and come back to me when it's completed.

So how did you get on? Well, let's have a look at some sample answers.

First of all, I wanted you to define user-centered design.

User-centered design is where the needs, wants and experiences of users are placed at the center of the design process.

I then wanted you to explain how empathy can help designers identify user needs using Maslow's hierarchy.

Empathy helps designers understand where our products fits in Maslow's hierarchy, such as meeting safety needs with protective equipment or belonging needs with social apps.

By recognizing these needs, designers can create products that are more meaningful and inclusive.

I then wanted you to analyze the difference between empathetic and unempathetic design, giving one example for each.

Empathetic design listens to users' needs and adapt products to support them, such as a transport app with simple, clear text for people with dyslexia.

Unempathetic design ignores user challenges, for example, a website with tiny fonts and poor contrast.

And finally, a company is creating new school furniture.

Sketch or describe one empathy-led feature that considers diverse users and explain how it links to Maslow's hierarchy.

The furniture could have adjustable height and back support, allowing pupils of different sizes to sit comfortably.

This empathetic design recognizes the diversity of body sizes and makes the classroom more inclusive.

Well done with that.

Now onto our next learning cycle, personas for diverse users.

A persona is a fictional but realistic description of a user that represents the needs, challenges, and goals of a particular group of people.

Designers use personas to say, focus on real user needs rather than assumptions.

Check for understanding.

Why do designers use personas? Is it A, to make up characters for marketing stories, B, to guess what most people might want, C, to represent realistic user needs, challenges, and goals, or D, to replace testing with real users? Pause the video now, have a go at this, and come back to me when you got the answer.

The answer is of course C, to represent realistic user needs, challenges, and goals.

Personas help show diversity by capturing different user experiences.

Let's look at some examples.

A teenager experiencing anxiety who needs privacy.

An adult with low self-esteem who values simple instructions.

A young pupil with OCD who struggles with focus.

Now, of course, if you are struggling with a stressor or a barrier, you should speak to any one of the following, that could be a trusted adult, one of your teachers, your school SENDCO, or the school's DSL.

Check for understanding.

Which statement about personas is correct? Is it A, a persona should represent the same average user, B, personas are based only on the designer's personal opinion, C, personas should only focus on physical needs, or D, personas show diversity by representing different user needs? Pause the video now, have a go at this, and come back to me when you've answered.

It is of course D, personas show diversity by representing different user needs.

Well done.

When analyzing personas, designers look for patterns and differences in user needs.

Again, let's look at some examples.

So we had our teenager experiencing anxiety who needs privacy.

They may value social interaction and connection.

An adult with low self-esteem who values simple instructions, well, they may need praise and encouragement when learning.

And of course, a young pupil with OCD who struggles with focus, they may need tools that reduce distractions.

Designers can create new personas to represent users who are often overlooked.

To do this, they include a realistic name, age, and background, key goals and motivations, challenges or barriers the user faces, needs and wants related to the design.

The goal is not to stereotype, but to create realistic representation of a group's experiences.

Let's have a look at some examples of a persona.

So we have Alex.

Alex is a 16-year-old secondary school pupil currently preparing for his GCSE exams. He lives at home with family and spends most evenings revising.

His goal: good GCSE grades.

Barriers: he feels overwhelmed by the amount of revision that he has to do for these GCSEs.

His needs: either something to help him relax or organize his task.

Check for understanding.

What is the main benefit of analyzing multiple personas? Is it A, it reveals differences in priorities, challenges, and goals, B, it allows designers to ignore empathy, C, it shows that users all have identical needs, or D, it reduces the cost of designing? Pause the video now, have a go at this, and come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is of course A, it reveals differences in priorities, challenges, and goals.

Well done.

Empathy is essential when creating personas because it prevents designers from relying on stereotypes.

Instead, empathy, it helps designers imagine how a person feels, what they value, and what support that they might need.

It also ensures that personas represent real diversity and lead to more inclusive design outcomes.

So, of course, a possible design outcome for Alex, a desk light that changes color with time blocks, a visual cue for revision versus break periods.

An interactive wall calendar, tiles representing tasks that can be moved between to do, doing, and done.

We're now onto task B.

First of all, I want you to define what a persona is in design.

I then want you to explain why diversity is important when analyzing personas.

I then want you to compare two personas.

One is an adult with low self-esteem learning to use a new phone.

The other is a teenager with anxiety.

Analyze how their needs might differ.

I then want you to create your own persona that could be used to inspire an inclusive design solution.

Now let's remember, your persona must include a short background, name, age, situation, their goals or motivations, the challenges or barriers that they face, their needs and wants related to a product, and remember not to stereotype.

Pause the video now, have a go at this task and come back to me when you've completed it.

So how did you get on with that task? Well, let's have a look at some sample answers.

First of all, I wanted you to define what a persona is in design.

A persona is a fictional but realistic user profile that represents the needs, goals, and challenges of a group of users.

I then wanted you to explain why diversity is important when analyzing personas.

Diversity is important because different users have different challenges and priorities.

Analyzing diverse personas helps designers create inclusive solutions that do not exclude people.

I then wanted you to compare two personas.

One is an adult with low self-esteem, learning to use a new phone, the other is a teenager with anxiety, analyze how their needs might differ.

The adult might need clear instructions and simple navigation so that performing a task, for example, sending a message feels rewarding.

The teenager with anxiety might value privacy, calm colors, and minimal notifications.

And finally, I wanted you to create your own persona that could be used to inspire an inclusive design solution.

Your answer could be persona: Daniel, 42-years-old, lives with his partner and two children.

He used to enjoy cooking and gardening, but has lost interest in these hobbies.

Goals: he wants to reconnect with family and feel more motivated day to day.

Barriers: depression makes him tired, withdrawn, and guilty about missing family activities.

His needs and wants: he needs small, manageable steps to reengage.

He wants low-pressure ways to spend time with family, and gentle prompts to enjoy hobbies again.

And that brings us to the end of today's lesson.

Let's have a quick summary.

Empathy helps designers imagine user experience and challenges.

User-centered design focuses on real user needs rather than designer preferences.

Inclusive design uses empathy to support a wide range of people with different priorities.

Diversity means users have different goals, barriers, and wants.

Personas represent these diverse users so designers can make empathetic, inclusive choices.

These are some places where you can get additional support if you need to.

You've been absolutely brilliant today.

I look forward to seeing you all next time.

Bye-bye.