Design Playbook (Tools & Practices)

 

Empathy Map: Capture what a person says, thinks, feels, sees and does, then ultimately the pains they feel and gains they seek.

User Shadowing: Spend a day walking in the shoes of your user.

Deep Listening: PractiAce conversations where the goal is not to respond, but to understand.

Photo Journals: Invite users to capture images of their daily experiences and share their stories.

Journey Mapping: Visualise the steps, struggles, and highlights of a user’s experience.

 

Mindset (Reflection & Journaling)

 

When did I last truly listen without preparing my response?

Whose story have I not yet taken the time to hear?

How might I bring more Empathy into my leadership and design practice?

 

Provocation:

“Empathy is not a technique. It is a choice to care.”

 

Facilitation Principle

 

As a facilitator, your role is to invite the room into heart space. Empathy work can feel soft or sentimental, but it is the most radical practice in design. Protect vulnerability, honour stories, and remind participants that Empathy is not about pity but about shared humanity.

 

Facilitator’s Mantra: “Every story in the room is a doorway to insight.”

 

Facilitation Toolkit (Methods & Activities)

 

Empathy Interviews → Ask open questions, probe for feelings and meanings.

Role Play → Step into the shoes of another and act out their experience.

Story Circles → Participants share lived stories in small, trusted groups.

Artefact Walk → Bring objects from daily life and share their significance.

Silent Reflection → After hearing a story, sit in silence to absorb before responding.