Empathy Workshop Activities

Heard, Seen, Respected (HSR)

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You can foster the empathetic capacity of participants to “walk in the shoes” of others. Many situations do not have immediate answers or clear resolutions. Recognizing these situations and responding with empathy can improve the “cultural climate” and build trust among group members. HSR helps individuals learn to respond in ways that do not overpromise or overcontrol. It helps members of a group notice unwanted patterns and work together on shifting to more productive interactions. Participants experience the practice of more compassion and the benefits it engenders.

Conversation Café

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You can include and engage any number of people in making sense of confusing or shocking events and laying the ground for new strategies to emerge. The format of the Conversation Café helps people have calm and profound conversations in which there is less debating and arguing, and more listening. Sitting in a circle with a simple set of agreements and a talking object, small groups will engage in rounds of dialogue with little or no unproductive conflict. As the meaning of their challenge pops into focus, a consensual hunch is formed that will release their capacity for new action.

I'll take that fear

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People share a fear, it is received by another, and then they are asked to share the advice that a trusted mentor or friend would give them.

500 year gap

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In pairs, one person describes a modern appliance to someone from 500 years ago

Map Participation Styles

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In most meetings, 20% of participants do 80% of the talking. Unfortunately, remote meetings amplify this lousy behavior.

Some people like to talk to think, while others need to think before they talk. Some people are shy and quiet, while others are more vocal and outspoken.

This activity helps assess participation style and adjust behaviors.

I notice, I wonder

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Learn through careful observation.

Observation and intuition are critical design tools. This exercise helps you leverage both. Find clues about the context you're designing for that may be hidden in plain sight.

I'll Take Your Fear

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Players share things they're afraid of, and others who don't have that fear symbolically "take" that fear away.

Tell a Tale

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Build empathy by retelling someone's story.

Empathy Map

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create an empathy map

A Day in the Life

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Understand your users day-to-day. To better design for people, try shadowing them for a day. By observing someone in their own context, you'll notice details about their life - the way they engage with people, pr their routine - that you'd otherwise never see.

Empathy Map

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The empathy map allows you to generate a deeper understanding of one’s motivations and why.

Capture the right mood

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Understand your users through visual artifacts.

A mood board is a collage of images and texture that communicates a feeling or experience. See what inspires people by asking them to make their very own.

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