05 Empathy

A dispassionate review of the research deck isn’t enough. While beginning with deep consumer insights is essential, the foundation of superior innovation is build on something more: empathy. Understanding an end-user’s situation, their feelings and their motivations. Getting inside their heads and their hearts to gain a true and accurate appreciation of their needs.

Empathy in practice:

• Get to know your consumer more intimately by using in-context research—viewing them in their "native habitat," not the artificial environment of traditional focus groups.
• Scrutinize existing data using a different filter. There are often great nuggets and learnings to be gleaned when reviewing with a more empathetic perspective.
• Get emotional. Allow yourself to truly appreciate the concerns and needs that motivate the purchase process.

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