To understand your audience better is the first and most important step in the design process. This is what design thinking is all about. How else could you solve their problems unless you understand other peopleâs experiences, feelings, motivations, and struggles?.
Empathy is a critical skill for design thinkers and user researchers But how do you build empathy with your users during interviews? Asking the right questions is key
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to conduct effective empathy interviews using strategic questions to uncover user needs, pain points, and insights
What is an Empathy Interview?
An empathy interview is a semi-structured conversation focused on understanding a user’s experiences, motivations, and perspectives deeply.
Unlike standard Q&A user interviews, empathy interviews aim to:
- Build an emotional connection with the user
- Draw out stories, anecdotes, and examples from the user’s life
- Probe the underlying meaning behind behaviors and attitudes
This empathic approach allows designers to set aside their own assumptions and see through the user’s eyes. The insights gained fuel innovation by centering solutions on real human needs.
Why Conduct Empathy Interviews?
Empathy interviews help you:
- Uncover latent needs users may not articulate directly
- Reveal gaps between what users say and how they behave
- Understand emotions, motivations, and barriers influencing user behaviors
- Avoid bias by basing solutions on users’ actual lives
- Build rapport and learn nuances critical to great design
In short, empathy interviews lead to deeper human-centered insights and more impactful solutions
7 Key Types of Empathy Interview Questions
The right questions are critical to get beyond surface-level facts and elicit deeper insights from users. Here are 7 types of strategic empathy interview questions:
1. Introductory Questions
Start conversations by asking about specific instances from the user’s life. For example:
- What was the last experience you had with [problem]?
- Can you tell me about a time you felt [emotion]?
- Walk me through how you typically [take action].
This taps into real-life details instead of abstract generalizations.
2. Follow-Up Questions
Keep digging deeper with follow-up questions based on user responses. Some approaches:
- Rephrase questions from different angles
- Link ideas they mention back to earlier responses
- Ask what implications an idea or story has
Follow your curiosity to uncover more layers based on what you hear.
3. Probing Questions
Ask users to elaborate for richer detail and clarity:
- Can you give me an example of [idea mentioned]?
- What were you thinking when that happened?
- Help me understand your decision process there.
Probing questions push users to think deeper.
4. Specifying Questions
Get more concrete data around feelings, actions, and pain points:
- What specific features did you find frustrating?
- How did you feel when that occurred?
- Walk me through exactly how you [took some action].
Specify vague statements to ground insights in reality.
5. Direct Questions
Introduce new topics directly, but tactfully:
- How familiar are you with [X competitor’s features]?
- What do you think about the idea of [new concept]?
- Have you experienced [issue others mentioned]?
Move the discussion to reveal perceptions on topics of interest.
6. Indirect Questions
Ask about others’ experiences to uncover user’s attitudes subtly:
- What challenges do you think people face with [the issue]?
- Why do you think some prefer [X brand] over [Y brand]?
- What reactions have you noticed to [new product feature]?
Learn their point of view without putting them on the spot.
7. Interpreting Questions
Confirm your understanding of their perspectives and stories:
- So it sounds like the key factor was [X], is that right?
- Just to make sure I understand, you felt [Y emotion] because of [Z reason], correct?
Avoid misinterpreting key insights by verifying.
Conducting an Empathy Interview: 10 Tips
Follow these tips to master empathy interviewing:
1. Set the context. Explain why you’re talking and what you’re hoping to learn. Get releases signed.
2. Make it a two-way conversation. Share enough about yourself to build rapport.
3. Listen deeply. Observe nonverbal cues and listen without judgment. Be present.
4. Show empathy. Validate emotions and dig into motivations with a caring attitude.
5. Ask open-ended questions. Avoid yes/no and leading questions. Use “what” and “how” questions.
6. Ask follow-up questions. Build on what you hear with deeper, related questions.
7. Avoid assumptions. Don’t impose preconceived notions. Let insights emerge.
8. Be comfortable with silence. Give space for users to reflect before answering.
9. Don’t interrupt. Let users finish speaking before asking the next question.
10. Thank them. Express appreciation for their openness and time.
Following an empathic approach takes practice. But the payoff in insights is immense.
Putting Insights to Use: The Empathy Map
Now that you’ve conducted your interviews, it’s time to synthesize your learnings. An empathy map is a tool to visually organize user insights into one consolidated view.
Empathy maps capture what users:
- Say
- Do
- Think
- Feel
Here’s an example empathy map with key questions to ask per quadrant:
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Populating each quadrant based on interview insights creates a holistic picture of the user’s worldview. This drives richer solutions tailored to their needs and perspectives.
Real-World Examples of Empathy Interviewing
Let’s look at two real examples of how leading companies use empathy interviews and map insights:
1. DoorDash
The food delivery company has “Customer Experience Specialists” who shadow delivery drivers to observe customers first-hand. They ask questions like:
- What surprised you about the delivery process?
- How did interacting with the driver feel?
- Walk me through how you tracked your order.
These immersive empathy interviews uncovered pain points around tipping confusion, leading DoorDash to revamp their tipping experience.
2. Helsing
This virtual healthcare company struggled with low patient engagement. They conducted empathy interviews asking patients:
- Tell me about your experience using our telehealth app.
- What could make our service more valuable to you?
- How might we make the experience feel more human?
Patients revealed they wanted more follow-ups and community, leading Helsing to add new messaging-based features.
Final Tips for Empathy Interviewing
While there’s no script for empathy interviews, preparing strategic questions tailored to your users will reveal powerful insights. Some final tips:
- Frame questions conversationally, not clinically.
- Follow your curiosity during the dialogue.
- Balance openness with gently guiding back on track as needed.
- Be authentic – build rapport as two humans, not researcher and subject.
At its core, empathy interviewing is about forming human connections. When done right, you’ll gain a profound understanding of your users’ unmet needs and perspectives. This fuels truly innovative solutions that make an impact.
What is the empathy stage of design thinking?
This step of design thinking helps you understand all the human aspects of the problem you’re working on, which sets the stage for the next steps. Designers can use the human-centered design method to make solutions that solve people’s real problems by understanding them. This leads to more meaningful and significant results.
Building empathy with the people or users experiencing the core problem can result in:
- Better, user-centered solutions
- Reduced biases and incorrect assumptions
- Improved problem-solving
- Better collaboration throughout the following steps of design thinking
Depending on the problem or empathy technique, the exact questions you need to ask during the Empathize stage can be very different. However, these questions should always be open-ended and story-based to get more observations and deeper insights.
The real purpose of empathy interviewsÂ
The main goal of semi-structured empathy interviews, also known as “chats,” is to help designers figure out what users want and need, even if those users can’t say it or aren’t aware of it. Â.
Itâs also important not to take everything people say at face value. Recognize that thereâs often a gap between what they say they do in a situation vs. what they actually do. You may need to follow users around as they go about their day and then ask them questions to get a better picture.
To see how their designs are used, Uber Eats designers follow partners on deliveries and sit in people’s homes while they order takeout. This walk-a-mile immersion method helps them understand the real-world challenges that canât be replicated in an office environment.
Empathy Interview Norms
FAQ
How to show empathy in an interview question?
What is an empathy based interview?
What questions should you ask during an empathy interview?
If you’re interviewing for a job that requires empathy, you can expect to be asked questions about your ability to understand and relate to others. In this guide, we will provide some sample empathy interview questions and answers to help you prepare for your next interview. What is empathy?
What are empathy interviews?
Empathy interviews consist of open-ended questions tailored to the situation. Although interview questions are personalized, guidelines can help interviewers embody the principles of being intentional, human-centered, and equity-focused. This tool highlights tips and considerations that can be modified to meet the needs of each unique context.
How do I prepare for an interview with empathy skills?
Prepare for the types of questions you are likely to be asked when interviewing for a position where Empathy skills will be used. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is a critical skill for anyone who works with people, whether in customer service, human resources, or any other field.
What are some examples of empathy-related interview questions?
For example, if you sense a customer is frustrated, you may listen to what they have to say and respond with a soothing voice to help them solve their problem and change their perspective. Here are 28 empathy-related interview questions hiring managers may ask:
