Empathy

What is Empathy in UX/UI Design?

In product design, especially in UX/UI, Empathy is the ability to put oneself in the user's position to understand their emotions, needs, expectations, and difficulties – not just superficially, but really understanding them as a person, not just as a "user."

This is the first and most important step in Design Thinking, and also the foundation of human-centered design (human-centered design). If you design without empathy, it is easy to create products that are “beautiful but soulless,” failing to address the real issues of users.

Empathy is not guessing

Empathy does not mean "I think users will like this," but rather "I have observed, listened to, and talked with users – and here is what they are truly experiencing."

Common ways to develop empathy:

• Direct user interviews

• Shadowing (observing users in real context)

• Creating an Empathy Map

• Accompanying users on a specific journey

Let's take an example

Suppose you are designing an online pharmacy application for the elderly. Instead of assuming that “a large interface is enough,” you investigate and find that they often fear mixing up medications, have difficulty trusting online payments, and need clarity and safety. Thanks to empathy, you will design small elements that display the correct colors, medication names corresponding to the times of day, dosages, … or a "call for support" button, guiding them step by step — things that may seem small, but are extremely important to them.

Why is Empathy important?

• Helps reduce the gap between designers and users

• Makes products more emotionally relevant, addressing current issues and functionalities

• Creates a foundation for providing practical, profound solutions, not just "creating for the sake of creating"

Empathy is not a “soft” step in UX, but a core skill to design meaningful, useful, and trustworthy products for users.