People underestimate how much emotions influence user behaviors.
<aside> ℹ️ One of the most important elements in design thinking and the wider area of human-centered design is empathy. The empathy gap describes our tendency to underestimate the influence of varying mental states on our own behavior and make decisions that only satisfy our current emotion, feeling, or state of being.
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An empathy gap happens when there's a breakdown or decrease in understanding and sharing another person's thoughts and feelings, where you'd normally expect it. It can occur because of problems in the empathizing process or because of certain personality traits. This gap in empathy can happen between people (toward others) or within a person (like when predicting their own future preferences).
Researchers study these gaps between different groups, looking at the reasons behind them, how they work in our minds, and what they mean for how we behave, especially regarding prejudices against groups we see as different from our own.
In general, the empathy gap refers to the idea of not being able to relate to the emotions, needs, and feelings of others because they’re naturally experiencing the world around them differently than you are.
Many brands suffer from what’s been coined the empathy gap. Studies by Gartner and PwC, respectively, found that while 90% of customer-facing employees said they understood the needs of their customers, only 38% of consumers feel the employees they interact with understand their needs.
In business, designing without understanding users' needs creates this gap, solving non-existent problems. Collecting customer feedback is key to closing this gap. Usability testing reveals how people interact with products, identifying what works and what doesn't. Remote usability testing captures real-life experiences. Interviews and focus groups offer direct insights.
<aside> 📌 By closing this gap, businesses improve their products, websites, and innovations, creating better customer experiences. Adapting to changing customer needs keeps this gap small, making the organization more customer-focused and adaptable.
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Why do we mispredict how much our emotions influence our behavior?
What Is Empathy and Why Is It So Important in Design Thinking?
Empathy Mapping: The First Step in Design Thinking