Empathize and Define Assignment - Design Thinking Action Lab

1. DESIGN THINKING
ACTION LAB -
CHALLENGE
Empathize and Define

2. Contents
 1. Empathy Map
 2. Problem statement

3. Important sidenotes
The interview used to complete this assignment was
conducted via online chat by myself, and answered by
one of my classmates from our 2nd year of high school.
Since we have not yet graduated from school, the focus
of the questions was on how the interviewee sees her
future work possibilities, how she is affected by
pressure, if she feels prepared to go to college and face
a whole lot of different things such as dealing with more
responsibility, how she sees that our education now will
help us in the future so-called “adult world” and focusing
on doing your best.
By the time of this interview, the interviewee has not
decided on what career path to follow.
-

4. EMPATHY MAP GUIDELINE
Say
Think
and Feel

5. 1. Say
 “ I don‟t know what awaits me [at a future
workplace], but at the school we [the
interviewer and the interviewee] go to, we‟re
well prepared to not get „lost‟ and doubtful
when we get there, so I think I‟ll be ready [to
work] and will definitely work hard for that.”
 “I think that if you put in all of your effort into
something [now], you‟ll surely get satisfactory
results. In the future, I‟ll work hard to get a
good job that I will like [to work at].”

6. 1. Say
 “I could choose something that I will end up
regretting later, and might want to change
[careers]. But then I would‟ve had lost a lot of
energy and time, and so it makes me feel really
nervous thinking about [choosing a career].”
 “Of course I want to believe I‟ll be successful, and
I‟ll work very hard for it, but you never
know…maybe I‟m not equipped for what I want to
study in college”
 “Sure, I feel like I need to hurry to decide [on a
career], but still I‟ll try to make a pondered choice,
because it will be the foundation to my future”

7. 2. Think + Feel
 Analysing the interviewee‟s answers, I think that
she feels that right now, since our education is not
yet complete, we lack in knowledge of some areas
we might need in the future, but soon we will find
said knowledge and will eventually be prepared
for future achievements, tasks and situations we
might have to deal with. A great part of this
insecurity might come from the fear all of us
teenagers share: a fear of failing, wasting
precious time and not knowing if we will be able to
go back and restart since there are some
consequences to this, such as a later graduation
from college and then, later entrance in the work
market and tardy independence.*

8. * Cultural side note:
In Brazil, the country of both the interviewer and the
interviewee, after teens graduate from HS, they take
tests called “Vestibulares” in order to be admitted
into an university. Unlike universities in North
America, some students do not leave their parents‟
house when they turn 18 or when they get into
college to live in the college dorms. It depends on
the teenager‟s will, for example, if he wishes to
study in another city or state, he moves closer to the
campus, but it‟s not mandatory. Some universities
don‟t even have dorms in their campuses. In the
same way, there are some teenagers only leave
their parents‟ house when they get married, but still
they work and lead on their adult lives independently
freewillingly.

9. Problem Statement data board
a) Stakeholder
- An intelligent and extroverted 2ND year high school
student with interests that circle mostly around
oriental culture that feels pressured to find her
career, but feels she will be prepared when the time
comes to start working after she graduates from
college in the future, because of her current
education which she thinks is preparing her for her
future well. The stakeholder is also very optimistic
towards education and feels ready and prepared to
work hard to achieve her goals.

10. Problem Statement data board
b) Problem/Need
Based on my interview and data gathered on the stakeholder, I feel that the
greatest difficulty in this whole process would be explaining to the young
students from the beginning of their High School life that they needn‟t rush to
make such an important decision, and to show them that there are other roads
to take within the ones they choose. Basically, to teach them that the transition
between school, college and work is not a one-way road, and most certainly
not a smooth one, but that with the correct tools and knowledge we can make
this experience less traumatizing and difficult for young people. This can be
done by introducing them into the market by talking to people who have
experiences to share and useful knowledge to teach the younger minds. Also,
an important remark is that these same students entering the work market
right now will be the ones to lead on others into the same market later on in
their lives as parents, counselors and supporters. If the right knowledge is
passed on, this could turn the said transition from a scary vision to something
students will look forward to confidently, knowing they can trust their teachers,
family and counselors to support them on whatever lies next.

11. Problem Statement data board
c) Insight
The students might feel insecure about their future
because of the lack of support they‟re given
academically and through the people surrounding
them which can be role models and share
experiences with them. Sometimes other people‟s
experiences might come across as problem-less
and “smooth”, but in actual reality they took twists
and turns to get where they are now. Teenagers
might feel more confident in themselves and in what
they are capable of doing as professionals if they
are oriented by their teachers in order to discover
what they‟re better at, what they like doing and how
they can apply such qualities into their future work
market search.

12. Problem Statement Conclusion
 The Stakeholder needs a way to become more
confident in what she will choose as her future
career and not have any fears of taking
different paths in her way towards her placing
in the work market, because this will help her
transition between High School, College and
Work in a fluid way that will not frighten her,
but encourage her to take on challenges
without hesitation.

13. Final Problem Statement
 The student needs encouragement and
support that will help her confidence in getting
a smooth transition from school to work.