Finding Empathy for Your Future Self Fintech UX: UX/User Researchers Meetup Noreen Whysel, Decision Fish April 4, 2018 Copyright 2018 Decision Fish LLC

1. Finding Empathy for
Your Future Self
Fintech UX: UX/User Researchers Meetup
Noreen Whysel, Decision Fish
April 4, 2018
Copyright 2018 Decision Fish LLC

2. Decision Fish
User Studies

3. What is Financial
Wellness?

4. What is Financial Wellness?
1. Control over day-to-day, month-to-month finances;
2. Capacity to absorb a financial shock;
3. On track to meet your financial goals; and
4. Financial freedom to make the choices that allow you to enjoy life.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
http://www.comsumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/four-elements-define-personal-financial-well-being

5. 57%
Fifty-seven percent of Americans don’t have enough cash to cover a
$500 unexpected expense, according to a new survey from Bankrate.
Aimee Picci. January 12, 2017. “A $500 surprise expense would put most Americans into debt.” CBS
Moneywatch. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-americans-cant-afford-a-500-emergency-expense/

6. Empathy in
UX Research

7. https://medium.com/the-xplane-collection/updated-empathy-map-canvas-46df22df3c8a?source=linkShare-66afc6058381-1507754514

8. Empathy Map Canvas
➔ Who are we empathizing
with?
➔ What do they need to Do?
➔ What do they See?
➔ What do they Say?
➔ What do they Do?
➔ What do they Hear?
➔ What do they Think and Feel?

9. Empathy Mapping: Objectives
➔ Learn to think about your users
➔ Develop empathy for your users
➔ Eliminate misconceptions or preconceived notions
about your users
➔ Align Value Proposition with your users’ behavior
Your Future Self

10. Who were you
when...

11. Childhood
Photo by Brett Whysel Brettwhysel.com

12. Adulthood
Photo by Brett Whysel Brettwhysel.com

13. Who will you be
tomorrow?
or in 5 years, 30?

14. Retirement
(imagined)
Photo by Brett Whysel Brettwhysel.com

15. Retirement
(real)
Photo by Brett Whysel Brettwhysel.com

16. How to Empathize
with Future You

17. Ed Yong. December 6, 2016. “Self-Control Is Just Empathy With Your Future Self.” The Atlantic.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/self-control-is-just-empathy-with-a-future-you/509726/
rTPJ linked to empathy, selflessness and self-control.

18. Discussion and
Participatory
Design

19. Post-Its and
Manipulatives

20. Mindfulness
We can tap into the parts of our
brains that create empathy by
being mindful, slowing down and
paying attention to our true needs.
See Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow Photo by Brett Whysel Brettwhysel.com

21. Visualize
Your
Future Self

22. How Does
Mindfulness Help?
90% Increased their Savings Intentions
Most (not all) became more willing to ask
questions and discuss their personal
situations.

23. How Else Does
Mindfulness Help?
● Reduces confirmation bias and
overconfidence
● Offsets present bias, stereotyping, and
the sunk cost fallacy
● Improves learning from experience
● Connects you with your intuition
● Addresses behavioral hurdles like
procrastination
● Calms and reduces stress response
Karelaia, Natalia and Reb, Jochen, Improving Decision Making Through Mindfulness (May 30, 2014). Forthcoming in
Mindfulness in Organizations, Reb, J., & Atkins, P. (Eds.), Cambridge University Press.; INSEAD Working Paper No.
2014/43/DSC. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2443808

24. Thank You!
Noreen Whysel
Decision Fish
noreen@decisionfish.com
decisionfish.com
Twitter: @nwhysel @decisionfish

25. Tips for Financial Wellness
➜ Set a regular appointment with yourself on your calendar for an unbusy
time to work on financial wellness;
➜ Don't worry about having precise numbers: the most important thing is to
save regularly and spend mindfully;
➜ Be kind to your future self: be realistic and empathetic about your saving
and spending goals;
➜ Your needs are valid. Try not to be so judge-y of your values and goals. No
one else needs to see this.
➜ On the other hand, it can help to go through the program with a significant
other or friend.