OUR APPROACH
Empathic Innovation uncovers insights with design energy to drive Human-Centered Design and innovation. Research can provide many insights about people - their unmet needs, desires hopes, fears. But which insights have design energy to drive innovation? How do you find the sweet spot between desirability for people, technological feasibility, and business viability? Broad experience working in a genuinely collaborative way with design teams has taught us how to focus in on insights with design energy that are generative for meaningful and successful innovation.
Many established companies are drowning in data about their stakeholders and are challenged to find new opportunities and a novel design path through it all. Empathic Innovation uncovers new insights, connecting the dots with your existing research in new ways. For startups, we tightly collaborate with your design team to integrate research and design in rapid iterative cycles that will get you further, faster.
Empathic Innovation brings you deep expertise in design research and strategy with broad experience in the human-centered design process.
Dr. Amy Schwartz, Principal and Founder, has specialized depth and a proven track record in healthcare innovation for both startups and established industry giants.
EXPERTISE
DESIGN RESEARCH & STRATEGY
We offer expertise in a wide range of design research methods adapted from psychology, anthropology, architecture, and other domains with experience pioneering new methods for integrating research and design in rapid iterative cycles.
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Exploratory Research: Identifying unmet needs with design energy to develop a compelling frame for innovation opportunities within a multi-stakeholder ecosystem. Uncovering compelling and sticky stories from the research that the design team viscerally feels and can empathically design to - not just a list of user requirements.
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User Looks: Rapid cycle research and design iterations that are both evaluative and generative. Working directly with design teams to help them understand and create appropriate research stimuli to get at different questions you have at different points in the design process.
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Pilot Design & Support: Pre-clinical trial field testing to improve the design through in-context use of high fidelity prototypes.
MENTORING & STRATEGIC ADVISING
We offer guidance in supporting teams through the Human-Centered Design process and applied Design Thinking.