“Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating.”– Donald A. Norman, The Design of Everyday Things

 

Trecia, along with Larry Yeung from Participate in Design, shared their journey on evoking emotions in communities through participatory design in both Singapore and South East Asia. Through a sharing and hands-on activity, the duo tackled the question of “How might participatory design evoke emotions within our communities?”

 

Empathy is truly a design solution’s forgotten formula. The first step in design thinking is to Empathize as it allows us to understand and share the same feelings that others feel. Through empathy, we are able to put ourselves in other people's shoes and connect with how they might be feeling about their problem, circumstance, or situation. Moreover, we should not just deduce the solution, but more importantly, we must empower the communities along the way.  

 

This event was part of the National Design Centre's "Emotive Design" programme schedule in March 2021.