It would be nice if people can make a convincing argument about a causal relationship between empathy and design. If feels good because it succeeds at 2 basic things: it swells our ego, and it provides a relatively plausible explanation for how good design arises. The problem is that, like the easter bunny, while it makes you feel good, it doesnt exist. There is none. In fact, there is nothing to indicate that having a greater or lesser degree of mirror neurons, or the ability to be empathetic, or even to show compassion, is even marginally related to good design. The counter-factual hypothesis may in fact be true: empathy stunts or inhibits good design. in fact, of the various types of empathy (for example, Empathic Concern (EC), which measures the underlying inclination to feel affective empathy, such as, for example, “I often have tender, concerned feelings about old ladies limping across the street; and Perspective-Taking (PT), which is the underlying propensity to exercise cognitive empathy, for example, “I try to look at the world through your eyes, combined with Dennets notion of Theory of Mind, indicates that it may simply be far to complex to ever understand the nature of empathy, and if it indeed has any role whatsoever in design. But, if it makes you feel good, simply stand up and argue that the key to good design is the easter bunny. It makes just as much sense.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 04:45:16 +0000
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