What is the first stage of Design Thinking?

The first stage of Design Thinking is empathize. This stage focuses on understanding the user and their experiences, needs, and emotions. It involves engaging with users through observations, interviews, and immersive experiences to gain deep insights into their perspectives and challenges. By prioritizing empathy, designers are able to create solutions that are truly user-centered.

This initial phase sets the foundation for the entire Design Thinking process. It emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding the user's context before moving on to defining problems, generating ideas, or prototyping solutions. Through empathizing, designers cultivate a human-centered approach that guides the subsequent stages of the design process, ensuring that the end product not only addresses real user needs but is also more likely to be embraced by the target audience.