Design With Empathy

We design and implement systems … but how often do we walk through them ourselves? One afternoon, I sat in a coffee shop watching a barista staff meeting. Listening to them discuss how to greet people.

They were asking what makes someone feel welcomed vs frustrated?

How does a greeting change this?
How does quality impact their order?
Does it add or take away from the experience?

Even in housing.
When someone is trying to navigate the hoops of housing, every interaction leaves an impression.

Sure, impressions are hard to navigate.

But so is navigating the system when you need housing.

If your mission depends on access, a tedious process, and wait times - step into the process yourself.

Observe. Listen.
And then be prepared to 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.

This work is too important to provide an "average" level of service.