Flag

We stand with Ukraine and our team members from Ukraine. Here are ways you can help

Get exclusive access to thought-provoking articles, bonus podcast content, and cutting-edge whitepapers. Become a member of the UX Magazine community today!

Home ›› Business Value and ROI ›› 6 Key Questions to Guide International UX Research ›› Design for Experience: Promoting Empathy for Users

Design for Experience: Promoting Empathy for Users

by Steve Tengler, Design for Experience
3 min read
Share this post on
Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Save

A closer look at the Design for Experience awards category: Promoting Empathy For Users

As a judge for the international Design for Experience awards, I must forewarn you: I will have a very critical eye on anyone nominating an elevator in the “Promoting Empathy for Users” category.

Why? I’ve traveled within four continents and have yet to see an elevator truly designed for the user.

For example, why not provide an “undo” button? That’s a standard control on nearly every electronic interface on the globe except for elevator control panels. Having been in an elevator in the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere when an exuberant youth pressed every button, I know how frustrating that simple omission can be.

If an undo button costs too much extra money, why not at least allow me to press those buttons again and untoggle the selections? Because I had no way to reverse the button-pushing of that kid, I had to hop off that over-illuminated elevator and wait for the next lift.

And then there’s the labeling of floors. This picture was taken at a mall just outside London and shows just two floors: “0” and “-2.”

I’ll grant you: the usage of negative floors is much more intuitive than the North American “B2,” where the user is never sure if that’s the upper of two basement floors or the lower basement level.

In this case, however, both floors were ABOVE ground so … huh? Why not make it “upper” and “lower” or “0” and “1?”

Or how about another lift I found elsewhere in Europe with handmade instructions to overcome a complete lack of empathy for the user: “Press 2 for platform 1.”

If a hotel really wants to show empathy for me, their user, and anticipate my needs: I’ve got a keycard for room 836. Why not have an RFID tag in the card that can summon the elevator and preload the floor (with the option to “undo”). There could also be an RFID tag in my work badge with the ability to preload the elevator for the floor where it knows my next meeting is located based on communications between servers. Now that would show real empathy.

I will give the elevators of the world one concession: the close door button. I seem to remember a statistic that 85% of those buttons are disabled, but they’ve been provided for impatient passengers so we feel like we have some semblance of control over our lives. I appreciate that. Other than my Fantasy Football team, I have few avenues of empowerment, so I’ll take what I can get.

As Steve has poetically illustrated above, the DfE Promoting Empathy for Users award recognizes products, services, and companies that have clearly put the best interests of their users at the fore, making empathetic design decisions on their behalf. A prime example would be the elevator design that goes the extra mile to make life easier for it’s guest, promoting empathy from the top (floor) down.

If you know of products, services, or companies that promote an empathetic vantage point of the end user, nominate them. If you think that your product, service, or company deserves DfE recognition, apply for this award right now!

Image of chihuahua and duck courtesy Shutterstock

post authorSteve Tengler

Steve Tengler
Steve Tengler is a Senior Director with the Honeywell Connected Vehicle group, where he oversees a global team of engineers, data scientists and designers working on vehicle monitoring solutions such as cybersecurity, prognostics, etc. Steve is a proven expert in the field of the connectivity and user experience with over twenty-five years of experience on some of the country's top automotive teams, such as OnStar, Nissan, Ford and Honeywell.

post authorDesign for Experience

Design for Experience

The core mission of Design For Experience (DfE) is to fuel the growth, improvement, and maturation in the fields of user-centered design, technology, research, and strategy. We do this through a number of programs, but primarily through our sponsorship of UX Magazine, which connects an audience of approximately 100,000+ people to high-quality content, information, and opportunities for professional improvement.

Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Related Articles

Why do designers grumble at the mere mention of PowerPoint? Discover smart strategies that turn frustration into creative solutions.

Article by Jim Gulsen
Why Designers Hate PowerPoint (and How to Fix It)
  • The article examines why PowerPoint often frustrates designers, from its limited design capabilities to inefficient workflows, and explores opportunities to bridge those gaps.
  • It highlights strategies like building systematic design elements, creating templates, and augmenting slides with other design tools.
  • The piece underscores the importance of collaboration, simplicity, and proactive planning to elevate design and streamline workflows.
  • It highlights practical methods to help designers balance quality and speed for presentations that are both functional and visually engaging.
Share:Why Designers Hate PowerPoint (and How to Fix It)
4 min read

Struggling with PowerPoint’s design limitations? This step-by-step guide shows you how to build systematic design solutions, from mastering slide layouts to using sticker sheets for patterns. Learn to create polished, professional presentations with smart workarounds and helpful tips.

Article by Jim Gulsen
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a “Design System” in PowerPoint
  • The article gives a step-by-step guide to building systematic patterns in PowerPoint. It talks about the program’s limitations and gives essential tips like mastering slide layouts and customizing text settings.
  • It suggests using PowerPoint’s automated features carefully and advocating for manual workarounds to elevate quality.
  • The piece introduces creating sticker sheets for reusable design components and highlights strategies for successful workflows.
Share:A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a “Design System” in PowerPoint
5 min read

Publishing in HCI and design research can feel overwhelming, especially for newcomers. This guide breaks down the process — from choosing the right venue to writing, submitting, and handling revisions. Whether you’re aiming for conferences or journals, learn key strategies to navigate academic publishing with confidence.

Article by Malak Sadek
A Guide to Publishing Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Design Research Papers
  • The article provides a guide to publishing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and design research, sharing insights from the author’s PhD experience.
  • It explains the significance of publishing in academia and industry, offering an overview of peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
  • It breaks down the two main types of papers — review and empirical — detailing their structures and acceptance criteria.
  • The piece emphasizes strategic research planning, collaboration, and selecting the right venue for submission.
  • The piece also outlines practical steps for writing, revising, and handling rejections, encouraging persistence and learning from reviewer feedback to improve publication success.
Share:A Guide to Publishing Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Design Research Papers
8 min read

Join the UX Magazine community!

Stay informed with exclusive content on the intersection of UX, AI agents, and agentic automation—essential reading for future-focused professionals.

Hello!

You're officially a member of the UX Magazine Community.
We're excited to have you with us!

Thank you!

To begin viewing member content, please verify your email.

Tell us about you. Enroll in the course.

    This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy and