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You are here: Home / UX Advice / What is the difference between UX design, empathic design and design thinking?

What is the difference between UX design, empathic design and design thinking?

January 16, 2023 by Swathi Kirthyvasan

UX design (User Experience design) is a process for designing products, services, and experiences that are easy to use, efficient, and enjoyable for the people who use them. It involves understanding the needs and goals of the users and designing solutions that meet those needs.

Empathic design is a design process that involves understanding the needs, wants, and values of the people who will use the product or service that is being designed. This involves putting oneself in the users’ shoes and understanding their perspective. It is often used in the design of products and services for vulnerable or marginalized groups.

Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves understanding the needs of users, creating ideas, and testing them quickly and iteratively. It emphasizes empathy and collaboration and is often used to create innovative solutions to complex problems.

In summary, UX design is focused on creating user-friendly products, empathic design is focused on understanding the needs of vulnerable or marginalized groups, and design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy and collaboration. All of them are related and often used together in the design process.

Filed Under: UX Advice

About Swathi Kirthyvasan

Swathi is a Product UX Strategist and Content Writer currently digging deep into AI, Psychology and building useful Edtech products for students.

When not doing any of the above, she can be found in the middle of experimenting with multiple art styles and mediums to create vibrant, intricate artwork, teaching, mentoring and reading. She also dabbles with photography, is an amateur runner and loves her daily cup (or two) of herbal/green tea.

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