By: Lisa Maltby

Whether we are designing for a product, a service or an advertising campaign, we all want solutions that fulfill a purpose; designs that sell products or have great influence. The problem is that although we care about the end result of the designs we create, we still have set ideas in our heads about how to get there. Sure, we might say we want an influential product design, but what does that actually mean? And more than that, what does empathy have anything to do with how we get there?

Many follow the notion that the path to greater success is to remove emotion from the work process, but what if I told you that I have found the most success in my work by being more sensitive: developing listening skills and connecting emotionally? These traits are often seen as weaker in the creative industry, with design teams favouring those who boldly shout out ideas over those who prefer thoughtful consideration. With the creative industry at 62.8% male, masculinity has had a more dominant influence on the brands and advertisements we see day-to-day. But as much as we’d like to say that it is simply a matter of getting a more equal balance of males and females in the creative industry, we would be avoiding the challenges that come with that. We’re fooled if we think our gender doesn’t influence the designs we produce and the way we produce them. How we come up with ideas depends entirely on our existing values and how we work with others. The next generation are proving to be less defined by gender—they want authentic brands with an authentic voice, but authentic voices come from authentic ears. Empathy trumps bravado.