Written by Brian Wiebe
March 26, 2023
During my second session as a Ciocca Center Innovation Fellow, Prof. Sun and Prof. Yocam introduced us to empathy as the first step in the Design Thinking Process. They highlighted the importance of observing actions and patterns, interacting with users through interviews, and immersing oneself within the experience central to the human for whom you are designing. A short activity followed, with my peers and I sharing our observations and insights about a carefully selected photo. Easy enough, I thought.
Armed with the lecture, they gave us a challenge: “Go out and learn about people’s desires, needs, and interests related to healthier eating.” My team and I completed a quick brainstorm of questions to ask, and off we went to the Benson Dining Hall where many undergraduates grab their meal. The first interview that we conducted was rocky. However, it propelled us forward, enabling us to refine our questions and mannerisms for future interviews.
An hour later, we returned with eight interviews in our pocket. We analyzed the patterns from our conversations, expecting to find a clear consensus that matched our hypothesis. To our surprise, we noticed a new underlying theme: the importance of convenience in order for students to engage in healthier eating habits. Communicating with our “customers” was vital to gain an understanding of our intended user’s thoughts and ideas. Without it, we would have neglected the distinctive aspect of convenience and its impact on our problem.
This idea was further supplanted in the Product Opportunity Assessment course taught by Professor Rogers. I, along with Ciocca Center Mindset Scholars, was tasked with analyzing a particular aspect of our daily lives. My group chose to analyze the shopping mall – we covered everything from the moment one decides to go to the mall all the way through returning to the car with bags in hand. Only this time, we had to interview normal shoppers going about their day. Yet again, we were enlightened by our interviews - they informed our research by revealing their frustration with the dressing room experience, an aspect of the shopping mall we previously overlooked.
Throughout these two experiences, I have started to hone the valuable skill of empathy. I am learning to ask the right questions in order to have users elaborate on their insights, enabling a connection between their experiences to my own. This is all thanks to a judgment-free and curious mindset, careful communication, and the desire to define and develop a solution to solve the true pain point.
Once again, I am putting these skills into practice with my Innovation Fellow members. My team is creating a 'one-stop' solution for student clubs to organize events on campus, a challenge presented to Innovation Fellows by Tedd Vanadilok, Director of the Center for Student Involvement. Empathy will be a critical part of this, ensuring that my team’s solution is able to address all stakeholders.
Brian Wiebe '25 is currently pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science Engineering with a minor in minor in Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship. As a Ciocca Center Innovation Fellow, Brian focuses on finding a pain point on our SCU campus and using design thinking methods and empathy to identify and implement solutions. This 1 year program is great for students who want to continue to improve and grow the SCU community. The first quarter is a learning experience of mastering design thinking tools as part of an interdisciplinary team. In the second and third quarter, student teams will work with SCU administrators to address a real problem on campus. In the fourth quarter, students will further refine their ideas, test, and implement their creative ideas for solutions that stick, well beyond their time here at SCU.
Ciocca Center Innovation Fellows are committed to curiosity and fostering development of the student experience at Santa Clara University.