{"id":700,"date":"2026-02-13T20:07:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T20:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/?p=700"},"modified":"2026-02-16T04:10:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T04:10:39","slug":"aix-design-empathize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/2026\/02\/13\/aix-design-empathize\/","title":{"rendered":"AIX Design: Empathize"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Objective<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal of the Empathize stage was to better understand how people experience journaling in their everyday lives. We didn\u2019t want to design based on assumptions. We wanted to hear real stories, why people journal, why they don\u2019t, what makes it hard, and what makes it meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through interviews, we discovered that starting is often the biggest barrier. We also saw how important privacy, emotional safety, flexibility, and habit formation are in a journaling experience. This stage helped us define real user needs before jumping into solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI Usage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>During this stage, I used&nbsp;<strong>ChatGPT<\/strong>&nbsp;to help organize and make sense of our interview notes. AI didn\u2019t replace our thinking, it helped us move more efficiently and structure our ideas more clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mainly used AI to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Analyze interview transcripts and generate empathy maps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Summarize responses into key themes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a word cloud from recurring language<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Simplify and clarify written insights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Empathy Map Prompt<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69fb2cb2a9eb1&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69fb2cb2a9eb1\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1602\" height=\"1098\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-at-11.37.38-AM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-703\" style=\"aspect-ratio:2.5133266498427074;object-fit:contain\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-at-11.37.38-AM.png 1602w, https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-at-11.37.38-AM-768x526.png 768w, https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-at-11.37.38-AM-1536x1053.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1602px) 100vw, 1602px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Word Cloud Prompt<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69fb2cb2aa268&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69fb2cb2aa268\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1136\" height=\"248\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Word-Cloud-Prompt-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Word-Cloud-Prompt-1.png 1136w, https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Word-Cloud-Prompt-1-768x168.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1136px) 100vw, 1136px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69fb2cb2aabdc&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69fb2cb2aabdc\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"763\" height=\"405\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/Word-Cloud-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-707\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits &amp; Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using AI during this stage felt like having an additional team member, especially when things started to feel overwhelming. After our interviews, we had a lot of notes and long responses. It was intimidating to know where to begin. AI helped organize everything into clearer sections, like empathy maps and themes. It gave me a structured starting point and made the design thinking process feel more manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI was especially helpful in spotting patterns. When I asked it to summarize themes, it helped highlight repeated ideas like consistency struggles, privacy concerns, and the need for low-pressure reflection. This allowed our team to step back and see the bigger picture faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, we had to be very careful. AI sometimes adds extra wording or \u201cfiller\u201d that sounds insightful but wasn\u2019t actually said in the interview. In some cases, it can unintentionally fill in gaps with information that wasn\u2019t originally included. Because of that, we made it a priority to validate everything AI generated. We always double-checked outputs with the original responses to ensure accuracy and avoid misrepresentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To reduce these issues, I was intentional about how I structured prompts. I followed the anatomy of an AI prompt:&nbsp;<strong>Context, Role, Action, and Output<\/strong>. Instead of vague and generic requests, I:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Gave clear context about the interview<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assigned AI a specific role (\u201cAct as a UX researcher\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearly stated the action (\u201cGenerate an empathy map\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Defined the output format<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach reduced filler language and helped keep insights grounded in real user data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reflection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>AI served as an assistant, not a designer. The participants shared their lived experiences. Our team conducted interviews, interpreted emotions, and made final decisions about themes and insights. AI helped us organize, summarize, and structure the data, but it did not replace human judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This stage reminded me that empathy requires listening and interpretation. AI can organize information, but it cannot fully understand emotion or lived experience. The most meaningful insights came from conversation and reflection as a team. Using AI thoughtfully made the process more efficient, but the insight still came from people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the Empathize stage, I interviewed users to understand their journaling habits and challenges. I used AI to help organize transcripts and generate empathy maps, while validating outputs to ensure insights remained grounded in real user experiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=700"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":731,"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700\/revisions\/731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sova.ourcloud.ou.edu\/elliott\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}