Inspiring empathy through contextual research

What if the key to better design isn’t more ideas—but deeper understanding? Discover how contextual research fuels empathy and inspires more meaningful, inclusive, and human-centered design.

In a world of increasing automation, AI and abstraction, we believe it’s more important than ever to keep people at the heart of design. Contextual research helps us do just that. As systems become more complex and digital products more integrated into our daily lives, there is a growing need to step away from assumptions and data-driven generalizations. Instead, we must turn to empathy as the foundation of impactful, human-centered innovation.

Culture, language, infrastructure, and expectations vary widely, and yet many organizations still fall into the trap of creating for the "average user." Contextual research goes beyond the user survey or usability test. It involves immersing oneself in the everyday lives, routines, and environments of the people we design for.

This session is for designers, researchers, innovators, strategists, students, and anyone curious about human behavior and the power of empathy in design. Via a series of short impulse talks - followed by drinks - we want to discuss and explore how contextual research serves as a powerful tool to foster empathy and enable more relevant design solutions across industries.