Last updated on 24 January 2021
The greatest innovations address our deepest needs, and creative empathy is the key to discovering them. And while empathy seems like magic, it’s more like a muscle. We can train and develop it.
Whether we’re writing a play, designing a product, or building a business, The Creative Empathy Field Guide provides a simple toolkit for applying empathy to our creative process.
It examines core concepts and covers practical techniques to facilitate empathy in ourselves and teams. The guide features real-life examples and concludes with strategies to avoid common empathy pitfalls.

Table of Contents
Part One: Creative Empathy & Its Benefits
- Chapter 1: Understanding Human Experience
- Chapter 2: Product-Market Fit
- Chapter 3: Sustainable Innovation
Part Two: How Creative Empathy Works
- Chapter 4: The Empathic Design Process
- Chapter 5: The Eindhoven Empathy Model
Part Three: Increasing Empathic Ability
- Chapter 6: Develop Your Emotional Vocabulary
- Chapter 7: Practice Mindfulness
- Chapter 8: Train as An Actor
- Chapter 9: Experience Life Fully
Part Four: Increasing Proximity
- Chapter 10: Get Out of The Office
- Chapter 11: Simulate People’s Context
- Chapter 12: Eat Your Own Dog Food
- Chapter 13: Play the Role
- Chapter 14: Become Your Customer
Part Five: Creative Empathy for Teams
- Chapter 15: Nurture Psychological Safety
- Chapter 16: Create Relatable Characters
- Chapter 17: Tell Compelling Stories
- Chapter 18: Include Your Team
- Chapter 19: Hire Your Customer
Part Six: Final Thoughts
- Chapter 20: Empathy Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Chapter 21: Go Forth and Create