“The secret, it turns out, reduces to one of those touchy-feely terms that make MBAs squirm: “empathy.” In the Ideo universe, great design doesn’t begin with a far-out concept or a way-cool drawing. It begins with a deep and empathic understanding of the human condition. The first step for any Ideo team on any project is to try to empathize with the people who might use whatever product or service that eventually emerges from its work.”

“Released earlier this year, Ideo Method Cards provide an array of techniques — borrowed from anthropology, psychology, biomechanics, and other disciplines — for putting humans at the center of the design process. The cards are organized into four suits that represent four methods of empathizing with potential users: Learn, Look, Ask, and Try. Each card explains a technique — Camera Journal or Bodystorming are two examples — with a photo on one side and an account of how Ideo has used the technique with a client on the other.”

Read the full Out of the Box article on Fast Company.