The Apprentice

Goal: Create Empathy for the Customer Experience

When are you ready to take on the task of building a new product or service? When you understand your customer’s needs so well that you can envision solutions to problems the customer may not have realized they had!

The Game

Ask your employees to perform the “work” of what they are building. For example, if they’re building a new data entry system, have them do the work of the current data entry operators. If they’re building workflow management software for furniture delivery people, have them deliver furniture. If they’re writing about vehicle performance, ask them to change the oil in the car. They gain knowledge of the customer experience and some degree of empathy for the real problem that your customer is trying to solve.

Why It Works

Product/service designers who empathize with their customers create better solutions. For some people, this empathy comes naturally. For others, it is harder. The Apprentice provides members of your product team with the opportunity to create the empathy that they need to create innovative products and services.