Design for Real Life

Chapter 5. Cultivate Compassion

WE’VE SPENT the last four chapters sharing story after story of organizations struggling—and sometimes succeeding—in their efforts to support real people. Along the way, we’ve learned some things: how to reflect on our biases, find the fractures in our work, be intentional in what we ask, avoid alienating or traumatizing, and, ultimately, meet the needs of more users, more often.

In this chapter, we’ll see what happens when an organization brings all those principles together, and creates a space where users can define themselves on their own terms. We’ll also explore what it means to connect our principles ...