Stanford Online Design Thinking Action Lab - Empathy Map and Problem Statement Assignment # 5 Submitted by Shamik Chowdhury

1. Design Thinking Action Lab
Service with a Smile:
Empathy Map and
Problem Statement
Shamik Chowdhury All icons courtesy www.iconfinder.com

2. Design
Challenge
Develop empathy
for the stakeholder,
and define a
problem or need
he/she has related
to the challenge.
Say
Think
Do
Feel
Problem
Statement

3. Empathy
Map
Interview the
stakeholder, and
create an empathy
map based on
conversations and
observations.
SAY THINK
DO
FEEL
INSIGHTS

4. Stakeholder: SAY THINK
A 37-year old female career
coordinator working at a
hotel school, who has no
formal qualification or
experience in the hotel
industry, but is passionate
about student development,
and keen to ensure that her
students receive a good all-
round education, and then
find suitable work
opportunities that help them
realize their talent and
potential.

5. I have no formal qualification or experience in the hotel
industry
I am passionate about education and student
development
I want my students to gather the knowledge and skills
to succeed in ways that make the learning memorable
Employers must make an effort to identify potential
before they map skills to job descriptions
Many students have talent, but they cannot
communicate or present their potential during interviews
Employers often don’t have the time to develop talent
– they need people who are ready to “hit the ground
running”
SAY

6. What she does at work:
1. Coordinates with employers to identify suitable job
opportunities, and opportunities for industrial training and summer
projects
2. Counsels students about career opportunities and job profiles,
and helps them identify areas of interest
3. Organizes self-development / personality development training
sessions and career orientation “talks” by inviting hotel industry
leaders to the campus
What I observed during the interview:
1. Asked me about ways in which education technology could help
make learning more interactive and engaging
2. Was not confrontational or argumentative, but seemed
passionate about her work and her beliefs
3. Received a number of calls from students during the interview,
and handled each conversation with sensitivity and patience
DO

7. “The curriculum is very hectic; students often don’t
get the time to reflect on life”
-Life skills are as important as technical skills
“Not every one is “hands-on”. Some of the
students like to think and understand more than
they like to memorize and do”
-People learn and view life and learning differently. Their
learning and job outlook may need greater customization /
personalization
“Many students finally go abroad to find work,
because they don’t find healthy work environments
or the desired job culture in India”
- For some, the gap between what they learn and what
they finally do at work may lead to disillusionment or
frustration
THINK

8. Apprehensive: How can I get my students to explore new
ways to understand what to expect when they join hotels?
Eager: Isn’t enhancing communication and ‘people” skills as
important as learning hotel accounting or culinary arts?
Concerned: How can students develop a true passion for
serving guests if they perceive their education only as a means
to get a job?
Inspired: Working in a hotel is as much of a “thinking” job as
managing a business. Learned skills can only take one so far…
it’s one’s personality that shines through at the end.

9. * The stakeholder understands the limitations of the
existing model of hotel school education, which stresses
development of skills at the cost of development of the
“person”
* The stakeholder is interested in exploring new ways,
means and avenues of training delivery which involves active
participation and self-reflection by the students
* The stakeholder appreciates that building management
and communication skills among students, and the
confidence to “tackle the world”, is as important for long-
term success as the vocational skills currently taught in
the school
* The stakeholder agrees that every person learns
differently, and a “one size fits all” model may not always
be the most effective one
INSIGHTS

10. Problem
Statement
The career coordinator at a hotel
school needs to explore ways to
equip her students with adequate
knowledge, understanding, skills,
and wisdom, because she wants
them to step into the hotel industry
with greater confidence and self
esteem.

11. * No formal qualification or experience in the hotel
industry, but passionate about education and student
development
* Students should gather the knowledge and skills to
succeed in ways that make the learning memorable
* Employers must make an effort to identify potential
before they map skills to job descriptions
* Many students have the talent, but they cannot
communicate or present their potential during interviews
* Employers often don’t have the time to develop
talent – they need people who are ready to “hit the
ground running”
* Coordinates with employers to identify suitable job
opportunities, counsels students about career
opportunities and job profiles, helps them identify areas
of interest, and organizes self-development / personality
development training sessions
* Asked me about ways in which education technology
could help make learning more interactive and engaging
* Was not confrontational or argumentative, but seemed
passionate about her work and beliefs
3. Handled students with sensitivity & patience
* The curriculum is very hectic; students often don’t
get the time to reflect on life”
* “Not every one is “hands-on”. Some of the students
like to think and understand more than they like to
memorize and do”
* “Many students finally go abroad to find work,
because they don’t find healthy work environments or
the desired job culture in India”
SAY THINK
DO
* How can I get my students to explore new ways to
understand what to expect when they join hotels?
* Isn’t enhancing communication and ‘people” skills as
important as learning hotel accounting or culinary arts?
* How can students develop a true passion for serving
guests if they perceive their education only as a means
to get a job?
* Working in a hotel is as much a “thinking” job as
managing a business. Learned skills can only take one so
far… it’s one’s personality that shines through at the
end.
FEEL
The career coordinator at a hotel school needs to explore ways to equip her students with the
knowledge, understanding, skills, and wisdom because she wants them to step into the hotel industry
with greater confidence and self esteem.
Problem
Statement

12. Thank You
Design Thinking Action Lab
Shamik Chowdhury All icons courtesy www.iconfinder.com