Conversation, Empathy, and Giving

School of Design,Hong Kong Polytechnic University

February 9, 2015

Maggie LIN

Rundown ● Doodle exercise ● My Background ● The Pocket Parks Collective● Meaningful Conversation● Human Connection and Empathy ● From Connection to Action ● User Research

Exercise #1Doodle Your Neighbor

Doodle Your Neighbor 1 minute to doodle 3 interesting questions plus namePresent your new friend

Mo

The Pocket Parks Collective

The Pocket Parks Collective ➢ Creative placemaking, participatory art and urban interventions ○ Activate public space○ Connect people○ Improve well-being

➢ Since 2012 www.facebook.com/ThePocketParksCollective

Unaffordable Housing Prices

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/08/08/worlds-most-expensive-home-per-square-foot-goes-on-sale-in-hong-kong/http://www.forbes.com/sites/liyanchen/2014/10/08/beyond-the-umbrella-revolution-hong-kongs-struggle-with-inequality-in-8-charts/

Dense and Small Living Space

Michael Wolf Photography

Restrictive Public Space

Lack of Human Connection

Poor Well-being

http://www.theglobalist.com/hong-kong-unhappy/ http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1054859/one-three-suffer-mental-illness-survey-finds

Exhibition

Courage Piece

Courage Piece

www.facebook.com/CouragePiece

Courage Piece ‘There was a part of me that said: “go, go now in this situation you are afraid of. Confront yourself with that. It will help you." The other part of me said: I’m so bad, I’m so hurt, I will not go and do it. The courageous part of me convinced me: "come on, now we go!"It said to me: "WE", like courage and I were together… I felt stronger.’- German woman in Peru

How?

Journalism A few tips from Columbia University- 1. Prepare carefully, familiarizing yourself with as much background as possible.2. Establish a relationship with the source conducive to obtaining information.3. Ask questions that are relevant to the source and that induce the source to talk.4. Listen and watch attentively.http://www.columbia.edu/itc/journalism/isaacs/edit/MencherIntv1.html

Anthropology - ethnography - participant observation

Bronislaw Malinowski, Polish anthropologist, Trobriand Island: "to grasp the native's point of view, his relation to life, to realize his vision of his world"

How?

● Present yourself, explain why you are there

● Be genuine● Be humble and treat the person with

respect● Icebreaking ● Beginner’s mind

Tips ● Listen attentively● Ask open-ended questions● build rapport, say yes, nodd,

repeat/rephrase what the other person has said to probe for more

● ask follow-up questions, e.g. o can you tell me more?o what do you mean by ... ?o why do you do this?

Exercise #2 Conversation Menu

Sunset Tea Bar

Sunset Tea Bar ➢ Cafe with conversation menu

○ connect strangers ○ develop empathy○ affect civic behavior

MaD Citizens on the Move, Kwun Tong, Sep 2013.

Deep Conversation 36 questions by psychologist Arthur Aron:

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say? Why?4. What would constitute a perfect day for you?5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else? https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/open-gently/201310/36-questions-bring-you-closer-together

Four qualities of empathyTheresa Wiseman, nursing scholar:

● perspective taking: ability to take perspective of another person, or recognizing perspective of their truth

● not judging● recognizing emotions in other people and

then communicating that● feeling WITH people

Neuroscience ● Paul Zak, neuroeconomist ● Power of Oxytocin● Increase in release = outpour of empathy● Friendly touch increases release of

oxytocin — love/ "cuddle hormone" — which affects trust behaviors

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128795325

Giving ● Empathy ● Recognition ● Boost people’s happiness

○ activate brain region stimulated by pleasure and reward

○ giving to others brings more happiness than giving on yourself, monetary and other senses

● When one feels good, he gives more

Discussion 1 What is the most powerful experiential or charity marketing campaign for you?

Do you give to charities, if so, which ones and why?

Creating Empathic Experience

From Empathy to Action

Empathy and Connectedness "When you start framing ourselves as part of the picture, then the reasons for protecting nature really become self-serving,"Host of Earth: a New Wild , PBS series

“Interbeing” by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh http://mashable.com/2015/01/21/new-show-panda-breeding-video/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link

Experiential Marketing

http://tap.unicefusa.org/

http://tap.unicefusa.org/

Ice Bucket Challenge

Charity Water

User Research

Human-Centered Design

Show Me Observe, don’t interpret Draw It Prototype Ask Why IDEO Human-Centered Design Tool Kit

Find your TargetSkills Interest Concern Target

cooking karatewriting talking to people

skateboard plays fashioninternet

teen pregnancy income gap unemployment bad cafeteria food

unemployed new graduate young mothers students in my schoolstrayed cat

Changemakers’ Starter Kit, Ashoka Thailand

Discussion 2

What is the purpose in mind and what action do you want to translate it into?

Long vs. short term- how is it made easy and immediately connectable with the experience so that it does not lose momentum?

Your Exercise For five minutes a day, observe people, imagine what it would be like being them. Be curious!

Talk to a stranger in the coming week.

Participate in an experiential workshop.

Contact @maggiektlin www.maggie-lin.com www.facebook.com/ThePocketParksCollectivewww.facebook.com/CouragePiece