You can have empathy, but nothing will replace talking to your intended audience.
Brainstorm every possible solution: Include all stakeholders in the discussion and invite everyone to share ideas and potential solutions.
The medium you choose needs to be driven by your solution and a format that your stakeholders & test subjects can use.
We’ve found that sharing simple drawings on a digital whiteboard can often yield great feedback with very little effort. If it’s not possible for you to direct users through your prototype, a more hi-fidelity approach may be required.
Consider emotions: Focus on user flow rather than just information architecture to create a more enjoyable product experience.
Product
by Fortnight in 4 factors that lead to more enjoyable product experiences
by Fortnight
in 4 factors that lead to more enjoyable product experiences
by Cameron Chapman · Author or The Smashing Idea Book in A Guide to Effective User Onboarding Best Practicesby Cameron Chapman · Author or The Smashing Idea Bookin A Guide to Effective User Onboarding Best Practices
by Aimee Gonzalez-Cameron · UX and Content Strategy Consultant in Design Like a Teacherby Aimee Gonzalez-Cameron · UX and Content Strategy Consultantin Design Like a Teacher