TOOLS OF EMPATHY IN DESIGN THINKING
. The article actualizes the need to use the methodology of design thinking in the process of creating new goods and services, which is to focus on what is of greatest value directly to the person, rather than an abstract object. Design thinking is a special view of the world that a person needs in order to study the space around him and then to change and organize it as efficiently as possible. The design thinking methodology has gained great popularity in the world precisely because it is today one of the most effective ways to work effectively in a turbulent external environment. This research is based on the most effective solution to the problem: first it’s important to conduct research and clearly formulate the problem, then focus on specific questions, generate ideas, select the best idea, create a prototype, and test the idea. The design thinking methodology describes the implementation of these stages. The article discusses the foundation of design thinking - empathy. At the heart of design thinking are the principles of human-centered design. Empathy is an essential element of this methodology. Empathy helps to understand the behavior of people in the context of finding a solution to a problem. According to the authors, the article systematizes the main tools of design thinking at the stage of empathy: stakeholder map, extreme user, “What? How? Why?”, “5 whys”, a day in the life of a user, Moccasins, empathy map, person. The study shows that the methodology of design thinking has a universal character and is easily adapted to any field of activity and is effectively applied, not only in business, management, marketing, but also in various fields of human activity: medicine, education, pedagogy, various social spheres, etc.