But when participants thought about their future selves, a technique that encourages abstract thinking, their accuracy increased considerably. They weren’t spot-on, but they did much better. New research published in 'Current Biology' has provided the first direct evidence that we can do this because we spontaneously form mental images of how the world looks to the other person, so that we can virtually see through their eyes and make judgements as if it was what we were seeing. Tens of thousands of people around the world are taking part in The Perception Census, an ongoing scientific study aiming to uncover the fascinating but invisible ways that our minds are each unique - making it the largest study of its kind, and the first major citizen science project in the world into perceptual diversity.

What does the world look like if you are a baby? How does a cuttlefish see it’s underwater world? Just pop on these cool glasses and you will see the world through others’ eyes!See the World Through Others’ Eyes is a really interesting science set. It includes a set of glasses with interchangeable lenses which allow you to see the world in 20 different ways. These include; cat; dog; rat; horse; cow; elephant; fish; shark; cuttlefish; bird; eagle; T-rex; unicorn; astronaut; colour blindness; new born baby; near vision; fly; bee and dragonfly. The box also contains detailed instructions and explanations about how the lenses work and how various animals, including humans see. Once I realized that everyone is irrational, all the time, my life became a lot simpler.” ~ Scott Adams Everyone is irrational. Learning to tolerate other’s irrationality with the same grace as we do with ours is the first step towards productive conversation. Participants in the study, published in journal Current Biology, were asked whether a rotated letter was positioned the right way around or a mirrored view. Lead author Eleanor Ward, PhD student in the University of Plymouth School of Psychology explained: “This study shows that what we see can be overridden by what another person sees if it helps us to make a judgement. People do not need to mentally rotate an object if they already ‘see’ the object in the usual upright orientation from the eyes of another. People did this even though we did not give them instructions about the extra person introduced and they viewed them completely passively. They still used the extra set of eyes, which suggests it is a process that occurs spontaneously.”

And it’s quite rare to have someone say, “I’m a selfish narcissist, and everyone should revolve around me merely because I said so.” Furniture, large play equipment, heavy items etc or items marked with **may incur an additional delivery charge to Northern Ireland, Isle of Wight, Offshore Islands and some parts of Scotland. People did this even though we did not give them instructions about the extra person introduced and they viewed them completely passively. They still used the extra set of eyes, which suggests it is a process that occurs spontaneously."Few people say, “I know that this person signed the contract and did what they promised, but I’m going to rip them off, just because I can.” If change is what you are after, it requires you to understand the other perspective. It requires you to appeal to him in a way that aligns with his worldview. He was not evil, he was a kind and generous friend. But just like you and me, he was a product of his environment. The filter he used to view the world told him that the 9/11 tragedy was a cause for celebration. I grew up in Saudi Arabia. In 6th grade, one of my close friends offered chocolates to me. I was excited and confused at the same time. I asked him, what he was celebrating. He looked at me in the eye with a genuine smile and said, “We won yesterday!” Empathy is also the only way to thoroughly understand what people mean, rather than just absorb what they say. You’ll have noticed by now people do not necessarily always cover the details when they share stories and other information. They may withhold information out of fear, distrust or another inhibiting factor — be it internal or based on those with whom they engage — and they may express themselves in a less than articulate way. As a designer, you therefore need to:

Phil Batty, Executive Director, UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, said: “Dreamachine has enabled truly unique collaboration across science, art and technology. The Perception Census is just one element of the extraordinary Dreamachine audience experience, imagined through the innovative UNBOXED commissioning model. The results of this large-scale citizen science project will be part of a lasting legacy and valuable resource for future research.” People do not need to mentally rotate an object if they already ‘see’ the object in the usual upright orientation from the eyes of another.Re-express target’s position: You should attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way.

Empathy is important for us as designers, and particularly within the field of design thinking, because it allows us to truly uncover and understand the latent needs and emotions of the people we design for. The Empathize stage actually makes up the first stage of the design thinking process, and it allows us to design solutions that meet all three parameters of a successful product or service: desirability, feasibility and viability. References and Where to Learn More How do you view the world? – We asked people how much they agreed or disagreed with different statements about perception and consciousness. Questions which had not previously been asked to a public audience on such a large scale. It’s not enough that the technology exists (i.e., feasibility is present) and that profits or business benefits may be derived (i.e., it is viable). Users need to feel a sense of desirability towards a solution. We can only design a desirable product or service when people's needs, experiences, wants and preferences are properly understood. I used to think that I saw the world the as it is. And anyone who did not agree with my worldview were being unreasonable.Rebuttal or criticism: Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism. So, no matter what, practice, practice, practice to up your empathy skills game. Empathy isn’t just for users; it’s also for stakeholders, and teammates. Make sense of what is not being said, or what is being hinted at beneath the external expressions and words. Eleanor continued: “Imagine you’re in a car and you see a pedestrian crossing the road, and a bus is travelling at speed towards the crossing. Suddenly you realize the driver hasn’t seen the pedestrian and could hit them, so you beep your horn. How did you make this split-second decision? Our study suggests you automatically put yourself in the bus driver’s shoes and saw the scene through their eyes.” You can try out the task in this short demo video here: http://www.psy.plymouth.ac.uk/research/actionprediction/Shared/VPT_demo.mp4