Caring Too Much, Caring Too Little: A Three Part Series

Caring for others isn’t always easy, especially when the world feels indifferent. Last time, we explored the speed of technology and how it affects young designers’ ability to think about the people they’re designing for. Now, we turn to empathy—how do we stay compassionate when no one seems to notice? This section dives into the struggles of genuine connection, the emotional toll of caring, and what it means to design with others in mind.

The Black Mirror Effect

In our hyper-connected world, the irony is hard to ignore: we’ve never been more connected, yet so many of us feel lonelier than ever. The digital tools meant to bring us together often leave us feeling isolated, their promise of connection overshadowed by a lack of genuine human engagement. For designers, who are tasked with creating experiences that cater to human needs, this raises a critical question: how do we design for empathy in a world that feels increasingly apathetic?

We want to explore the challenges of maintaining empathy in today’s hyper-connected yet emotionally distant world. What does it mean to truly design with others in mind when the pressures of productivity and competition overshadow the human element? How can designers lead the charge in cultivating meaningful connections in both their work and their lives?

Designers Have the Ability to Change the World

There is a need for empathic design in Singapore. Those that are struggling most often do not have the voice to speak out, the care must come from our initiative. Just like the Designers from Design Studio BuildBuilt and their exploration and concepts to help improve the lives of migrant workers and their working conditions. From The Straits Times article - “Designers devise hacks to improve migrant workers’ conditions”, they highlight the studio’s efforts for thinking up designs that can increase the safety standards for our workers here in Singapore.

According to the article:

“Safety standards and working conditions for these migrant workers are a contentious issue. Many Singaporeans think they are unacceptable, with some accusing employers of not wanting to shell out extra money to provide decent transport such as air-conditioned buses or vans, for fear that this would affect profit margins.

Debate intensified after 37 people, including migrant workers, were injured in two lorry accidents in July.”

The article goes on into details about the thought processes of Mr Nicholas Hu, co-founder of design and build firm BuildBuilt, and his team in regards to coming up with a design. Everything is placed into consideration, from the comfort of the user to the structural integrity of the vehicle itself. This is the holistic flow for designing with empathy, putting yourself in the shoes of others and accounting for every aspect of the project itself.

Young designers need to be aware that the constant flow of information can overwhelm them, leaving it harder to connect to others on a deeper level. In the case of Mr Hu and his team, he had to be intimately aware of the constant struggles and obstacles that the migrant workers face despite not being one themselves.

Interaction Design Foundation wrote that empathising is the first stage of the design thinking process and our goal, as designers, is to gain an empathic understanding of the people we design for. The challenge here is, how do we then have the bandwidth to take the time, emotion, and care into putting ourselves in the lives of others and think of things from their point of view in this current fast paced climate?

The challenge of practicing empathy isn’t just about time or tools—it’s about energy. Empathy requires emotional bandwidth, a resource that feels increasingly scarce when we’re preoccupied with our own struggles. As designers, we’re often expected to step into the shoes of others, to understand their experiences deeply, and to create solutions that resonate. But we must extend that care to others even when we’re navigating our own anxieties, insecurities, or burnout.

Reaching Out to Understand More

To understand how empathy shapes safer, more inclusive design, we reached out to KC, President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Singapore (HFESS). He knows firsthand the consequences of design that lacks empathy. “Absolutely—you can see them in my scars,” he said, recalling childhood accidents caused by unsafe public infrastructure, from falling into a drain to hitting his head on an open window panel. “Many of these incidents could have been prevented if more thought had been given to safety.”

Now, through his work with HFESS, KC advocates for designers to take a hands-on approach to identifying risks. “Empathy strengthens safety in design by allowing designers to experience the challenges and risks users face firsthand,” he explained. At HFESS, initiatives like community walkabouts help designers step into the shoes of diverse users—elderly individuals, parents with strollers, and those with visual impairments—to observe real-world interactions and uncover potential hazards. “As designers, we excel at solving complex problems in our work—so why not use that expertise to improve public spaces and systems? Taking the time to identify hazards and design safer environments can genuinely save lives. This is one of the best ways designers can contribute to society.”

By immersing themselves in these experiences, designers can ensure their work goes beyond functionality—it becomes truly human-centered, preventing accidents before they happen and making everyday spaces safer for all.

Verbatim - “ Empathy is the foundation of the Design Thinking process. It's crucial to observe how users interact with the system and their behavior in real-world contexts. “ - KC Yong, President of the Human Factors and Economics Society of SIngapore.

Conclusion

The pressure to stay relevant, productive and innovative often leaves little room for self-care, let alone the emotional labor of empathising with others. It’s not that we lack the desire to care - it’s that we sometimes lack the capacity. The result? Design that might meet functional brief but miss the deeper human connection.

To design with empathy, we first need to address the empathy we extend - or fail to extend - to ourselves. When we’re too hard on ourselves, constantly comparing our progress to others or striving to keep up with impossible stands, it drains the emotional reserves we need to care for others. This isn’t a call to lower expectations but a reminder that empathy is a two-way street. We can only give as much as we have to offer.

In a world that often feels overwhelming, empathy might seem like an impossible ask. But perhaps, it’s not about having limitless bandwidth, it’s about being intentional with the care we do have to give. When designers start caring for themselves, they create the foundation to care more deeply for others.