Empathy bridges tech and humanity. It turns good products into great ones by solving problems that matter.
Nicola Gumede, product innovation lead of VAS Product at Ignition Group, believes empathy is the smartest product strategy.
The world is being shaped by digital transformation more than ever before, which is why innovation has become a buzzword, synonymous with flashy, sleek and shiny. In this environment, it’s tempting to laser focus in on the things that are possible and only ask questions like, ‘what can we build’, ‘what can we automate’, ‘where can we utilise AI’ and ‘what can we scale’?
These questions are important in my work in product management for products catering to both South African and USA markets, but the best innovations I’ve seen start with a ‘why?’ That’s because the product innovations that leave the biggest impression and solve real-world problems are built on something surprisingly underrated – empathy.
Empathy is not the opposite of innovation – it’s the core of it. It is not a buzzword, but a strategy.
As someone who works on considering the future of products across widely different markets, I’ve seen firsthand how empathy bridges the gap between users and technology to create products that are truly fit for purpose. Likewise, some of the best product breakthroughs in recent years aren’t motivated by what could be built, but by what should be built, for the people who need it most.
Duolingo: empathy for motivation, not just learning
Duolingo has made an impression in the language learning space by not only designing for learning goals, but for emotional ones too. The streak feature, push notifications and gamified lessons aren’t just additive, they’re also empathetic to the user’s real struggle: staying motivated.
Rather than punish users for missing a day, Duolingo nudges with charm. The app feels like it’s rooting for you, and that feeling, built through the design of the product, is what keeps users coming back.
Airbnb’s empathy-in-action during the pandemic
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Airbnb made some incredibly empathetic moves. With the travel industry being significantly affected, Airbnb decided to shift to supporting its hosts, who were largely ordinary people losing income. They introduced flexible cancellations, allowed users to book online experiences like virtual cooking classes or meditation, and created a relief fund for hosts.
This wasn’t just kindness; it was empathy-led product strategy. It bought Airbnb loyalty, preserved the community and positioned Airbnb as being human-first. This is a reminder that when people believe your product understands their situation, they feel more connected to your offering and remain loyal.
Empathy in a global context
South Africa’s digital world is full of contradictions. Most people have smartphones, but a lot of them are outdated, slow and often shared among family members. Everyone’s on WhatsApp, but that doesn’t mean they are reading your messages. It’s certainly no guarantee of engagement.
Data is incredibly expensive, and connectivity isn’t always reliable. And while some people access apps and digital services easily on unlimited WiFi, many South Africans rely on zero-rated content or vouchers bought in-store.
With this in mind, empathy in product design helps us ask better questions: will this load quickly on a low-end device? Will our users navigate this user journey with an inconsistent network or limited digital literacy?
Want to know what really breaks a flow? Try purchasing a digital subscription with a cracked screen, a 2G connection, or with two kids under six in the background.
When considering our US markets, empathy might mean creating streamlined journeys for over-stimulated parents, privacy-conscious users or consumers who have high expectations but are low on time.
When empathy drives your product decisions, it’s easier to adapt your offering to a wide range of users needs across culture, abilities and expectations.
That’s where we’ve learned that UX isn’t about how smart a feature is. Rather, it’s about how kind the journey feels, especially under pressure. Does it help people succeed even if they make a mistake? Does it allow for a drop in connection? Does it build confidence?
Empathy isn’t the soft stuff; it’s the smart stuff.
It’s really tempting to think that innovation means speed, sleek design or AI-powered everything. In some cases it does, and this should be embraced, but the most meaningful products I’ve seen across South Africa and the US aren’t just smart, they are also empathetic. They succeed because they meet people where they are, in all their complexity and contradictions.
Empathy makes tech more human and innovation more relevant. It’s the one thing that the latest tech can’t fake. In some markets, like South Africa, it ensures access, and in other more established markets, like the USA, it builds trust. In both cases, empathy is what makes a product meaningful rather than just useable.
Wherever you are building and managing digital products and services, and whichever market they are for, empathy is a superpower. The future of product innovation isn’t just faster and smarter, it’s more connected to human needs, and that’s where the real breakthroughs lie.