Design thinking for empathetic deliberative policy analysis: The role of emotional connection in empowered deliberation

Design thinking is usually perceived as a technical, managerial toolkit, but it actually absorbs critical epistemology by recognizing emotions as a mode of knowing. Thus, approaching design thinking with a critical lens can help promote empathetic deliberative policy analysis. With real-world practices, this paper aims to share how design thinking can be employed to engage stakeholders in deliberative forums for analyzing policy for all. It highlights the role of emotional connection in empowered deliberation with the adoption of design thinking tools, such as personas and empathy maps. By incorporating design thinking into deliberative policy analysis, the cases reflect that deliberative policy facilitators also need to be sentimental policy designers.