Biases in thinking
Empathy gap
Also called Hot-cold empathy gap
People in a calm state underestimate how much stress, hunger or emotion will change what they do, and the reverse.
Sitting at a desk, it's hard to imagine how someone uses a product when they're in a hurry, upset or tired. Designs made in calm conditions often fail in the moments that matter.
Design for the state people will actually be in: a lost card at midnight, a cancelled flight at the gate. Test in realistic conditions where you can.
In practice
A travel app's rebooking flow works well in the office demo and falls apart for a stressed passenger with a low battery and one free hand.
Common mistake
Assuming users will read carefully and think calmly because the team did when designing it.
Where it comes from
Described by economist George Loewenstein, who called it the hot-cold empathy gap, in research from the 1990s and 2000s.