Bodystorming shouldn’t be a stand-alone method. While you can get a lot of interesting and new qualitative data you still require that quantitative data. If you just base something completely on your own experiences you may get some very skewed viewpoint. We need qualitative data to also prove that this idea or experience applies to more than one or two people.
While doing body storming we will never be able to completely understand the other person but it can be a valuable exercise to change your frame of mind to better understand the struggles of the other person. Something to be aware of is the fact that this helps to build empathy but won’t give you a complete understanding of the user. Doesn’t matter if you are there only an hour a day or a month you will always be able to discover new insights.
Asking people is certainly also valuable but people all have their own opinions and viewpoints which will cloud their judgment. People may say that they are good at assessing themselves but when you ask other people this couldn’t be further from the truth.
What is a design method? Why design method? A tool. A way to work or a path to follow. A structured approach to developing something
Design is a social process which takes place in a context. Be that political or societal. Design is a learning process in which you constantly learn and add knowledge. How do you design for but also who is left behind?
We are not designing only for people anymore. We are designing for the future experiences of people, communities and cultures who are now connected and informed in new ways. User-centric design slowly shifts to planet-centred design.