Have the courage to uncover deeper connection
Empathy for “me”
Empathy for “we”
Empathy for “user”
It is common for innovators and leaders to be overwhelmed when seeking innovative solutions to new challenges because...
Break the cycle of repeated mistakes.
While relying solely on logic or reason to make big decisions in the unknown may feel safe, this linear thinking may actually lead you astray when dealing with innovation problems.
Heart-Ignited Action
“Thanks for everything.”
“Especially for being a great listener and for being flexible. I’m sure it’s been challenging dealing with so many stakeholders.”
Taco Bell
“Loved the creative thinking, the focus on objectives and the preparedness.”
KAO USA
“The team was always on top of everything. I appreciated how well planned out and detailed everything was.”
TGIF
“Great experience from start to finish! So easy to work with April and her team and feel confident in the outcome.”
Kao USA
“Thoroughly enjoyed working with the April Bell Research team! You all were very thoughtful, detailed, flexible and thorough during the entire process.”
Brinker International
Full Service Insights for Innovation
Our expertise is in understanding in-depth emotional insights based on human truths and bringing along the teams that need to execute so that they collaboratively work together to move ideas into action and drive sustainable sales results.
We can assist with the following:
our methods:
- Products
- Services
- Brands
- Company vision
- User experiences
- Culture
- People (individuals, teams, organizations)
- In groups
- In context (home, stores, car, work, etc.)
- Virtually
- In facilitated team ideation sessions
- In training or workshop sessions
- In "listening to learn" sessions
We combine a balanced approach of traditional research methods and design thinking principles in our unique Empathy Co-Creation ™ process that builds empathy with the end user, the developing team and the individual contributor as they move through the development journey. You will learn to build empathy as team members and as individuals as you move through the process.
Let’s Connect
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Partial Service Insights for Innovation
For clients working with smaller budgets, we can come by your side to ease the burden.
We can assist with the following:
- Initial research design
- Writing the interview guide
- Moderating the discussions
- Facilitating the team’s brainstorming sessions
- Analyzing and writing a report
- Communicating insights and recommendations
Let’s Connect
Guidance for DIY Research
Let’s consult so you can conduct DIY research.
Front to end consulting includes:
With each phase of the process, we will work through the following steps:
- 2, 1- hour calls – 1 initial and 1 other mid-project
- Unlimited Voxer support for up to 6 weeks or finalization of the project
- 1 draft interview guide designed with your objectives, timing, and who you are interviewing in mind
- Best practices “cheat sheet” for each piece of the Empathy Co-Creation™ journey
Desire - clarify what you want to learn
Discover - develop the best method for discovering based on your objectives
Discern - tips on how to turn data into actionable insights
Design - help you create the best questions to get the desired answers
Decide - help on developing themes, patterns and using data to create next step actions
let's connect
Retreat to Connect
We know that before intentional insights can occur, we must first create the physical space to let them enter.
What’s Included:
- 1-3 day empathy connection retreats for teams of 1-10
- Located in east Texas (1.5 hour from Dallas) at our private lake house where groups can connect.
book now for self-led retreat
connect for facilitated retreat
Empathy Education Coaching
This coaching utilizes the process we use for product innovation for personal transformation.
What’s Included:
- 6, 1-hour sessions to provide support for increased accountability toward your “creative or connection” passion project
- A specialized support plan and tools to provide movement toward what you want to create
- Unlimited chat (Voxer) support for 3 months
- Opportunity to apply to the Empathy Co-Creation™ Institute, where like-minded peers will come together on a shared platform
let's connect
Empathy Co-Creation Institute
TM
An online learning community of cross-category professionals committed to using empathy to bring ideas to life.
The Goals:
- Provide support giving individuals the accountability to bring their passion projects to life, while forging deeper connections with like-minded professionals across categories.
- Teaching and practicing the art of creating emotional safety in groups while working on a creative project
- This institute will also provide a safe space and opportunity to practice creating emotional safety for deeper connections
We will be starting our first cohort in the Spring of 2024
apply now
TM
Empathy Co-Creation
The Process
desire
Create based on heard-led clarity
DISCOVER
Expand knowledge by listening to learn from the heart
DISCERN
Connect dots to see emotional patterns for design inspiration
DESIGN
Ideate and create passion-led possibilities
DECIDE
Determine direction from a holistic understanding
Hello, my name is April Bell, Owner and Founder of Made with Empathy
“My mission is to fuel inspiration and solutions by providing a fresh perspective on how empathy can ignite creativity and peaceful prosperity for the greater good.”
Facing challenges is easier when you explore from the heart on a deeper level first–this is where great ideas are truly generated. Our process is meant to purposefully slow down and let the heart guide innovation. This intentionality produces more sustainable results over time due to greater inspiration and a deeper connection with yourself, your team, and your audience.
I would love to help you next!
Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
We know what we want to learn, but we are not sure how to design the research. What would you recommend?
There is simply no way to capture the subtleties that drive consumer behavior in quantitative research. This is because so many of our decisions are made at a subconscious level. Without exploring the underlying emotions below the surface, the potential of an idea can only be derived based on gut or past performance. Doing qualitative research really gets to the heart behind the data, gaining you a better understanding of the reasoning behind the numbers.
We have a multitude of “cooks” in the kitchen. Everyone has an opinion of how to move forward, but no agreement. What do you suggest we do to align the team so we’re set for success?
When you hire me, the whole team works together to establish a space where everyone is heard and all parties cross-functionally can come to the table with their individual objectives and leave as a unified one.
Some of our leaders think we need to answer this with past sales data, but what we need to uncover is the why. Can you help us?
If you have historical data to support your decision, but you don’t understand the “why” behind your decisions, it can lead you astray. Deeper insights lead to greater understanding, enabling companies to create better solutions. Let me teach you how to collect and interpret qualitative data to get to the heart of what is driving consumer decisions. When insights are done well, you will witness greater appeal and greater sales.
What’s the difference between doing qualitative and quantitative data to get insights?
While quantitative research gets you numerical data, qualitative data allows us to gain insight about the human truths that guide decision making. When we understand the emotional driver, we become aware and can solve the root of the problem. These are more sustainable solutions to big problems.
We have so many ideas and projects we’re juggling and don’t have time or budget for them all. What would you recommend we focus on?
- Initial research design
- Writing the interview guide
- Moderating the discussions
- Facilitating the team’s brainstorming sessions
- Analyzing and writing a report
- Communicating insights and recommendations
“Thank you for your patience and flexibility.”
“Our project involved many stakeholders - April and her team were able to not only help us navigate through complex research objectives but also facilitate the dynamics of multiple teams working together successfully!”
Frito Lay
“April is an excellent moderator, market researcher, and business strategist.”
“I have used her services on many occasions and she has always performed beyond my expectations. A top-notch resource and a great personas well!”
Tyson
"I absolutely love working with you guys.”
“Your level of commitment to any given project is impressive and hard to match! I appreciate your responsiveness, agility, and overall quality of service very much so!”
Kao USA
"April is first a great marketing mind, and second a great researcher.”
“We have worked together on fairly complex consumer research, and she is always able to adjust to the need based on where the consumer opportunity leads. Her insights represent a clear understanding of the business need and the consumer opportunity. Give her more background than you typically would with a researcher, and you will get far more out of working with her than you typically would from a researcher. I would recommend her especially for long term projects in a cross-functional team.”
Walmart
"It was a pleasure to work with April Bell on this project.”
“In conducting qualitative research for a new packaging concept, April's knowledge of the research process and overall consumer insights was invaluable. I look forward to working with her again in the future.”
