Acting the role of the user in realistic scenarios can forge a deep sense of empathy and highlight challenges, presenting opportunities that can be met by design.
Role-playing consists of exercises whereby the designer takes on the role of the user, assuming the routines and behaviors that he or she might experience in actual scenarios of use. It is a relatively low-cost, low-investment method; however, a certain amount of work is necessary to make the role-play credibly connected to the real lives of users.