This chapter discusses how empathetic policy design is framed to ensure that its practice maintains its critical and interpretive foundations. As argued at the outset, empathetic policy design needs to be framed by specific modes of thinking. The chapter starts by clarifying the modes of thinking that underpin the operationalisation of this policy design approach. These modes include critical, design, innovative, complex, and futures thinking, which provide alternatives to the conventional modes of thinking that frame the first stream of public policy. The chapter then explains the flows of the empathetic policy design framework, including creating inclusive spaces, building emotional engagement, and facilitating empowered deliberation. Emotionally sensitive methods for sensitive and affective policy designers to operate the framework are introduced, mainly borrowed from design thinking and critical futures thinking tools.