Empathy Map
What is an Empathy Map?
An empathy map is a simple tool that helps you understand your users better by organizing what you know about them into four key areas: what they say, think, feel, and do. It's like creating a picture of your user's world that goes beyond just basic facts and demographics.
Think of it as a way to step into your user's shoes and see the world from their perspective. Instead of just knowing that someone is a 35-year-old marketing manager, you understand what they're worried about, what makes them excited, and what they're trying to accomplish.
The empathy map was originally created by Dave Gray of XPLANE, and it's become a popular tool in design thinking and user research because it helps teams move beyond assumptions to consider the emotional and behavioral aspects of user experiences.
Why Empathy Maps Matter
Empathy maps help you:
Build genuine empathy by helping team members understand users' perspectives and experiences.
Organize research insights by bringing together different pieces of information about your users.
Identify gaps between what users say and what they actually do or feel.
Align your team around a shared understanding of user needs and motivations.
Make better decisions by having a clear reference point for what matters to your users.
Create more human solutions that address both functional and emotional needs.
The Four Core Areas
An empathy map is divided into four main sections that help you understand different aspects of your user:
Says - What users express out loud, including direct quotes and statements they make during interviews or surveys.
Thinks - What's going through the user's mind, including their beliefs, concerns, and internal thoughts that they might not voice.
Does - The user's actions and behaviors, including what they physically do and how they interact with your product or service.
Feels - The user's emotions and feelings, including what moves them emotionally and how they feel about their experiences.
Additional Elements
Many empathy maps also include:
User representation - A central image, name, or description of the user you're focusing on.
Pains - The frustrations, challenges, and difficulties users experience.
Gains - The benefits users seek or positive outcomes they desire.
Goals - What the user is trying to accomplish and why.
Environment - The contextual factors that influence the user's experience.
These additional elements help you create a more complete picture of your user's world and motivations.
How to Create an Empathy Map
Here's a practical approach to building an empathy map:
Define your user by identifying the specific user or user segment you want to focus on.
Gather your research by collecting data from interviews, observations, surveys, and other sources.
Assemble your team by bringing together cross-functional team members who can contribute different perspectives.
Create the map using a whiteboard, large paper, or digital tool to draw the four quadrants.
Fill in the quadrants by adding observations and insights to the appropriate sections.
Look for patterns by identifying themes, contradictions, and unexpected insights.
Discuss implications by considering how your findings should influence design decisions.
Document and share by capturing the map for future reference and team alignment.
Different Types of Empathy Maps
You can adapt empathy maps for different situations:
By focus:
- Individual maps for a single user
- Segment maps for a user group or persona
- Journey stage maps for specific points in the user journey
By detail level:
- Quick maps using existing knowledge
- Research-based maps grounded in user research
- Collaborative maps built with users
By application:
- Problem definition maps to understand pain points
- Solution validation maps to test how well a solution addresses user needs
- Service experience maps to understand emotional journeys
Choose the type that best fits your specific needs and the information you have available.
Best Practices
Here are some tips for creating effective empathy maps:
Base it on real research by using actual user data rather than assumptions or stereotypes.
Be specific by including concrete examples and direct quotes from users.
Separate facts from interpretations by clearly distinguishing what users actually said or did from your team's interpretations.
Look for contradictions by paying attention to gaps between what users say and what they do.
Keep it updated by revisiting and refining your map as new insights emerge.
Make it visible by displaying your empathy map where your team can reference it regularly.
Use it actively by referencing the map during design discussions and decision-making.
Include diverse perspectives by involving team members with different roles and backgrounds.
Common Challenges
Projection happens when team members project their own thoughts and feelings onto users. Stay focused on what users actually told you.
Overgeneralization occurs when maps are too broad to be actionable. Be specific about the user you're focusing on.
Insufficient data can lead to maps based on limited or biased information. Gather enough research to support your insights.
Static documents that are created once and never updated. Treat your empathy map as a living document that evolves.
Creating then ignoring happens when teams develop maps but don't actively use them. Reference your map regularly in discussions.
Focusing only on positives without adequately capturing pain points and challenges. Include both positive and negative aspects.
Getting Started
If you want to try empathy mapping:
Start with a specific user that you want to understand better.
Gather your research from interviews, observations, and other sources.
Assemble your team to bring together different perspectives.
Create a simple map using a whiteboard or digital tool.
Fill in the quadrants with what you know about your user.
Look for patterns and insights that emerge.
Use your map to guide design decisions and discussions.
Remember, empathy maps are tools for understanding, not just documentation. The goal is to develop genuine empathy for your users and use that understanding to create better solutions.