Empathy Maps

Visually capture and understand a user's thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and needs.

Project Stage:

Discover

Define

Who:

Customer

Experts

Decision makers

Service Providers

Design Principles:

Empathy maps are visual tools used to capture a deep understanding of users. They help teams visualise what users say, think, do, and feel, providing insights into their experiences, motivations, and challenges. This method focuses on building empathy with users and are often created to compliment personas and journey maps.

Use it to

Gain a comprehensive understanding of user behaviours and attitudes.
Identify and prioritize user needs and pain points.
Align team members around a shared understanding of the user.
Inform and guide the design process with user-centric insights.
Enhance communication and collaboration within teams by providing a clear and accessible user perspective.

Top Tips

Include Diverse Data: Gather information from various sources, such as user interviews, surveys, and observations, to create a well-rounded empathy map.
Collaborate: Involve cross-functional teams in creating empathy maps to incorporate multiple perspectives and insights.
Focus on Details: Capture specific quotes, actions, and feelings to create a vivid and accurate picture of the user.
Iterate Regularly: Update empathy maps with new data and insights to keep them relevant and reflective of current user experiences.
Use as a Guide: Refer to empathy maps throughout the design process to ensure decisions are user-centered and aligned with real user needs