Empathy map examples: <\/strong>To illustrate empathy mapping, here are some templates:<\/p>\n Empathy map template by Dimitrie<\/a>, created with Figma<\/p>\n The above empathy map puts the user\u2019s name or photo in the circle in the centre and surrounds them with four quadrants. The four quadrants relate to what the user says, does, thinks, and feels.<\/p>\n These quadrants are about what you can observe directly. You\u2019ll write down anything the user says out loud and any actions the user takes during qualitative research.<\/p>\n These quadrants are about what you infer from the user. The \u201cThinks\u201d quadrant captures what the user is thinking about throughout their experience with your product but may not be willing to vocalise. You can also try to understand why they\u2019re unwilling to share their thoughts \u2014 are they self-conscious, too polite, unsure of\u00a0 themselves, etc? For example, you might write \u201cThis is frustrating\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t get this tab.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cFeels\u201d quadrant captures the user\u2019s emotional state as they go through your product. You\u2019ll answer: what are they feeling and why? You\u2019ll write down the feeling followed by a reason for it. For example, \u201cnervous: not sure of what they\u2019re doing\u201d or \u201ctriumphant: successfully got to the right page.\u201d<\/p>\n Empathy map template by Jeshua MacDonald<\/a>, created with Miro<\/p>\n Above is an empathy map in use about the user Jake. This has all four quadrants complete.<\/p>\n Empathy map by Miro<\/a><\/p>\n The above empathy map is a bit more advanced. In addition to the say, do, think, and feel quadrants, it also has room for hear and see quadrants, and at the bottom pain and gain areas.<\/p>\n The user doesn\u2019t come to our products in a vacuum and the see and hear quadrants speak to this. In the \u201cSee\u201d quadrant, you\u2019ll record whatever the user tells you about their daily experience, including what they\u2019re watching, reading, and exposed to on a regular basis. In the \u201cHear\u201d quadrant you\u2019ll include whatever is said by family, friends, co-workers, and the media that is influencing their thinking.<\/p>\n These areas speak to the positives and negatives of the user\u2019s experience. \u201cGains\u201d are about what their goals are and what they may aspire to; \u201cPains\u201d are about what obstacles and frustrations stand in their way.<\/p>\n Areas of the map can contain similar statements. It\u2019s normal to see this kind of juxtaposition between quadrants. Alternatively, there may be inconsistencies between, for example, what the user does and says. Don\u2019t censor what you write. Instead, use the map to better understand the complexities of the user.<\/p>\n [GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n We create empathy maps for several purposes. Here are a few instances where this exercise can be especially helpful.<\/p>\n First and foremost, empathy maps help us understand users\u2019 needs and cultivate empathy for the target audience. We see the complexity of the user all in one place so we can find solutions specifically tailored to them.<\/p>\n Empathy maps help us share what our users think, feel, see, and do with teammates and clients. This should also protect them from unfounded assumptions or biases throughout the design process.<\/p>\n Empathy maps make sense of qualitative data by collecting and categorising survey answers, interview notes, etc. It will also help you uncover if more research needs to be done; a barely covered empathy map means you need to do more research to get to know your users.<\/p>\n Empathy mapping takes place right at the beginning of the design process. In the design thinking<\/a> process, empathy mapping should take place in the first stage, empathise. Right after you conduct user research, you should create empathy maps.<\/p>\n You can collect the data from any and all user research, including surveys, user interviews, product reviews, etc, to sort into the quadrants of your empathy map. You can create a map yourself or allow your team to create the map together using a whiteboard. You should also continue to adjust empathy maps as new research comes in.<\/p>\n [GET CERTIFIED IN USER RESEARCH]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Certificate in User Research<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n Empathy maps, journey maps, and personas are all used by UX designers to understand the user, but they all have different goals. UX personas<\/a> outline an aggregate user segment of the audience, empathy maps focus on a specific moment with the product, and journey maps are a broader view of the entire user experience.<\/p>\n Empathy maps can help create personas. An aggregated empathy map made from several single users\u2019 empathy maps can be the first step in defining a persona. That\u2019s because personas, while fictional, are based on real user research and therefore represent the traits and qualities of actual users.<\/p>\n On the other hand, journey maps<\/a> and empathy maps are complementary. Journey maps represent the user\u2019s end-to-end experience with a product, including various touchpoints along the way, offering breadth. Empathy maps, meanwhile, focus on a user\u2019s thoughts and actions during a specific scenario, representing depth.<\/p>\n The first step to creating an empathy map is to decide which user or users the map will be about. Will it be an individual user or an aggregate of several users from your research who represent a specific segment of your audience?<\/p>\n If you want the team aligned around the user, you\u2019ll want the whole team to be present<\/p>\n and participate in the empathy mapping activity. On the other hand, if you want to analyse your interview transcripts or your survey data, you can create the empathy map yourself.<\/p>\n If you decide to create a team map, you\u2019ll need a whiteboard along with sticky notes and markers so everyone can participate. If you decide to go it alone, create a system that works for you, whether it be pencil and paper or a computer.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need to collect all of the qualitative research that has been performed, including interviews, email surveys, focus groups, and online research. This should all be gathered into a report, especially if you\u2019re empathy mapping as a team.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve read through the research, you as an individual or the entire team can generate notes individually. If you\u2019re doing this as a team, you can each generate sticky notes and place them in the quadrants they align with.<\/p>\n Once the notes are up on the board, you can move the notes around and, if there are similar notes in the same quadrant, cluster them.<\/p>\n Now you can evaluate the map. What themes are repeated in more than one quadrant? Are there inconsistencies? What gaps exist? These should help you make decisions about how to meet your users\u2019 needs. Or alternatively, if you find the map has too few notes, it should enable you to decide what further research needs to be done.<\/p>\n Once your empathy maps are complete, there are several things you can do to get maximum value from them.<\/p>\n Sharing empathy maps with stakeholders and clients will help you get them on board with your designs. This should help them understand the users of your product as you do and, therefore, comprehend why you\u2019ve chosen to design something in a certain way.<\/p>\n Empathy maps are one way that UX designers can understand users and make informed design decisions. While other tools assist too, an empathy map should help you understand your user\u2019s needs and wants and, therefore, help you make decisions about how to help them<\/p>\n When you create an empathy map, you create a snapshot of what that person or persona thinks, feels, says, and does. You can use this snapshot to ideate concepts and see how well the different concepts fit. For example, if the user says one thing but does another, you may create one solution for what they say, one for what they do, and one for a combination.<\/p>\n Empathy maps are great for promoting empathy for our users in ourselves, our teammates, and our clients. They can help reduce bias and align the team, uncover user needs, and guide us toward a UX design that users will love. Designing your product based on what users think, feel, do, and say is a tried and true method, and empathy mapping is a fantastic way to make sure that the design team puts the end user first.<\/p>\n Learn more about UX<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019d like a career in UX design, check out the UX Design Institute\u2019s Professional Diploma in UX Design<\/a>. And learn more about UX design in these articles: The importance of user research in UX design<\/a> and What is the UX design process? A step-by-step guide<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Empathy](\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_5105.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nSays and Does<\/h3>\n
Thinks and Feels<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_5106.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/IMG_5107.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nSee and Hear<\/h3>\n
Pain and Gain<\/h3>\n
Why create empathy maps?<\/h2>\n
Understand Users<\/h3>\n
Educate Colleagues and Stakeholders<\/h3>\n
Make Sense of Qualitative Data<\/h3>\n
When does empathy mapping take place?<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s the difference between empathy maps, journey maps, and personas?<\/h2>\n
How to create an empathy map (step-by-step)<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Define your users<\/h3>\n
Step 2: Decide whether you want to map individually or as a team<\/h3>\n
Step 3: Gather materials<\/h3>\n
Step 4: Collect user research<\/h3>\n
Step 5: Generate notes for each quadrant of your empathy map<\/h3>\n
Step 6: Evaluate your empathy map<\/h3>\n
How to get maximum value from your empathy maps<\/h2>\n
Share them with stakeholders<\/h3>\n
Make informed design decisions<\/h3>\n
Ideate concepts<\/h3>\n
Empathy maps in summary<\/h2>\n