Empathy Map Canvas by Jack León
The empathy map, developed by Dave Gray, founder of XPLANE, takes user personas to a whole new level. It puts you in the shoes of your users.
How to use the Empathy Map Canvas
This is best done in a collaborative environment with a cross-functional team and a variety of backgrounds. Frankly, it can be a little tiresome to do on your own, and you're likely to cut corners as a result 🙂 Ideally this exercise is facilitated by someone who has experience running workshops.
Step 1. The Goal
The Goal consists of 2 parts, numbered 1 and 2 on the canvas.Number 1, the description of a person representing your user, their role, and the specific situation that you are interested in helping with.Number 2, what they're trying to do. This is could be a part of a job, or a decision they need to make. It is important to articulate what success looks like for your user.This part is normally led by a Product Owner or a UX lead or analyst.Make sure everyone understands who the user is, what the user is trying to do, and the context within which the behavior is being performed.
Step 2. Around the Head
Now go around the outside of “The Big Head” following the numbers from 3 through to 6. Everyone grabs a bunch of sticky notes and joins in, trying to imagine the world from the user’s perspective.Everyone should spend around 5 minutes on each area; SEE, SAY, DO and HEAR. A great way to run this part of the exercise is using the working together alone technique. Everyone is given time to come up with their own ideas, followed by a quick tidy-up. The tidy-up phase is optional and might consist of a quick deduplication, a brief discussion if any notes are not clear, and sorting of the notes if relevant. Do this for each section from 2 to 6.
Step 3. Inside the Head
Now we are going inside the head of our user. Before you do, the facilitator should take 5 minutes to quickly summarise all the sticky notes in sections 1 through to 6. This will give everyone time to internalize and expand their empathy for the user.Section 7 has 3 areas, Pains, Gains, and others. As the canvas states, Pains are things that are worrying our user, Gains are things our user wants and others is an area to put notes which are hard to classify but feel important.Again, have the team work together alone, giving everyone 8-10 minutes on section 7. After that, the facilitator will optionally organize the sticky notes by deduplicating and sorting if required.
Conclusion
The exercise is now over, and the facilitator might decide to summarise and request clarification where notes are not clear.The Empathy Map Canvas is an indispensable part of Design Thinking, along with Persona Design and User Journey Mapping. Using these artifacts to shape proposition design ensures the team is developing customer-centric solutions.
This template was created by Jack León.
Get started with this template right now.
Mind Map Template
Works best for:
Design
Based on Joseph Novak's innovation, Concept Mapping, this template helps to organize ideas and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of a subject. It visually arranges all the details about a topic, which fosters shared understanding. This technique is particularly useful when explaining different facets or related topics.
UXD Empathy Map Template
Works best for:
Research & Design, Market Research
UXD Empathy Map helps you gain a deep understanding of your users. By mapping their experiences, thoughts, and emotions, you can design products that truly resonate. This template is perfect for UX designers aiming to create user-centered designs.
5E Service Blueprint
Works best for:
Research & Design
Enhance your service design with the 5E Service Blueprint template. This tool helps you visualize the five key stages of the customer journey: Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit, and Extend. Use it to map out touchpoints, identify pain points, and optimize the overall service experience. Ideal for creating a comprehensive view of customer interactions and improving service delivery at every stage.
Moderated Usability Testing Template
Works best for:
Design
Encouraging individuals to express their implicit ideas helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of a design, and Moderated Usability Testing Template provides valuable perspectives. Typically, conducting only six to nine of these tests uncovers 80% of design issues, making it a cost-effective method to enhance potential solutions.
Empathy Map by Voltage Control
Works best for:
Market Research, Research & Design
Empathy Map 1-2 captures detailed user insights by focusing on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This template helps you create user-centered products by ensuring you understand and address the real needs of your users.
Service Definition Canvas
Works best for:
Research & Design
The Service Definition Canvas helps you define and visualize the core components of your service. This template is perfect for outlining service interactions, identifying improvement areas, and aligning teams. Use it to create a clear and comprehensive service blueprint that enhances customer experience and operational efficiency. It's ideal for strategic planning and ensuring a cohesive understanding of service delivery among stakeholders.