3/27/2019 Empathy Maps

https://developer.ibm.com/africa/skills/innovator-design-thinking/?course=begin#3718 1/4

Design Thinking

Skill overview

Design Thinking

Observe

Personas

Empathy Maps

Reflect

Make

Keys

Assessment

Wrap Up

Empathy MapsIntroduction to Empathy MapsEmpathy maps are knowing the personas at a deeper

level. Generally, empathy maps are low–fidelity

works in progress that capture and articulate the

facets of a representative user as currently

understood and viewed by a team. The facets are

thinks, feels, says, and does. For example, this

empathy map for three personas was developed

during a design thinking session:

The value of empathy mapsAs your team identifies what they know about theuser and places this information on a chart, yougain a more holistic view of your user’s world andthe problem or opportunity space. By having amore holistic view, you gain insights that addlayers of context about the relationships between

IBM Digital Nation Journeys Badges About Help My Dashboard

English

Completed 6 of 19 ModulesPrevious Next

3/27/2019 Empathy Maps

https://developer.ibm.com/africa/skills/innovator-design-thinking/?course=begin#3718 2/4

Skill overview

Design Thinking

Observe

Personas

Empathy Maps

Reflect

Make

Keys

Assessment

Wrap Up

Getting Started with EmpathyMapsWhen you might use this

Empathy Maps help to rapidly put your team inthe user’s shoes and align on pains and gains –whether at the beginning of a project or mid-stream when you need to re-focus on your user.

Instructions

Draw the map and its four quadrants:Says,Does,Thinks and Feels

Sketch your user in the center and give thema name and a bit of description about whothey are or what they do

Diverge, with each team member writing oneobservation per sticky note and applying it tothe appropriate quadrant of the map.

Annotate unknowns (assumptions andquestions) for later inquiry or validation.

Discuss observation and fill in gapscollaboratively.

Take-Back Tips

Don’t do it alone. Empathy for users arises fromsharing in the collaborative making of the

the users and their experiences. A more holisticview can also reveal the ways in which your usermost naturally engages with what your teamdesigns and builds. In other words, your designsshould reach out to the user. Empathy maps canhelp you do that.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

IBM Digital Nation Journeys Badges About Help My Dashboard

English

Completed 6 of 19 ModulesPrevious Next

3/27/2019 Empathy Maps

https://developer.ibm.com/africa/skills/innovator-design-thinking/?course=begin#3718 3/4

Skill overview

Design Thinking

Observe

Personas

Empathy Maps

Reflect

Make

Keys

Assessment

Wrap Up

Empathy Map. Everyone knows something aboutthe user, so use this activity to gather, socialize,and synthesize that information together.

Involve your users.Share your Empathy Maps tovalidate or invalidate your observations andassumptions with your Sponsor Users; which is aspecial component of IBM Design Thinkingpeople who are selected from your real orintended user group. Better yet, invite them toco-create the artifact with your team.

Go beyond the job title. Rather than focusing onyour user’s “job title” consider their actual tasks,motivations, goals, and obstacles.

IBM Digital Nation Journeys Badges About Help My Dashboard

English

Completed 6 of 19 ModulesPrevious Next

3/27/2019 Empathy Maps

https://developer.ibm.com/africa/skills/innovator-design-thinking/?course=begin#3718 4/4

Contact Privacy Terms of use Accessibility Report Abuse Feedback Cookie preferenceSkill overview

Design Thinking

Observe

Personas

Empathy Maps

Reflect

Make

Keys

Assessment

Wrap Up

IBM Digital Nation Journeys Badges About Help My Dashboard

English

Completed 6 of 19 ModulesPrevious Next