Says
What did the person actually say? Include a short quote.
Whiteboard
Empathy map template: organize what you know about users
An empathy map helps a team organize what it has heard and observed about a person in a specific situation. Use it after interviews, a field visit or a service test. It is a way to discuss evidence and gaps, not a substitute for asking people about their experience.
- Time including discussion:
- 30–45 min
- For:
- Design teams, service teams and students
English template
Use this templateMake your own copy and edit it. Sign in or create an account to open it in the editor.
What you can leave with
A shared summary of user observations and a clear list of assumptions to validate in the next conversation.
Prompts to fill the canvas
Use these questions alongside the areas on the board. Add one idea per note, then discuss the connections.
Thinks
What might they be thinking? Distinguish expressed thoughts from your assumptions.
Does
What action did you observe in this situation?
Feels
What emotion did they express? Mark any interpretation as a hypothesis.
How to run this activity
- 1
Choose a person and situation
Define whose experience you are discussing and at what moment. Avoid combining very different users into an imaginary average person.
- 2
Bring the evidence
Add short quotes and observed actions from research notes. Remove identifying details when they are unnecessary for the discussion.
- 3
Distinguish what you infer
Thoughts and feelings may be interpretations. Mark them as hypotheses unless the person expressed them, and link them back to the observation that prompted them.
- 4
Turn gaps into questions
Compare the areas and identify what you still do not know. Write two or three open interview questions instead of jumping straight to a solution.
Make this activity yours
Keep what fits, rewrite what does not and set the pace for your group.
Use this template
Templates are included in the free plan. Participation limits depend on your plan. See plans.
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