Session Brief: Empathy Mapping

Goal

Artifact: Empathy Map

Working Question

What does our user say, think, do, and feel, how do we know this, and where are our blind spots?

Context

Research notes with quotes; user type description; workshop purpose (kickoff empathy vs assumption check vs synthesis); current hypotheses about the user.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 30-60 min
• Mode: Workshop
• Participants: A facilitator; 4-8 team members from product, design, engineering, and optionally stakeholders; ideally at least one researcher with direct interview contact.
• Owner: A facilitator
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Empathy Map. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Empathy map template (classic 4 or 6 quadrants: Says, Thinks, Does, Feels; optional Sees, Hears); whiteboard or digital board; one color for evidence stickies, another color for assumptions; research highlights ready to reference.

Preparation

Place template large on wall or board. Fix user type at the top. Define two sticky colors (for example blue = proven evidence, yellow = assumption). Set timer to 45 min. Rule: one concrete statement per sticky.

Agenda

1. Phase 1: Activate user type (5 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Name the user type aloud with a short description. If there are multiple personas: one map per user type only. Clarify purpose of the map (shared picture, assumption check). Hint: If the team does not share a persona or user type, the map drifts immediately. Set anchor first, then map. Output: Empathy Map

2. Phase 2: Fill says and does (10-15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Add quotes from research notes as Says stickies (blue). Add observed behavior as Does (blue). If evidence is missing, mark Does as assumption (yellow). Hint: Says and Does are the observed base and stronger foundation. Fewer evidenced stickies are better than many invented ones. Output: Assumptions List

3. Phase 3: Add thinks and feels (10-15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Thinks and Feels are interpreted, not directly observed. For each sticky add justification from a quote or observation. If no justification exists, mark as assumption and investigate. Hint: Thinks and Feels are inference fields. If all stickies there are assumption-based, the map is more hypothesis than evidence. Output: Research Gaps

4. Phase 4: Patterns and contradictions (10-15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Review the map as a whole: are there contradictions (says X, does Y)? Are there clusters of statements? What is surprising? Mark these points as insights. Hint: Contradictions between says and does are often the strongest insights. If no contradictions appear, depth or source volume may be insufficient. Output: Empathy Map

5. Phase 5: Assumptions and next actions (5-10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Prioritize yellow assumption stickies: which are critical, which need validation? For each top assumption define a validation step (interview question, survey, A/B test) with owner. Hint: An empathy map without an assumptions backlog is a knowledge snapshot. With assumptions backlog it becomes a research driver. Output: Assumptions List

6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Empathy Map

Closeout

• Update result artifact: Empathy Map
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

Empathy Map: Empathy Mapping

Working Question

What does our user say, think, do, and feel, how do we know this, and where are our blind spots?

Context

Research notes with quotes; user type description; workshop purpose (kickoff empathy vs assumption check vs synthesis); current hypotheses about the user.

Participants

• Owner: A facilitator
• Participants: A facilitator; 4-8 team members from product, design, engineering, and optionally stakeholders; ideally at least one researcher with direct interview contact.

Input

Empathy map template (classic 4 or 6 quadrants: Says, Thinks, Does, Feels; optional Sees, Hears); whiteboard or digital board; one color for evidence stickies, another color for assumptions; research highlights ready to reference.

Template

Empathy Mapping Canvas

Context

What is this method used for?

Core question

Which question should be answered at the end?

Input

Which data, observations, or materials are available?

Working area

• Area 1:
• Area 2:
• Area 3:
• Relationships / patterns:

Output artifacts

• Empathy Map:
• Assumptions List:
• Research Gaps:

Open questions

• ...

Next step

Owner, date, success signal.

Completion Check

• Empathy Map is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision