Step-by-step guide on how to use the empathy map:
1. Define scope and goals of the map
- will you map a persona or an individual user? If you have multiple personas, there should be an empathy map for each
- what is your primary purpose for empathy mapping? If it is to align your team on a specific user, then the who team should be present during the empathy-mapping activity
2. Gather materials
Either a whiteboard or a poster, post-its and markers
3. Collect research
Gather your qualitative inputs, such as user interviews, field studies, diary studies, listening sessions or qualitative surveys
4. Individually generate post-its for each quadrant
Each team member should read through the research (step 3) individually. Afterwards, each team member starts filling out the post-its and stick them to the four quadrants.
5. Cluster and synthesize
The team clusters similar notes that belong to the same quadrant. You should name your clusters with themes that represent each group. This activity enables discussion and alignment between the team members. The goal of this step is to arrive at a shared understanding of the user by all team members.
6. Polish and Plan
You can adapt the map by including additional quadrants (such as “goals) or by increasing specificity to existing quadrants. Depending on the purpose of your empathy map, polish and digitalize it accordingly. Be sure to include the date and version number. Plan to reference the empathy map as more research is gathered and to guide you in your user experience decisions.