Truly understanding people is the first step in designing experiences of value. Whether it is an app, a service or an interaction in the workplace, every moment can be improved when seen through the eyes (and emotions) of the person living it.
That is why the empathy map has become one of the most widely used and appreciated tools in UX, CX and EX: simple, visual, collaborative and above all extremely effective at turning qualitative data into useful, shareable insights.
What an empathy map is and why it is a strategic tool
An empathy map is a graphic representation that synthesizes what a user thinks, feels, says and does in relation to a specific experience. It was devised by Dave Gray (XPLANE) and has become established as a central tool in design thinking.
The main goal is to develop empathy with users in order to make design decisions that are more informed, authentic and central to their everyday lives.
According to Interaction Design Foundation, the empathy map is a key tool for avoiding assumptions and building more realistic personas, starting from real insights.
Structure of an empathy map: the six fundamental sections
In its fullest format, an empathy map includes six sections:
1. Says
Verbal expressions, quotes, typical phrases of the user.
2. Does
Actions, observable or reported behaviors.
3. Thinks
Internal thoughts, ideas that may not be stated openly.
4. Feels
Emotions, sensations, fears and desires that drive behavior.
5. Pains
Obstacles, frustrations and pain points of the experience.
6. Gains
Goals, deep motivations, benefits sought.
It is advisable to build this map based on data collected with UX research methods, such as interviews, field observation or usability tests. Intuition is fine, but it is not enough: you need concreteness.
When to use an empathy map in the design process
The empathy map is extremely flexible and can be used at various points in the process:
At the start of a UX or CX project, to generate alignment in the team.
During co-design workshops, to facilitate collaboration.
After qualitative research, to synthesize and visualize the data collected.
As support for creating personas, to add emotional and behavioral depth.
An in-depth piece by Nielsen Norman Group explains how empathy maps are ideal tools for fostering alignment between diverse teams, creating a shared, actionable understanding of the user.
Empathy maps for Customer Experience and Employee Experience
The empathy map is not only useful in digital or product projects. It is also a very powerful tool in CX and EX contexts, where it helps interpret the emotions of customers or employees at key moments of their journey.
In Customer Experience, for example, the empathy map makes it possible to highlight what the customer feels during the purchase process or at a critical touchpoint such as support.
According to Medallia, adopting empathic tools such as empathy maps is one of the most effective ways to turn customer feedback into concrete experience improvements.
In Employee Experience, the empathy map can be used to explore the emotions felt during onboarding, during evaluation moments, or in organizational changes.
How to build an effective empathy map
To create an empathy map that is truly useful:
Start from real insights: no hypotheses. Use interviews, tests, direct feedback.
Work on it as a group: involving different people increases the depth of the map.
Be specific: avoid generalizations. “They’re stressed” is too vague. “They feel they don’t have time to complete a task” is better.
Use clear language: short, readable sentences, in the user’s tone.
Make it visual and dynamic: a good empathy map must be easy to understand and always up to date.
Empathy map vs Personas: the differences
One of the most frequent questions is: are an empathy map and a persona the same thing? The answer is no.
The persona is an archetypal, stable representation of a user, based on demographic data, goals, behaviors.
The empathy map is a more specific, situational snapshot that explores the emotional state of that person at a moment of the journey.
In a complete design process, the empathy map enriches the persona, providing the emotional and psychological depth needed to design more human experiences.
Practical example: an empathy map for a workout app
Let’s imagine designing a fitness app aimed at sedentary workers.
After a series of interviews, the figure of Marco emerges, 35 years old, an office worker and father of two.
- Says: “I can’t be consistent”, “I’d like to feel fitter”.
- Does: Opens the app 1-2 times a week, stops sessions partway.
- Thinks: “I don’t have time”, “I lack motivation”.
- Feels: Frustration, guilt, a desire to improve.
- Pains: Little support, too much rigidity in the programs.
- Gains: Wants flexibility, positive stimuli, visible results.
An empathy map like this becomes the starting point for designing an experience centered on the real needs of users like Marco.
Empathy maps in the Then method
In the method proposed by Then, the empathy map is one of the fundamental tools in the analysis, design and testing phases.
How we use it:
In the discovery phase, to understand the needs and emotions of users, customers or employees.
During collaborative workshops, to create alignment between teams and stakeholders.
In Service Design, to build journey maps enriched by the emotional perspective.
In Employee Experience, to identify the moments that affect people’s well-being.
Whether it is a mobile app, an e-commerce site or the improvement of an internal process, the empathy map lets us always start from a fixed point: people at the center.
Conclusion: designing with empathy to create real value
Designing effective experiences does not mean adding features, but truly understanding the people who will live that experience.
The empathy map is the ideal tool for making this process more human, shared and strategic. A simple map, but one that opens the way to deep, lasting and relevant design decisions.
If you want to find out how we apply these tools in our clients’ projects, contact us: we will be glad to listen to your needs and design better experiences together.
