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Also known as: empathy canvas

Empathy Map

FoundationalFrameworksProduct

Definition

Empathy Map: An empathy map captures what a customer or user thinks, feels, says, does, hears, and sees—building deeper understanding of their perspective. Used in design thinking and user research, empathy maps help teams move beyond demographic profiles to understand emotional and contextual factors that drive behavior.

Example Usage

Creating empathy maps from customer interviews revealed that buyers 'say' they want features but 'feel' overwhelmed by complexity. We simplified instead.

Common Misconceptions

Fill it from imagination. Base empathy maps on actual user research—interviews, observations, data.
One empathy map per product. Create maps for different personas; their perspectives differ significantly.
It's just a research artifact. Empathy maps should inform ongoing product and marketing decisions.

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