The empathy map by NN Group is a great tool and more than enough for some, but for a beginner User Researcher, the vast blank space can be overwhelming. Then I discovered the Dave Gray Empathy Map Canvas, which is an updated and more refined version of his old empathy map, and all my worries disappeared.
“This particular tool helps teams develop deep, shared understanding and empathy for other people. People use it to help them improve customer experience, to navigate organizational politics, to design better work environments, and a host of other things”. Dave Gray
Old version:
New version:
I really appreciate these changes in the new version of the map:
It has incorporated goals into the map that help clarify the context and purpose of the activity.
The sections are in sequence. The steps are numbered, and that helps to keep order in the activity.
The central element of "Think and Feel" is inside the head to emphasize the difference between the observable, (outside the head) and the unobservable (inside the head), which can be guessed or inferred but never observed.
“Pains and Gains” are also placed inside the head.
5. The biggest help are "thought-starter questions", They really facilitate an exercise, and this is mainly why I prefer it over the NN group empathy map.
How to use it?
Dave Gray also is explaining how to use it, so I will leave it without any change:
Start with the GOAL section, by defining WHO will be the subject of the Empathy Map and a goal: something they need to DO. This should be framed in terms of an observable behavior.
Once you have clarified the goal, work your way clockwise around the canvas, until you have covered Seeing, Saying, Doing, and Hearing. The reason for this is that the process of focusing on observable phenomena (Things that they see, say, do, and hear) is like walking a mile in their shoes. It gives us a chance to imagine what their experience might be like, to give us a sense of what it “feels like to be them.”
Only AFTER you have made the circuit of outside elements do you focus on what’s going on inside their heads. I’ve noticed many Empathy Map templates do not leave space inside the head at the center of the Empathy Map and put the “Think and Feel” categories on the periphery of the map. The large head in the center is one of the most important aspects of the map’s design. In fact, we used to call this exercise “The Big Head” when we first started doing it, because the whole idea was to imagine what it’s like to be inside someone else’s head. That was and is the primary power of the exercise.
Source: https://medium.com/the-xplane-collection/updated-empathy-map-canvas-46df22df3c8a
How am I using it?
While I appreciate the aesthetic appeal of graphics, I personally find it more convenient to organize information in a table format, as it allows me to have everything laid out in a structured manner. I gather all the raw information on the blank page. If I have permission, I record the user and observe as much as I can during the research session. Then, after the session, I write it back into this survey.
| Designed for | |
|---|---|
| Designed by | |
| Date | |
| Place | |
| Form | |
| Version |
| 1. WHO are we empathizing with? | |
|---|---|
| Who is the person I want to understand? | |
| What is the situation she/he is in? | |
| What is her/his role in the situation |
| 2. What does she/he need to DO? | |
|---|---|
| What she/he needs to do differently? | |
| What job(s) does she/he want or need to get done? | |
| What decisions does she/he need to make? | |
| How will we know she/he was successful |
| 3. What does she/he SEE? | |
|---|---|
| What does she/he see in the marketplace? | |
| What does she/he see in her immediate environment? | |
| What does she/he see others saying and doing? | |
| What is she/he watching and reading? |
| 4. What does she/he SAY? | |
|---|---|
| What have we heard her/him say? | |
| What can we imagine her/him saying? |
| 5. What do she/he DOES? | |
|---|---|
| What does she/he do today? | |
| What behavior we are observed? | |
| What can we imagine her/him doing? |
| 6. What does she HEAR? | |
|---|---|
| What she/he is hearing others say? | |
| What she/he is hearing from friends? | |
| What she/he is hearing from colleagues? | |
| What she/he is hearing second hand? |
| 7. What does she/he THINK and FEEL | |
|---|---|
| Pains: What of hers/his fears, frustrations, and anxieties? | |
| Gains:What she/he wants needles hopes and dreams? | |
| Other thoughts that might motivate her/his behaviors? |
At the end, I ask myself questions to digest my final thoughts.
What did I like about the interview?
What didn't I like?
What have I learned?
Conclusions
The empathy map is just one of the many tools that you need to master if you want to be a good UX practitioner. Even if I prefer this version of the map for now, that doesn't mean I will stick with it forever. It's better to learn from both mapping worlds and take what works best for the situation at hand.
Thanks for reading.
Nika Hase
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