An empathy map is a tool to help a design team to empathize with the people they are designing for. You can make an empathy map for a group of people or for a persona.
1. Gather your team and draw a circle to represent your target persona. Brief the team on the persona.
2. Divide the circle into sections, representing that persona’s sensory experience. Explain to the team what each of the circles mean.
3. Ask your team to describe their experience from the persona’s point of view. Moderate the discussion and collect all relevant information on the map.
WHEN
After doing personas when more insights are needed.
WHY
Personas usually summarize lifestyle but not necessarily the (sensory) experience of the users.
NOTE!
Try to understand the persona’s point of view as much as possible.
OUTPUT
Insight in the needs and desires of the persona.
Next
Collect insights and communicate them, this could be done using a moodboard.
Reference
BLAND, D. Agile coaching tip–What is an empathy map?. Available in http://www. bigvisible. com/2012/06/what-is-an-empathy-map, 2012. VIANNA, Maurício, et al. Design Thinking. Business Inovation, 2011.