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WorkshopAny teamBrainstorming

Empathy map

50 minutes 6 blocksFree Free template

What your user says, thinks, does and feels, built from real research quotes, with contradictions found and needs written down for the next step.

Use this template See inside

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

Share
Says
Real quotes from interviews
Thinks
What occupies them, said or not
Does
Actions you've observed
Feels
Worries, frustrations, hopes

In short

An empathy map is a four-part canvas that captures what a user says, thinks, does and feels, so a team builds a shared understanding grounded in research. This template gives you the four quadrants on a live board filled from everyone's phone and a 50-minute session that finds contradictions and turns insights into written user needs.
Time
50 minutes
People
3 to 12
Board
4 quadrants, 3 dots each
Plan
Free

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

The agenda

By the end of this meeting, we share a picture of our user grounded in research and have written their top needs.

50 min · 6 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Who we're mapping, and the evidence we have, 5 minutes 5
  2. Says, thinks, does, feels, 15 minutesBrainstorm 15
  3. Look for contradictions, 10 minutesDiscuss 10
  4. Dot-vote the insights that surprise us, 5 minutes 5
  5. Needs, and questions for the next research round, 10 minutesDecide 10
  6. Read back the needs, 5 minutes 5
013253850 min
  1. +0′Who we're mapping, and the evidence we haveTip: One user or persona. Bring interview notes, recordings and support tickets. Says should be real quotes, not paraphrases.5 minInfo
  2. +5′Says, thinks, does, feelsTip: Says first, straight from the research. Then Does. Thinks and Feels are inferences; mark guesses with '?' so you know what to check.15 minBrainstorm
  3. +20′Look for contradictionsTip: Where Says and Does disagree ('I always read the instructions' but never opens them) is usually where the insight is.10 minDiscuss
  4. +30′Dot-vote the insights that surprise usTip: Three dots each.5 minDiscuss
  5. +35′Needs, and questions for the next research roundTip: Write the top needs as 'They need a way to...'. Every '?' note becomes a question for the next interviews.10 minDecide
  6. +45′Read back the needs5 minWrap-up

How to run it

  1. 1Bring real research: interview notes, recordings or tickets. An empathy map built on guesses only confirms what you already believe.
  2. 2Fill Says and Does from evidence first, then Thinks and Feels, marking guesses with '?'.
  3. 3Look for contradictions between what people say and do, then dot-vote the surprising insights.
  4. 4Write the user's top needs and turn the guesses into questions for your next research round.

Questions people ask

What is an empathy map?
A design thinking tool, popularized by Dave Gray, that splits what you know about a user into four areas: what they say, think, do and feel.
What's the difference between an empathy map and a persona?
An empathy map is a working tool built from research in a session. A persona is a more finished profile of a typical user that often draws on several empathy maps.
When should you make an empathy map?
Right after user interviews or observation, while the details are fresh, and before you start designing solutions.

Run it with your group

Free
  • Ideas land on the board from every phone, then dot-vote
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
Use this template

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

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