What are the most important components and steps in creating an empathy map?

The central components of an empathy map are the fields selected in your model – typically seeing, hearing, thinking & feeling, saying & doing, pains and gains in the six-field model. This allows you to systematically cover both external stimuli (e.g. advertising, conversations) and internal motives (emotions, values, expectations). The steps for creation can be summarized as follows: Define context and target group Collect data (qualitative interviews, diary studies, surveys, web analytics) Compile insights on facilitation cards or sticky notes Fill map according to your chosen model (four- or six-field model) Prioritize and focus on the most important gains, profits, and emotions Validate by comparing the map with other stakeholders or real users Integrate into workshops, user journeys, or the design cycle

Are empathy maps an alternative to personas?

No, empathy maps are not a replacement method, but ideally complement personas in a 1:1 ratio, i.e. one empathy map per persona. While personas summarize demographic and behavioral profiles (name, photo, story, goals), empathy maps get to the heart of the emotional drivers and pain points (pains/gains) of these personas. Used together, the persona provides segmentation and the empathy map delivers deeper emotional insight – together, they form the foundation for truly user-centered products.

What significance do empathy maps have for SCRUM?

In SCRUM teams, empathy maps primarily promote a shared understanding of user stories and the product backlog. As early as the backlog definition phase, they help formulate acceptance criteria that reflect not only functional requirements but also emotional user expectations. During sprint planning, the team can use an empathy map to better assess which stories will deliver the greatest value. Time and again – in retrospectives or during sprint zero, for example – empathy maps serve as a prompt to expand technically driven insights with the user perspective, helping keep the product vision consistently user-centered throughout every sprint.

Optimize decision-making with empathy mapping

You can use an empathy map to visualize the sensory impressions of your target group – helping you gain valuable insights.

11.06.2025 7 minute read

Written by: Stephanie Wölke Lead UX Design

In a nutshell: Empathy Mapping

Method and presentation style to gain a deeper understanding of your customers
Six-field model with seeing, hearing, thinking and feeling, saying and doing, plus pains and gains
Not a replacement for personas, but a suitable addition
Data sources include qualitative interviews, diary studies, surveys, and web analyses
Develop the empathy map collaboratively with all stakeholders in a workshop
Use continuous updates, regular team feedback, and supporting AI

What is an empathy map?

An empathy map is a visual tool in user experience design used to systematically capture and depict the thoughts, feelings, needs, and behaviors of your target group. At its core, it is based on six areas that reflect both external stimuli and internal motives: seeing, hearing, thinking and feeling, saying and doing, and pains and gains.

This definition makes it clear that an empathy map focuses primarily on the subjective experience and emotional motives of the user. Empathy mapping makes it possible to identify unconscious motivations and pain points that influence customers' purchasing decisions.

Why do so many companies lack a deep understanding of their target group despite having solid data? The answer lies in empathy mapping.

Empathy is a soft skill that enables us to understand the world from the perspective of others. This is exactly what an empathy map does: it combines hard facts with subjective experience and provides valuable insights that can significantly inform your business decisions.

Important: Empathy mapping must be based on real data, such as user surveys and web analyses. This is the only way to reliably map the actual needs of your target group.

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What you can achieve with empathy cards

Empathy mapping offers numerous concrete benefits that you can apply in product development or your content strategy. It not only helps you better understand user behavior, but also optimize your product and communication strategies based on data – with measurable effects on conversion rates, customer loyalty, and customer satisfaction. Here's a summary of the most important benefits:

Enable deeper understanding: Intensive team workshops build empathy and strengthen communication across cross-functional teams.
Respond to needs: Empathy mapping reveals pains and gains that uncover hidden barriers and help you design tailored solutions.
Develop the brand experience: Targeted group-oriented touchpoints create a genuine emotional connection and promote the brand experience.
Recognize trends and preferences: Data-backed insights into style and trend preferences flow directly into the empathy map and provide valuable information.
Create competitive advantages: If you always keep your customers' needs in mind and incorporate them into your strategic decisions, you will always stay one step ahead of the competition.

Empathy mapping vs. persona

Empathy mapping complements the buyer persona, but doesn’t replace it. Both methods help align your offerings with the needs of your target group, but they focus on different aspects.

While empathy mapping centers on perceptions, emotions, and gains, buyer personas focus more on behaviors and the underlying demographic or psychographic motives.

The result of empathy mapping is a quadrant-style map ideally enriched with real user quotes. Persona mapping, by contrast, results in a detailed, fictional profile complete with a name, photo, and background story.

The relationship between personas and empathy maps is 1:1 – you create a separate empathy map for each buyer persona (1 persona = 1 empathy map). This ensures that each persona’s emotional drivers and pain points are accurately represented.

Structure: The four or six areas of empathy maps

In the classic four-quadrant model, an empathy map is divided into saying, thinking, feeling, and doing. These four areas reflect verbal expressions, inner thoughts, emotions, and observable behavior.

For a more detailed picture, we recommend "upgrading" to the six-field model, which also addresses sensory impressions and motivators:

Seeing: What visual impressions does the person take in? (e.g. product design, environment, advertising)
Hearing: What sounds, conversations, or media influence the person?
Think & feel: What thoughts, emotions, or values are influencing them?
Say & do: What statements do they make, and how do they behave in typical situations?
Pains: What fears, frustrations, or hurdles do they face?
Gains: What desires, expectations, or benefits are they seeking?

With this six-field model, you can systematically capture both external stimuli and the internal drivers of your users, making your empathy map even more actionable.

Empathy mapping as a workshop: step by step

Allow 2–3 hours for a workshop with 5 to 8 participants. Prepare all materials in advance – ideally in digital format using Miro or Mural, or with classic tools like index cards, whiteboards, and sticky notes. Here’s a five-step approach you can follow:

Step 1: Involve the team and stakeholders
Consider input from a diverse mix of team members and stakeholders to ensure a well-rounded understanding of your users. When everyone contributes their perspective from the start, it builds alignment and increases the likelihood that the empathy map becomes part of everyday practice.

Step 2: Collect and prepare customer data
Gather all relevant materials ahead of the session: transcripts from qualitative interviews, diary study results, survey findings, and web analytics. Organize them so they’re easy to reference – either pinned to a board or uploaded to a digital workspace (e.g. Miro or Mural). This helps the team dive in quickly and stay focused.

Step 3: Introduce and explain the template
Set aside time to walk the team through the structure of the empathy map. Clarify which version you’ll be using – the classic four-quadrant or the extended six-field model (seeing, hearing, thinking & feeling, saying & doing, and pains/gains). Be sure to define a clear time frame for each step. A visible timer can help keep energy and focus high.

Step 4: Capture ideas and interim results
Once initial thoughts are flowing, start a collaborative brainstorming round. Use analog cards or digital sticky notes to log every idea. Make space for every voice and be sure to include authentic user quotes – like “I feel overwhelmed when …” – to keep the process grounded in real experience.

Step 5: Finalize empathy mapping
Give the team time to synthesize ideas into a clear, focused map. Narrow down the inputs to the most relevant pains, gains, and emotional drivers. End with a quick feedback round to reflect on what worked well and what needs more attention – so the map can directly support your next design phase.

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Dos & don'ts in empathy mapping

Empathy mapping is easy to carry out, but it is not without its hurdles and pitfalls. Pay attention to the following guidelines to ensure that your empathy maps remain valid, usable, and sustainable:

Dos	Don’ts
Use data from interviews & surveys	Making assumptions without a valid database
Formulate specific and contextual statements	Use vague or generic statements
Work collaboratively with stakeholders	Work in isolation without others’ input
Schedule regular feedback loops	Skip feedback rounds
Using AI for targeted support	Rely on AI as a full replacement for research
Continuously update the empathy map	Create a static empathy map without revisiting it
Digitize results	Let results get buried or forgotten
Share and use empathy maps in the team	Leave the map unused in a drawer

Important questions and answers

The central components of an empathy map are the fields selected in your model – typically seeing, hearing, thinking & feeling, saying & doing, pains and gains in the six-field model. This allows you to systematically cover both external stimuli (e.g. advertising, conversations) and internal motives (emotions, values, expectations).

The steps for creation can be summarized as follows:
1. Define context and target group
2. Collect data (qualitative interviews, diary studies, surveys, web analytics)
3. Compile insights on facilitation cards or sticky notes
4. Fill map according to your chosen model (four- or six-field model)
5. Prioritize and focus on the most important gains, profits, and emotions
6. Validate by comparing the map with other stakeholders or real users
7. Integrate into workshops, user journeys, or the design cycle

Our expert

Stephanie Wölke Lead UX Design

Stephanie Wölke leverages her expertise, analytical precision, and unwavering commitment to quality to craft cutting-edge digital UX strategies. As a UX researcher, content designer, and usability expert, she consistently employs a user-centered, inclusive approach - with ♥️ for testing-making a significant impact on optimizing digital experiences.

All articles by Stephanie Wölke

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