Empathy Maps



Empathy maps are tools that are extensively used to get immersed in the user/learner’s world. They are generally used by and have been popularised by the UX industry but can be used in any industry that needs to understand its users/ learners.They are very helpful in enabling us to see the world from the user/learner’s perspective. Due to this I feel they can be effectively used when conducting needs analysis. 

Normally when we are developing a business solution or a training program, we try to make it fit the user/learner’s requirements. We determine these requirements based on the cohort characteristics and some details provided by relevant stakeholders (management, HR etc.). However, rarely is any effort made to actually understand the needs and requirements of the end user/learner. Even the input provided by their manager may have bias and gaps in it.

So how do you ensure you have a deep understanding of the user/learner. The answer is by building Empathy maps. There can be other ways and other names, but they will have a lot of similarities with how Empathy maps are developed. Let’s see why that is.

Format of Empathy maps – Empathy maps are split into four Quadrants namely says, thinks, feels and does as shown below.


                                                            Empathy Map
Says
Thinks
Does
Feels



Let’s talk about how to use this Empathy map and its quadrants.





The Says Quadrant – This Quadrant is used for storing what the user/learner is overtly saying about a process or performance problem. This is where verbatim and direct quotes are recorded. During your exchanges with the team when trying to find the nature of the performance problem, if a team member says “our POS system is slow and needs more memory” then that gets recorded in the says quadrant.

The Thinks Quadrant – This Quadrant is used to record what the user/learner is thinking (or our perception of what they are thinking) and what we think is important to them. This may involve us trying to determine what the user/learner is reluctant to say or are inferring. For example - If the user/learner says the current process is frustrating or challenging, then we need to dig deeper, investigate and interpret as best as we can. There can be some overlap and similarities between this quadrant and the says quadrant.

The Does Quadrant – This Quadrant is used for recording the actions taken by the user/learner. This can help us in recording any problems that we can see happening at the physical level. For example – if the user/learner is not using the customer engagement script than it should be recorded here or if they do not how to use certain features of a software then that should be recorded here.

The Feels Quadrant – This Quadrant is used to record the emotional state of the user/learner. Understanding feelings and using that as a factor when developing performance solutions is not a conventional thing in instructional/training design but I think it should be as we can use this information to develop solution that the user/learner can connect with.

In this Quadrant we record the user/learner’s experience with the training, what do they get excited about, concerned about etc.

For example – Getting impatient about Too much text or the pace of the course. Getting intimated or confused by technology etc.



The main thing to understand about empathy maps is that they enable us to record and put all our information in one place and give the information certain hues that can help us in focussing on key areas regarding user/learner needs. It is this aspect that I feel makes Empathy Maps a very important tool when conducting needs analysis.



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