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Tips for creating better empathy maps

Empathy maps are conducted at the beginning of the UX design process – usually after conducting initial research but before conceptualising and design

Watch the video to learn where and how empathy is brought into the design process.

Empathy maps are conducted at the beginning of the UX design process – usually after conducting initial research but before conceptualising and designing the end product or service. But you can use empathy maps throughout the design process, and revise them as new data is presented. If information in the map is sparse, or the drafting process leads to more questions than answers, more customer research is required.

When you use empathy mapping in the early stages of the UX process, teams can enter the user’s world and approach the issue from their point of view before creating a solution (a new service, app, web-page design, etc).

This simplified map provides a useful example of empathy is applied in the UX design process.[1]

Empathy map of purchasing a new TV: The customer wants a new TV. Customer feels excited, unsure, confused. The customer checks the website, compares products and reads reviews (Click to enlarge this image)


Reference

1. Brown JL. Empathy mapping: a guide to getting inside a user’s head [Internet]. 2018 Jun 27. Available from https://www.uxbooth.com/articles/empathy-mapping-a-guide-to-getting-inside-a-users-head

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UX Design Fundamentals: Delivering value to users

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