Empathy Map Maker
Build something people actually want. The empathy map (Dave Gray, XPLANE) captures what one user Says, Thinks, Does and Feels — plus their Pains and Gains — so the team aligns on real human needs before sketching solutions. One persona per map; fill it from interview quotes, not assumptions. Auto-saves in your browser, exports as SVG, PNG, JSON or text.
Auto-saved in your browser's localStorage on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use this empathy map maker
- Pick ONE persona per map. Trying to capture multiple personas on one map dilutes everything — make separate maps.
- Fill SAYS and DOES from real interview transcripts or observations — actual quotes and behaviours. THINKS and FEELS are inferred from those, never made up.
- Use the 'I / he / she' rule for tone: SAYS uses exact words ('I just want it to work'). THINKS uses third person ('She suspects pricing isn't transparent'). FEELS uses single emotion words ('Frustrated. Distracted.').
- PAINS are specific blockers and frustrations. GAINS are specific aspirations and outcomes — not 'wants better X', but 'wants to leave work at 5pm without checking email'.
- Use the empathy map BEFORE sketching solutions — not as a post-rationalisation of decisions already made. Export as PNG for design reviews or JSON to update after the next interview round.
Frequently asked questions
What is an empathy map?
A collaborative UX-research template, created by Dave Gray at XPLANE around 2010, that summarises what one user says, thinks, does and feels, plus their pains and gains, on a single page. The point is to put yourself in the user's situation deliberately, so design decisions get made for the real person — not for the team's idea of the person.
When do you use it?
After user interviews or observations to consolidate insights before designing solutions, and during workshops to align the team on whose needs are being designed for. Doing it before interviews (filling it with assumptions) defeats the point — you'll just decorate your existing biases.
Empathy map or persona — which comes first?
Empathy map first. Personas are synthesised profiles built from multiple empathy maps and interview notes. Skipping straight to a persona without empathy work produces a polished-looking document based on assumptions instead of evidence — useful for slide decks, not for actual product decisions. The empathy map is the raw material; the persona is the refined version.
How many empathy maps does a project need?
One per distinct user type, sourced from 3-5 interviews per type. A consumer app with 'free user' and 'paying user' as different segments needs two empathy maps. A B2B tool with 'admin' and 'end user' needs two. If your project genuinely serves one user type, one map is enough — but most projects have more than they realise.
What's the most common empathy-map mistake?
Filling it with assumptions instead of evidence. The map looks the same either way — neat coloured boxes, six sections, looks insightful in a workshop. But a map built from real interviews surfaces uncomfortable contradictions (the user SAYS they want X but DOES Y) that drive real product decisions. An assumption-based map just feels good and changes nothing.