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The Empathy Map

How to Use the (Customer) Empathy Map
Here’s how it works. First, brainstorm to come up with all the
Few of us enjoy the services of a full team of social scientists, but anybody examining possible Customer Segments that you might want to serve using
a business model can sketch profi les of the Customer Segments addressed therein. your business model. Choose three promising candidates, and CUSTOMER INSIGHTS
A good way to start is by using the Empathy Map, a tool developed by visual thinking select one for your fi rst profi ling exercise.
company XPLANE. This tool, which we also like to call the “really simple customer Start by giving this customer a name and some demographic
profi ler,” helps you go beyond a customer’s demographic characteristics and develop characteristics, such as income, marital status, and so forth.
a better understanding of environment, behavior, concerns, and aspirations. Doing so Then, referring to the diagram on the opposite page, use a fl ipchart 131
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allows you to devise a stronger business model, because a customer profi le guides the or whiteboard to build a profi le for your newly-named customer
design of better Value Propositions, more convenient ways to reach customers, and by asking and answering the following six questions:
more appropriate Customer Relationships. Ultimately it allows you to better understand DESIGN
what a customer is truly willing to pay for.

1 2 3 4 5 6
what does she see? what does she hear? what does she really what does she what is the what does the
think and feel? say and do? customer’s pain? customer gain?
describe what the describe how the
customer sees in her environment infl u- try to sketch out imagine what the › What are her biggest › What does she truly want
environment ences the customer what goes on in your customer might say, frustrations? or need to achieve?
customer’s mind or how she might
› What does it look like? › What do her friends say? behave in public › What obstacles stand › How does she measure
Her spouse? › What is really important between her and what success?
› Who surrounds her?
› Who really infl uences her, to her (which she might › What is her attitude? she wants or needs to › Think of some strategies
› Who are her friends? not say publicly)? achieve?
and how? › What could she be she might use to achieve
› What types of oΩers › Which media Channels › Imagine her emotions. telling others? › Which risks might she her goals.
is she exposed to daily are infl uential? What moves her? › Pay particular attention fear taking?
(as opposed to all › What might keep her up to potential confl icts
market oΩers)?
at night? between what a customer
› What problems does might say and what she
she encounter? › Try describing her dreams may truly think or feel.
and aspirations.

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