An Empathy Map is a collaborative visualization tool used in UX design and design thinking to articulate what we know about a particular type of user. It externalizes knowledge about users in order to create shared understanding and aid decision-making. The map is divided into quadrants — Says, Thinks, Does, and Feels — with Pains and Gains along the bottom. It helps teams step into the user's shoes and build genuine empathy.

Empathy Maps are most valuable early in the design process — during the discovery or define phase. Use them after conducting user interviews, observations, or surveys. They're also great for onboarding new team members, aligning stakeholders, or revisiting assumptions mid-project. Any time you need to center the conversation around real user needs, an empathy map is your go-to tool.

• Says — Direct quotes and verbal statements from the user.
• Thinks — Internal thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions (what they don't say out loud).
• Does — Observable actions, behaviors, and habits.
• Feels — Emotional states, moods, and reactions.
• Pains — Frustrations, fears, obstacles, and pain points.
• Gains — Desires, goals, needs, and measures of success.

A persona is a detailed profile of a fictional user archetype, including demographics, goals, and background. An empathy map complements personas by diving deeper into the psychological and emotional landscape of that user. Think of the persona as the "who" and the empathy map as the "why" behind their behavior. They work best together.

Absolutely! This online Empathy Map Creator is perfect for remote collaboration. You can build your map, export it as a PNG image, print it, or share your screen during a video call. For live collaborative sessions, you can pair this tool with Miro, FigJam, or a shared whiteboard. The export feature makes it easy to include empathy maps in presentations, reports, and design documentation.

1. Start with real data — Base notes on actual user research, not assumptions.
2. One user at a time — Create separate maps for different user types.
3. Keep notes concise — Use short, sticky-note-style observations.
4. Involve diverse team members — Different perspectives enrich the map.
5. Update regularly — Treat the map as a living document as you learn more.

Yes! Your empathy map data is automatically saved to your browser's local storage. As long as you use the same browser and don't clear your cache, your notes, persona name, avatar, and project title will persist between sessions. No account or login is required. Click "Reset" to clear all data and start fresh.

The Empathy Map was originally developed by Dave Gray, founder of XPLANE, as part of the Gamestorming toolkit for visual thinking. It was later popularized and adapted by the design thinking community, including Stanford's d.school and IDEO. Today, it's a staple in UX research, service design, and product strategy workshops worldwide.