Empathy Map

Also known as: Empathy Map, Customer Empathy Canvas

Visual tool that summarizes what a consumer segment thinks, feels, says, and does to build empathy in marketing and innovation teams.

The Empathy Map is a visual tool originally created by XPLANE that synthesizes in a simple format what a target consumer segment thinks, feels, says, and does, and what their main pains and gains are.

It is a qualitative insight synthesis tool designed to help marketing, design, and innovation teams step out of their own perspectives and genuinely put themselves in the consumer's shoes. It is more visually accessible than a dense research report.

The empathy map is built with primary research data (interviews, ethnography, focus groups) and used as an alignment tool in strategy workshops, product design, and communication development.