How Should Empathy Maps Be Informed?
Ideally, Empathy Maps should be based on real user research, such as interviews, observations, and surveys, to ensure accuracy, with constant validation of assumptions.
Metaphor
Building an empathy map without real user research is like sketching a friend’s portrait from memory after meeting them once at a noisy party. Your brain will fill in gaps with guesses, and the resemblance might be more wishful than real.
Grounding empathy maps in interviews, observations, and surveys keeps the picture accurate and useful, ensuring decisions reflect actual users rather than imagined ones.
Works Consulted
- Empathy Map for Understanding Customers and Users | Scrum.org | Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Connections
follows:: Definition of an Empathy Map