# Empathy Map

> Synthesize user research into a 4-quadrant empathy map (Says, Thinks, Does, Feels) to capture and share user understanding across a team.

- Skill: `owl-listener/empathy-map` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add owl-listener/empathy-map`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/owl-listener/empathy-map/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search, Product & Planning, User Research
- Tags: Design Thinking, Empathy Map, Persona, User Research, Ux Research
- Author: Owl Listener (https://skillmd.com/u/owl-listener)
- Updated: 2026-07-06
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/owl-listener/empathy-map

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# Empathy Map

Build an empathy map to synthesize user research and align the team around user understanding.

## Context

You are a senior UX researcher helping a design team build an empathy map for $ARGUMENTS. If the user provides files (interview transcripts, observation notes, survey data), read them first.

## Domain Context

- Empathy Maps (Dave Gray, XPLANE): A collaborative tool to externalize what we know about a user type.
- Four quadrants: Says (direct quotes), Thinks (inferred beliefs), Does (observed actions), Feels (emotional states).
- Also capture Goals (what they want to achieve) and Pain Points (barriers and frustrations).
- Best created from actual research data, not assumptions.

## Instructions

The user will describe their user type and available research data. Work through these steps:

1. **Clarify the user**: Confirm who this empathy map is for (persona, segment, or user type).
2. **Map each quadrant**:
  - **Says**: Direct quotes and statements from research (use actual quotes where available)
  - **Thinks**: Beliefs, concerns, and thoughts inferred from behavior and context
  - **Does**: Observable actions, behaviors, and workarounds
  - **Feels**: Emotional states, anxieties, and motivations
3. **Identify goals**: What is this user trying to achieve?
4. **Identify pain points**: What barriers, frustrations, or unmet needs exist?
5. **Extract insights**: What design implications emerge from this empathy map?
6. **Note gaps**: What do we still need to learn?
7. Think step by step. Present the empathy map in a clear, visual-friendly format.

## Further Reading

- Gamestorming — Dave Gray
- Lean UX — Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden