The empathy map is a simple, four-quadrant visual tool that helps design teams build a deeper understanding of a specific user's inner experience. Originally created by Dave Gray, founder of XPLANE, it organises research observations and inferences into four domains: what the user says, thinks, does, and feels. This structure forces teams to go beyond surface-level observations and engage with the emotional and cognitive dimensions of user experience that often determine whether a design succeeds or fails in practice.
Empathy Map
A four-quadrant lens to understand users beyond demographics
A
Designers Academy
10 June 2026 · 4 min read
UXMethods
In brief
An empathy map is a four-quadrant visual tool that helps design teams deeply understand a specific user's inner experience by organizing what they say, think, do, and feel.
