Atlassian

Atlassian-Empathy Mapping

Use Atlassian's empathy mapping to turn customer insights into improvements. This structured exercise explores personas and pain points. It ensures next steps have clear ownership. Walk in your users' shoes. Understand their thoughts, feelings, and motivations. Teams build empathy, make user-centered decisions, and sometimes realize how little they truly knew.

Duration
1 hour
Group Size
3-6
Category
Atlassian
Difficulty
Easy
The team will deeply understand target customer personas. Identify customer pain points and motivators. Uncover assumptions needing validation. Generate actionable insights for product improvements. Assign ownership and deadlines for follow-up.

  • Completed empathy map.

  • Shared understanding of user perspective.

  • Foundation for deeper empathy.

Use real user quotes and data. Avoid assumptions. Include diverse team perspectives. Focus on observations first, then solutions. It's easy to jump to conclusions; resist that urge.

  1. Preparation (15 minutes before session):


  • Select 1-3 key personas for your product or service.

  • Choose a focus: existing product evaluation OR future product vision.

  • Gather customer research data: interviews, surveys, feedback, support tickets.

  • Create an empathy map template with 6 sections: Thinks & Feels, Hears, Sees, Says & Does, Pains, Gains.

  • Share personas and research materials with participants 24-48 hours in advance.


  1. Session Start & Stage Setting (5 minutes):


  • Explain the goal: immerse in personas, not a "tick-the-box" activity.

  • Challenge the team to imagine how customers truly feel.

  • Review shared personas and research data. Emphasize basing insights on actual customer data. Avoid guessing.


  1. Empathy Map Example Walkthrough (5 minutes):


  • Use an unrelated example persona (e.g., "42-year-old breakfast cereal lover").

  • Quickly demonstrate each section with examples:

  • Thinks & Feels: "Wants to stay healthy, worries about cholesterol."

  • Hears: "Friends say high-fiber cereals are bland."

  • Sees: "Reads cereal box for nutritional information."

  • Says & Does: "Talks with wife while preparing breakfast."

  • Pains: "Annoyed when cereal gets soggy quickly."

  • Gains: "Feels satisfied until lunchtime."

  • Keep it fast to demonstrate the process, not perfect content.


  1. Small Group Mapping (15 minutes):


  • Divide into groups of 2-3 people.

  • Assign each group one specific persona.

  • Set a strict 10-15 minute timer (adjust based on the number of groups).

  • Instructions: "Add items as quickly as possible, prune later."

  • Emphasize pain points: "Think about complaints, discomforts, frustrations."

  • Focus question: "What motivates this persona to change? What pushes them away from us?"

  • Optional: Use props like hats or masks to get into character.


  1. Group Presentations (30 minutes):


  • Each group presents their empathy map (5-10 minutes per group).

  • Structured presentation format:

  • Persona introduction (1 minute).

  • Key insights from each section (3-4 minutes).

  • Top pain points identified (1-2 minutes).

  • Most surprising discovery (1 minute).

  • Audience asks questions:

  • "What insights does this map reveal?"

  • "What assumptions are we making that need research?"

  • "Where do we have gaps in knowledge?"

  • Capture insights, assumptions, and knowledge gaps on a separate board.


  1. Insight Synthesis & Refinement (10 minutes):


  • Review all presented maps as a full group.

  • Identify patterns across different personas.

  • Refine maps based on group discussion.

  • Mark items needing further investigation, discussion, or action.

  • Prioritize assumptions that need validation. Highlight pain points representing the biggest opportunities.


  1. Mandatory Next Steps Assignment (10 minutes):


  • Extract at least 1-2 actionable insights per persona.

  • For each insight, define:

  • Specific research question or validation needed.

  • Investigation method (user interviews, data analysis, prototype testing).

  • Owner responsible for follow-up.

  • Specific deadline (within 2-4 weeks).

  • Success criteria or definition of "validated."

  • Document action items in a shared format with:

  • Insight/assumption to investigate.

  • Assigned owner name.

  • Method of investigation.

  • Deadline date.

  • How results will be shared back to the team.


  1. Commitment & Follow-Up (5 minutes):


  • Each owner states their commitment aloud.

  • Schedule a follow-up meeting (3-4 weeks out).

  • Assign someone to send an action item summary within 24 hours.

  • Photograph all empathy maps for documentation. Add deadlines to the team calendar.

Unlock Step-by-Step Instructions

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For Facilitators

  • Review participant profiles and expectations
  • Prepare all materials and supplies
  • Test technology and room setup

For Participants

  • Complete pre-session survey
  • Review background materials
  • Prepare examples or case studies

Unlock Pre-Work Requirements

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  • Empathy map template (6 sections: Thinks & Feels, Hears, Sees, Says & Does, Pains, Gains).

  • Printed personas with photos and key details; customer research packet (interviews, surveys, feedback).

  • Sticky notes (multiple colors).

  • Thick markers.

  • Timer with audio alerts.

  • Whiteboard or butcher paper.

  • Camera for documentation.

  • Action item tracking sheet.

  • Optional: Persona props (hats, items).

Unlock Materials Required

Create a free account to access step-by-step instructions, agendas, and resources for all activities.

Atlassian - Empathy Mapping
Atlassian guide to empathy mapping.
NNGroup - Empathy Mapping Guide
Nielsen Norman Group empathy mapping resource.

Unlock Resources & Templates

Create a free account to access step-by-step instructions, agendas, and resources for all activities.

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