Empathy Mapping & Personas: A MUST!

UX designers should always prioritize the user first. This is why empathy mapping is so important in the design process. “An empathy map is a collaborative visualization used to articulate what we know about a particular type of user. It externalizes knowledge about users in order to 1) create a shared understanding of user needs, and 2) aid in decision making” (Gibbons). Empathy maps help the designer grasp what exactly the user requires in order to be content with the product. This technique helps us figure out commonalities between each user and emphasize those in our research. “Empathy maps should be used throughout any UX process to establish common ground among team members and to understand and prioritize user needs. In user-centered design, empathy maps are best used from the very beginning of the design process” (Gibbons). Since we’re able to discover more about our users through this, it makes sense why empathy mapping is one of the first steps in the design process. Even if the empathy maps are not too detailed, they are still helpful. When redesigning Dare, an anxiety app, my partner and I must be able to have a sufficient amount of interviewees in order to produce accurate research for a better app.

“Empathy maps are also great as a background for the construction of the personas that you would often want to create later” (Dam & Siang). This brings us to the next step in the design process, which are personas. Although optional at times, personas help the designer visualize what the user could possibly be characterized as. “Simply put, user personas are made-up characters based on user data designed to help you understand your customers. But there’s much more to them under the surface” (Ellis). As Ellis stated, personas are not real people. However, their traits are similar to the users that were interviewed so it’s still important to acknowledge this step. After the interviews were completed, we understood that our questionnaire reached users that ranged from teenagers to adults. Most of them mentioned having some sort of anxiety, but there were one or two individuals who did not seem to be affected by anything of the sort. This helps us realize that an anxiety app may not be catered towards every single user, which is understandable. “User personas or marketing personas come in different styles and sizes, much like the actual customers they represent” (Ellis). Depending on what the product is, the persona’s details will change in order to cater towards the specified users.

There are a lot of steps in the design process, but each of them are immensely valuable in order to create the most refined product possible. Empathy mapping and personas may not seem crucial, but they really are. Since we’re going through the app redesign process for a second time this semester, there’s a sense of familiarity. Gaining new experiences and perspectives are what helps designers thrive in the field. There are so many factors to take into consideration, but this entire process ultimately hones the designer’s skills.