empathy-map
The empathy-map skill guides teams through building a structured four-quadrant empathy map (Says, Thinks, Does, Feels) from user research data like interviews and surveys. Use this when synthesizing qualitative research into shared team understanding, identifying user goals and pain points, and extracting design implications that inform product decisions.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/designer-skills /tmp/empathy-map && cp -r /tmp/empathy-map/design-research/skills/empathy-map ~/.claude/skills/empathy-mapSKILL.md
# 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
Facilitate structured design critiques with clear feedback frameworks and actionable outcomes.
Identify, categorize, and prioritize accumulated design inconsistencies and structural problems across a product.
Communicate design's contribution to business and user outcomes in terms that resonate with stakeholders.
Create QA checklists for verifying design implementation accuracy.
Establish design review gates with criteria, checklists, and approval workflows.
Plan and facilitate design sprints from challenge framing through prototype testing.
Create developer handoff specifications with measurements, behaviors, assets, and edge cases.
Design team workflows covering task management, collaboration rituals, and tooling.