COURSE MATERIAL
III/IV Semester
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
AY: 2025-26
DESIGN THINKING AND FABRICATION
24DTK37
Prepared by:
Mr. ANANTH PAI
Assistant Professor
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
NEW HORIZON COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MODULE 4 - EMPATHY MAPS
➢ Empathise-Understand customers
➢ Empathy Maps
➢ Empathise-Step into Customers' Shoes
➢ Customer Journey Maps
➢ Define- Analysis & Drawing Inferences from Research
Empathy Maps – Module 4
Why Understanding Your Customer is Absolutely Crucial
Innovation Fails Without Users Unstated Needs Drive Desire Beyond the "Faster Horse"
Customers often struggle to Like the quest for a 'faster horse'
Ignoring user needs leads to articulate their core problems. revealed a deeper need for
solutions nobody wants. True The most impactful insights lie 'faster travel', understanding true
innovation starts with deep beneath the surface of their motivations unlocks
empathy for those you serve. explicit requests. breakthrough solutions.
Effective customer understanding involves observation, direct engagement, and immersion to uncover both obvious
and hidden needs, forming the foundation for meaningful solutions.
Key Methods for Deep Customer Understanding
To truly grasp your users' world, employ a mix of these powerful techniques:
Observation (Shadowing) Interviews & Conversations
Watch how people interact with products or Engage users directly with open-ended questions that
environments in real-time. This reveals natural encourage storytelling, uncovering their perspectives
behaviors and workarounds that interviews might and emotional drivers. Example: "What frustrates you
miss. Example: Observe how students select seating most about hostel dining?"
in the library.
Immersion (Experience it Yourself) Surveys & Feedback Loops
Step directly into the user's shoes to gain first-hand Collect structured data from a larger audience to
empathy for their challenges, routines, and overall identify patterns and validate qualitative insights.
context. Example: A teacher attending an online class Useful for quantitative understanding. Example: A
as a student to feel challenges. mess food rating survey.
The Critical Difference: Stated Needs vs. Hidden Desires
The Stated Need
"I want more fans in my hostel room."
This is the immediate, often superficial, request
voiced by a user.
The Hidden Desire
The true underlying need for comfort, leading to
the desire for better air circulation and cooling.
This is the deeper, unspoken motivation driving the
stated request.
As designers, our task is to look beyond words and delve into actions, emotions, and context to uncover these
profound hidden needs that shape meaningful solutions.
Bringing Your Users to Life: Customer Personas
A persona is a detailed, fictional representation of your
ideal user, built from actual research and data.
• They are archetypes, not stereotypes.
• They encapsulate motivations, behaviors, and pain points.
• They help designers empathize with real users, not
just abstract averages.
Meet Anuj:
Anuj, 20 years old, is a dedicated student who
frequently studies late into the night. He finds his
workflow severely disrupted by unexpected power
cuts, leading to significant frustration and lost
productivity.
Real-World Impact: The Farmer's Irrigation
Dilemma
Let's examine a powerful case study from an Indian context:
1 The Problem
Farmers were suffering significant crop losses due to highly
irregular and unpredictable irrigation.
2 The Stated Need
Their initial, direct request was simple: "We want more water
pumps to solve our irrigation issues."
3 The Real Insight
Through deep empathy, it was discovered that farmers truly
needed an affordable and reliable way to know precisely when
their soil needed water.
4 The Innovative Solution
A low-cost soil moisture sensor system was developed,
empowering farmers with critical, actionable information,
drastically reducing crop loss.
Empathy Maps: Unlocking
User Understanding
An empathy map is a powerful visual tool that helps product
design teams develop a deep, shared understanding of their users.
It systematically captures what users say, think, feel, and do in a
structured, actionable format.
Think of it as a "user persona on steroids" – going beyond basic
demographics to capture the emotional and psychological aspects
of the user experience. It helps us move from assumptions to
evidence-based insights.
The Four Quadrants of Empathy
At the center of every empathy map is the User. Who are SAYS Quadrant
we empathizing with? Their context, goals, and
challenges form the foundation of our understanding. Direct quotes from interviews, surveys, and public
feedback. What users voice out loud.
THINKS Quadrant
Private beliefs, assumptions, and internal thought
processes. What goes on inside their head.
DOES Quadrant
Observable actions, behaviors, and habits. How users
interact with products or environments.
FEELS Quadrant
Emotions, fears, frustrations, and hopes. The
emotional responses guiding their experience.
Why Empathy Maps Are Indispensable?
User-Centric Focus Enhanced Team Alignment
Keeps genuine user needs and pain points at the heart of all Fosters a shared, consistent understanding of users across
design decisions, preventing feature creep. diverse cross-functional product teams.
Uncover Deep Insights Guide Future Research
Reveals critical discrepancies and nuanced insights between Highlights specific knowledge gaps, directing subsequent user
what users articulate and how they actually behave. research efforts more efficiently.
Inform Robust Design Quick & Visual Communication
Provides a concrete, evidence-based foundation for making Easy to create and highly effective for communicating complex
impactful and relevant design choices. user understanding to stakeholders rapidly.
Strategic Application: When to Use Empathy Maps
Project Kick-off 1
Establish foundational user understanding at the very beginning
of a new design project.
2 Synthesizing Research
Organize and make sense of diverse findings immediately after
user research is completed.
Assumption Testing 3
Address conflicting internal assumptions about users among
team members effectively.
4 Pre-Brainstorming
Ensure solutions are genuinely user-centered before diving into
ideation sessions.
Stakeholder Presentations 5
Visually present compelling user insights to key stakeholders with clarity.
6 Ongoing Reference
Utilize as a living document and quick reference tool throughout
the entire product development lifecycle.
Tip: Empathy maps are most impactful when created collaboratively with your team immediately after gathering primary user research
data. This fosters shared ownership and deeper insights.
Crafting Your Empathy Map
Follow these practical steps to build effective empathy maps that translate user understanding into actionable design insights.
1. Define Your User
Clearly identify the specific user segment or persona your map will focus on. Avoid generalizing.
2. Gather Data
Collect qualitative insights from diverse sources: user interviews, surveys, direct observations, and field studies.
3. Fill Quadrants
Populate each of the four quadrants with sticky notes, direct quotes, or concise bullet points from your gathered data.
4. Look for Patterns
Analyze the filled quadrants to identify recurring themes, contradictions, surprising insights, and potential opportunities.
5. Synthesize Key Insights
Extract overarching key insights and actionable design implications from your analysis. What does it all mean?
6. Validate & Iterate
Test your newly formed assumptions and design ideas with real users, continuously refining your understanding.
Who is your Customer Segment: Idea/Innovation Title:
Designed By: Date of Submission: YUKTI Proto ID:
Real-World Scenario: College Student & Study App
User Profile: Sam, 20, a third-year Electrical Engineering student
struggling to balance demanding coursework with a desire for better study SAYS
habits.
• "I need better study habits."
• "These apps are always too complicated."
• "I just don't have enough time."
• "I wish there was something simpler, more intuitive."
THINKS
• "I should be far more organized."
• "Maybe I'm not smart enough for this major."
• "Everyone else seems to have it figured out effortlessly."
• "I'm definitely falling behind on my assignments."
DOES
• Studies frantically last-minute before major exams.
• Downloads numerous study apps but rarely uses them past initial setup.
• Frequently asks friends for class notes or assignment help.
• Consistently procrastinates on assignments until deadlines loom.
FEELS
• Overwhelmed and stressed by heavy coursework.
• Anxious about upcoming exams and grades.
• Frustrated with his own inconsistent study methods.
• Guilty about chronic procrastination and missed opportunities.
Elevate Your Empathy Maps: Best Practices
To ensure your empathy maps yield the richest insights and drive the most effective design decisions, adhere to these key principles.
Rooted in Real Data Be Highly Specific Embrace Contradictions
Always base insights on actual user research Utilize direct quotes and detail concrete Users often say one thing but do another.
and observed behaviors, not on internal behaviors. Avoid vague statements to ensure Highlight these fascinating inconsistencies, as
assumptions or guesswork. clarity and actionable takeaways. they reveal powerful insights.
Focus on One User Make It Visual Collaborate Actively
Resist the urge to merge multiple user types. A Leverage colors, imagery, and sticky notes to Create empathy maps as a team exercise to
deep dive into one specific segment yields far make the map dynamic and engaging for benefit from diverse perspectives and foster
more valuable understanding. collaborative sessions. shared understanding.
Keep It Alive
Empathy maps are living documents. Update them as you gather new insights and learn more about your users over time.
Remember: Quality over quantity – deeper insights about one user type are far more valuable than shallow insights about many.
Unlocking Customer Insights:
Customer Journey Mapping
Essentials – Module 4
What is Customer Journey Mapping?
At its core, Customer Journey Mapping is an interview-based sticky note technique.
We engage with real people to understand their authentic experiences, rather than relying on assumptions or internal perspectives. It's about empathy
in action.
This method moves beyond theoretical flowcharts. It's about capturing the nuanced journey, including actions, thoughts, and emotions, as
experienced by the customer across various touchpoints.
Why Sticky Notes?
Flexible & Adaptable Highly Collaborative
Easily move, remove, and rearrange insights as new information emerges. Empowers simultaneous contributions from all team members.
Visually Holistic Insight-Driven
Provides an immediate, comprehensive overview of the entire customer Facilitates quick integration of new data without extensive rework.
journey.
Getting Started: Defining Your Focus
The most crucial initial step is to define your target customer with extreme specificity.
Broad generalizations, like "Adults 25-55," are often too vague to yield actionable
insights. Precision is key to effective mapping.
Persona Specificity
Bad Example: "Adults 25-55" (Covers too many life stages and motivations).
Good Example: "Working professionals, 28-35, seeking career advancement."
Contextual Specificity
Bad Example: "Urban India" (Vastly different infrastructures and lifestyles).
Good Example: "IT professionals in Whitefield, Bengaluru, navigating
daily commutes."
This focused approach allows for practical, on-the-ground observation and interviews.
When you know precisely who you're mapping and where they are, you can truly
shadow their experience. This hands-on method reveals environmental and contextual
factors influencing their behavior.
The Six Steps to Effective Customer Journey Mapping
01 02
1. Outline Major Steps 2. One Idea Per Sticky Note
Begin with a high-level hypothesis of the journey. Keep it simple and clear, Maintain discipline: each note should contain a single, concise thought. If more
using action verbs like "Discovers," "Searches," "Decides." space is needed, consider breaking down the step further.
03 04
3. Arrange Chronologically 4. Interview Real Customers
Sequence the steps from left to right, reflecting the linear progression of time. This is critical. Ask open-ended questions like "What did you do next?" to
Focus on the main sequence before detailing parallel activities. uncover authentic experiences and specific stories. Aim for 5-8 interviews for
robust insights.
05 06
5. Iterate Based on Insights 6. Integrate Emotional Cues
Your initial map is a hypothesis. Adjust it based on interview findings—move, Mark emotional states (😊, 😐, 😞) at each step. These indicators highlight
add, or remove sticky notes to accurately reflect the real journey. crucial pain points and moments of delight, guiding design opportunities.
The Six Steps to Effective Customer Journey Mapping
Common Pitfalls: Skipping customer interviews, making steps overly detailed too soon, or trying to map every exception before understanding the core
experience.
Mapping Emotional Highs and Lows
Emotions are powerful drivers of behavior. A customer's feelings throughout their journey profoundly influence their perception and future actions. Understanding
these emotional states is key to uncovering critical opportunities for improvement.
😊 Happy/Satisfied 😐 Neutral 😞 Frustrated/Unhappy
The experience meets or exceeds expectations, The experience is functional and unremarkable; it The customer encounters pain points, confusion, or
fostering delight and positive associations. neither pleases nor frustrates the customer. friction, leading to dissatisfaction.
😞 moments are not problems to
avoid discussing - they're
opportunities to create competitive
advantage!!!
Interview Technique
"When interviewing, ask: 'How did that make you feel?' or 'What was going through your mind at that point?' These questions reveal the emotional layer beneath the
functional steps."
Comprehensive Journey Structure
A robust journey map is typically organized into three interconnected phases, providing a holistic view of the customer's interaction from initial need to post-experience reflection.
Persona Definition The During Phase
Beyond demographics, define the customer's context, motivations, and constraints. The core interaction: How do they engage with your service? What questions arise?
Give them a name and photograph to make them real, and describe their relationship Where do they encounter obstacles or moments of delight? This details the active
to your service. engagement.
The Before Phase The After Phase
Crucial but often overlooked: What triggered their need? What alternatives are they The journey extends beyond completion: How do they feel about their decision?
considering? What are their initial emotions and constraints (time, money, What ongoing relationship exists? Will they recommend the service, and what would
knowledge)? entice them back?
Understanding the 'before' phase informs better
'during' experiences, and insights from the 'after'
phase drive improvements across the entire
journey. Each segment is critical for a complete
picture.
Integration Points
Each phase provides vital context for the others. A well-designed 'during' experience anticipates 'before' needs, and positive 'after' sentiments contribute to future engagement.
Example: Online Shopping Journey
Priya, 29, in Mumbai, is tech-savvy
yet time-constrained. She values
efficiency, quality, and trusts peer
recommendations over marketing,
influencing her purchasing decisions.
Example: Online Shopping Journey
Example: Restaurant Dining Experience
Raj, 32, is dining out for a special occasion,
elevating his expectations and emotional
investment. The pressure to create a perfect
experience heightens his sensitivity to any
friction.
Example: Restaurant Dining Experience
Classroom Activity: Map Your World
Let's apply these principles to real-world problems you encounter as students. Your goal is to generate actionable insights for improving actual
experiences.
Activity Setup & Problem Selection Interview Coaching
• Choose a specific problem you've personally experienced Focus on recent, specific experiences, not general opinions.
frustration with.
• Ensure it's narrow enough to interview peers today. Use open-ended prompts: "What did you do next?" or "How did
• Confirm it has discernible "before, during, and after" phases. you feel when...?"
Team Formation
Dig deeper on vague answers: "What specifically made it fine?"
Form teams of 4-5 members to allow for diverse perspectives and
efficient interview distribution while maintaining collaborative focus. Avoid leading questions: Don't ask "Was the website confusing?";
ask "How did you feel about the website?"
Presentation Expectations
USE STICKY NOTES!!!
Each team will have 3 minutes to present: your persona, one major
"before" insight, the biggest "during" pain point, and one specific
improvement recommendation.
DEFINE Stage: Analysis &
Drawing Inferences from
Research – Module 4
The Analysis Process - 4 Key Steps
01
UNPACK Your Findings
Get all observations out of your head and onto walls. Use visual tools like sticky
notes, mind maps, and user journey maps to externalize insights.
02
IDENTIFY Patterns & Themes
Group similar insights together systematically. Find what users have in common
versus what makes them unique across different contexts.
03
ARTICULATE Key Insights
Discover the "why" behind user behaviors. Uncover hidden motivations and
underlying problems that drive surface-level actions.
04
CRAFT Problem Statement
Combine user + need + insight into one clear sentence. Create a Point-of-View (POV)
that guides solution development forward.
Is This Market Research?
Market Research Design Research
Focus: Market size, competition, pricing Focus: User behavior, needs, pain points
Question: "Will people buy this?" Question: "What problem should we solve?"
Data: Demographics, sales figures, surveys Data: Observations, interviews, user journeys
Output: Market opportunity reports Output: User insights & problem statements
Design research feeds into the DEFINE stage, while market research helps validate business viability later in the process.
AIRBNB Analysis
Raw Research Findings
• Users book cheapest options but complain about experience
• 67% worried about safety with strangers
• People spend 2+ hours researching hosts before booking
• Users screenshot host profiles to share with friends/family
Pattern Recognition
Theme 1: Trust is bigger concern than price
Theme 2: Users create their own safety verification systems
Theme 3: Booking is emotional decision, not just transactional
Problem Statement (POV)
"Budget travelers need a systematic way to build trust with hosts
because current booking feels like a leap of faith that creates
anxiety."
SPOTIFY Analysis
Raw Research Findings Key Insight
• Users skip 30% of algorithmically "Users want music discovery that
suggested songs immediately feels personally curated, not
• People create multiple playlists algorithmically imposed, because
but only share 20% music taste reflects their identity."
• 58% admit lying about music Problem Statement
preferences on first dates
"Music lovers need discovery that
• Users delete listening history
feels authentically theirs because
before parties
algorithmic suggestions threaten their
musical identity and social image."
UBER Analysis
Multiple Calls Constant Checking
Users call multiple taxi companies for 73% check arrival time more than 3 times
same trip while waiting
Predictability Preference Location Optimization
Users prefer 15-minute guaranteed wait People walk to "better" pickup locations
vs. "maybe 5, maybe 20" unnecessarily
"Urban commuters need predictable transportation because uncertainty about arrival disrupts their entire daily schedule and mental
peace."
IKEA x LEGO Analysis
The Problem Pattern
Kids play with LEGO 2-3 hours but cleanup takes 15+ minutes. Parents hide
children's creations to maintain home aesthetics, while 89% of builds
eventually get disassembled for storage.
The Key Insight
"Children's creative accomplishments deserve permanent display, but home
storage treats them as temporary clutter."
The Solution Direction
"Parents need storage that celebrates children's creativity because hiding LEGO
builds diminishes kids' sense of accomplishment and pride."
Analysis Tools & Techniques
Affinity Mapping
Group similar insights with sticky notes and find patterns across different user types through visual clustering.
User Journey Mapping
Track emotional highs and lows throughout user experience to identify pain points and opportunity areas.
"How Might We" Questions
Transform insights into opportunity statements like "How might we make strangers feel trustworthy?"
Persona Development
Create specific user archetypes from research patterns and give insights a human face and story.
From Analysis to Action
A Good Problem Statement Should:
Bad Example
Be Specific
"People need better apps"
Target a particular user group, not "everyone"
Be Insightful Good Example
Reveal the "why" behind user behavior "Busy parents need meal planning that adapts
to chaos because unpredictable schedules make
traditional meal prep feel impossible"
Be Actionable
Point toward potential solution directions
Be Human-Centered
Focus on user needs, not business goals
Common Analysis Mistakes
❌ What NOT to Do: ✅ Best Practices:
Confirmation Bias Question Everything
Only seeing data that supports Ask "why" at least 3 times for each insight
preconceived ideas
Stay Problem-Focused
Solution Jumping
Resist the urge to brainstorm solutions yet
Moving to solutions before
understanding the real problem
Embrace Contradictions
When data conflicts, dig deeper
Assumption Making
Filling gaps with guesses instead of more Be Specific
research
"Users are frustrated" → "Users are
frustrated because..."
Demographic Obsession
Focusing on "who" instead of "why"
Workshop Exercise: Fitness App Analysis
Let's put your analysis skills to the test! Here's a real-world scenario from a fitness app project. Consider the raw research findings below:
Scenario: Fitness App Research Findings Your Task (10 minutes)
• Users download fitness apps in January, delete by March 01
• People work out with friends but use apps alone Identify Patterns
• 68% feel judged by fitness tracking social features
Find 2-3 recurring themes or patterns within the research data.
• Users lie about workout frequency to apps and friends
• Most successful fitness habit observed: walking dogs daily 02
Craft Key Insight
Synthesize one significant key insight about user behavior.
03
Write Problem Statement
Formulate a problem statement in the Point-of-View (POV) format
(e.g., "User needs... because...").
After 10 minutes, we'll share & discuss: What did different teams discover?