Empathy Map

A frequent used brainstorming tool in BDF’s incubator with start-up companies is the empathy map. The ENTANGLE consortium also used it as an exercise during the Amsterdam project meeting.

The empathy map aids you to get closer to your target group, in our case the teacher. It helps to better understand what a person’s feelings, needs and behaviour are.

The best way to understand its use is an example. Here is ours, a 45 years old teacher, married, two kids.

What does he see?

“He gets up in the rainy morning, ride his bike to the school. There he finds big groups of

students, with different personal problems and motivations. Distracted students, chatting,

using phone devices. Sometimes students do not attend the lessons.”

What does he say and do?

“Teachers tasks along the day involve of course teaching face to face the students, but also

coaching and counselling students, prepare the lessons, homework, meetings…”

What does he hear?

“Teachers perceive of their environment negative news about the economic situation,

unemployment, cuts on education budget…Also perceive the comments of the students,

and how the students evaluate them. And for last, teachers stand the problems of their

families.”

What does he think and feel?

“Teachers feel stressed, that nobody listen them and that they have to carry management

tasks. At the end of the day they are tired, but also satisfied”.

What does he want?

“Teachers want to achieve personal growth. They want smaller groups, motivated

students…”

What is his pain?

“Teachers suffer uncertainty because of the current situation. They do not have

management support, nor time to find or prepare materials…”

What is his gain?

“With ENTANGLE teachers will achieve motivation, new competences, support from other

teacher, motivated and engage students…”

The empathy map will alongside the Business Model Canvas be included in the ENTANGLE material.