Reflections on Empathy Mapping
Written by Maria Goncharova
At The Knotweed Lab we use a wide range of creative methods in order to broaden our perspective of the Knotweed problem and to address new issues or ways to provide awareness of the invasive species and their impacts.
During our brainstorming activities, I learned many resourceful creative methods. However, there was one that resonated with me the most and which I have and will plan to use throughout my discipline: Empathy mapping
What is empathy mapping?
Empathy mapping is a creative method designed to acquire a deeper understanding of the audience in order to address the needs of affected individuals. The first step of this process is to make up a persona of a potential target audience member and try to create an empathy map for them as close to reality as possible.
For example, during one of our brainstorming sessions, we made up an individual called Agnes Moore who is a 64-year-old female berry picker concerned about herbicides.
Empathy mapping in action
I have taken this creative method outside of The Knotweed Lab and used it within my discipline. I’m currently a laboratory technician assistant and a laboratory teaching assistant. Part of my job is to prepare biology labs for students.
To do this, I have specific instructions that tell me what to prepare and the quantity. But from my and my fellow student’s past experiences, I felt that some labs—although may have been set up with perfect instructions—were not made for students to be efficient.
For example, by only providing one beaker for measurements instead of two, students are forced to clean the beaker before conducting further trials, which could lead to time constraints for certain chemical reactions. So, I had to address the issue of how to efficiently make all the chemicals and set up the laboratory while also trying to ensure the students feel comfortable in the lab.
To do this, I would mentally create empathy maps and try to envision myself as a student in the lab. What would I “say, think, do, and feel” in the laboratories and what can I further do to help the students feel less stressed, more efficient, and comfortable in labs?
Additionally, I think about the context that the students are in and try to understand how it can influence how the labs would go.
For example, last semester (Fall 2022) when the students had midterms, I specifically brought snacks (to be eaten after lab) during their midterm week. This helped ease their stress a little and motivated them to finish their lab activities efficiently. Anyone of any age can be motivated by simple things like snacks!
It is very eye-opening how understanding your audience can not only make them happy but also make your job more satisfactory and fulfilling—especially when your audience reaches back to you and thanks you for your hard work.