Owl-ListenerInstall Empathy Map
Pick your agent. Every command is ready to paste.
npx skills add Owl-Listener/designer-skills --skill empathy-mapThe open skills CLI detects your agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ more) and installs to the right folder. Add -g to install globally.
01
Install it
Run the command above, or upload the folder in Claude.
02
Ask naturally
Describe the task. Your agent loads empathy-map when the request matches its description.
03
Name it if needed
If it does not trigger, say “use the empathy-map skill”. In Codex, type $empathy-map.
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:
- Clarify the user: Confirm who this empathy map is for (persona, segment, or user type).
- 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
- Identify goals: What is this user trying to achieve?
- Identify pain points: What barriers, frustrations, or unmet needs exist?
- Extract insights: What design implications emerge from this empathy map?
- Note gaps: What do we still need to learn?
- 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
Tips for Empathy Map
- • Start a fresh session after installing so your agent picks up the new skill.
- • It is part of a pack with 30 skills. Install only the ones you need with --skill to keep triggers precise.
- • If two skills overlap, mention the one you want by name.
Questions about Empathy Map
What does the Empathy Map skill do?
Build a Says, Thinks, Does, Feels map for one user or segment. Use when sharing user understanding quickly. For a composite archetype with goals and behaviours use `user-persona`; for cross-session themes use `affinity-diagram`.
How do I install Empathy Map?
Run "npx skills add Owl-Listener/designer-skills --skill empathy-map" in your project. The skills CLI installs it for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ other agents. In Claude on the web, upload the skill folder as a ZIP under Customize > Skills.
Does Empathy Map work in Cursor and Codex?
Yes. Empathy Map uses the open SKILL.md format, so it works in Claude Code, Claude, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and other agents that support agent skills.
Is Empathy Map free?
Empathy Map is open source on GitHub under the MIT license. It is free to install; check the license before commercial use.
Who made Empathy Map?
Empathy Map is published by Owl-Listener in the Owl-Listener/designer-skills repository, together with 29 other skills.
