What is it? A simple way for the team to express what they know about their customer’s goals, thoughts and feelings.
When do I use it? Use this to kickstart conversations about painful moments in the customer journey. You can also take this assumed knowledge and compare it with what your customers are actually saying & doing.
[Pro tip] Always keep an open mind when talking to your customers. Don’t try and look for information that confirms your previous assumptions aka the dreaded ‘Confirmation Bias’.
Time 40 minutes People 1–5 Challenge Level Easy
What you’ll need
- Paper
- Pens
- Post Its (optional)
- An open mind and willingness
Step 1: Draw the compass
Start by drawing a face in the middle of the page that represents your customer. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just a visual cue for us to always remember who’s perspective we are viewing this from. Draw 4 lines extending up, down, left and right
(Yep exactly like a compass 🧭) Label the top line N (Needs) Label the bottom line S (Stereotypes) Label the right line E (Emotions) Label the left line W (Wishes)
It should look something like this
Step 2: Explain what each compass point means
Needs These are the core goals or jobs your person is trying to achieve. (Eg: As a new Dad, I need to buy a bigger car that’s safe)
Emotions How people feel when they are making an effort to achieve their goals. (Eg: Excitement at owning a new car, Sadness to have to sell my sports car, Nervous if we can afford what we need)
Stereotypes What people are thinking about their Needs. (Eg: I want a car that’s safe but still has some cool factor, Car salesman are all crooks)
Wishes Ideas that your customer may have to make life easier for themselves and others. (Eg: I wish I had a guaranteed trade in value for my sports car)
Step 3: Work through each compass point
Either as one single group or in teams, work through each point.
Here’s an example of an Empathy Compass that I recently completed from the perspective of someone who is just about to move into an aged care home.
[Pro Tip] If you’re struggling to get started, write a quick user story using the “As A, I Need To, So That” framework. This normally helps people empathise with another’s situation.
For example: As a: New Dad I Need To: Buy a brand new car that’s safe for my new family So That: I have peace of mind
Step 3: Discuss what you have learned
Once you’re finished, discuss what you’ve found as a team. Wishes — are there any ideas that perhaps you hadn’t thought of before? What about Needs? Did members of your team have differing opinions about what the customer was wanting to achieve?
Step 4: Next steps … Applying what you’ve learned
Here are some ideas I’ve used to get further value out of this exercise:
- Get the group to imagine they are a magic genie, take one wish and start working on how they could grant it.
- Use a wish as the inspiration for a How Might We statement. (Eg How might we provide new families with a guaranteed value for their car?)
- Take this information and use it to help inform the build of your ‘assumed’ journey map
- As a basis for designing customer interviews or experiments.
Happy Compassing!
