Design Thinking Templates: Empathy Maps, Journey Maps & More

Complete fill-in-the-blank design thinking templates with worked examples. Empathy maps, journey maps, problem statement canvases, ideation canvases, and test plan frameworks.

Templates give structure to the messy middle of design thinking. They do not replace the thinking; they channel it. Each template below is a complete fill-in-the-blank framework with field-by-field guidance and a worked example so you can see what a good output looks like.

1. Empathy Map Template

Stage: Empathize Purpose: Synthesize user research into a visual representation of what your user thinks, feels, says, and does. When to use: Immediately after completing user interviews or observation sessions, while the details are fresh. Team size: 2 to 5 people who participated in the research.

The empathy map has four quadrants, each capturing a different dimension of the user experience. For a detailed walkthrough, see our Empathy Mapping Guide.

Fill-in-the-Blank Framework

User Name / Archetype: _______________
One-Line Description: _______________ (role, context, and primary goal)
SAYS (3 to 5 direct quotes):

"_______________"

"_______________"
"_______________"

THINKS (3 to 5 inferred beliefs):

Thinks: _______________ (inferred from: _______________)

Thinks: _______________ (inferred from: _______________)
Thinks: _______________ (inferred from: _______________)

DOES (3 to 5 observable behaviors):

Action: _______________ (observed during: _______________)

Action: _______________ (observed during: _______________)
Workaround: _______________ (to cope with: _______________)

FEELS (3 to 5 emotional states):

Feels: _______________ when _______________ (evidence: _______________)

Feels: _______________ when _______________ (evidence: _______________)
Feels: _______________ when _______________ (evidence: _______________)

Key Contradiction: The user says _______________ but does _______________. This suggests _______________.

Worked Example: SaaS Onboarding

User: "Frustrated First-Timer" (new user of a project management tool, small business owner, wants to organize client work)
SAYS: "I just need something simple." / "I tried Trello but it felt like too many boards." / "I do not have time to watch tutorial videos."
THINKS: Thinks this tool is probably too complex for them (inferred from: hesitation before clicking any menu item). Thinks they should already know how to use tools like this (inferred from: apologizing for asking basic questions).
DOES: Opens the app, stares at the empty dashboard for 12 seconds, then closes it (observed during: first session). Creates a test project called "asdfjkl" to experiment safely (observed during: second session). Googles "how to use [tool name]" rather than using in-app help (observed during: screen share).
FEELS: Feels overwhelmed when presented with a blank canvas (evidence: audible sigh, said "where do I even start?"). Feels embarrassed about struggling (evidence: "I am probably the only one who finds this confusing").
Key Contradiction: Says "I need something simple" but chose a feature-rich enterprise tool over simpler alternatives. This suggests they want powerful capabilities with a gentle on-ramp, not a limited tool.

2. User Journey Map Template

Stage: Empathize / Define Purpose: Visualize the end-to-end experience of a user achieving a goal, identifying pain points and opportunities at each step. When to use: After completing empathy maps, when you need to see the experience as a timeline rather than a snapshot. Team size: 3 to 6 people. Include at least one person who conducted user research.

Fill-in-the-Blank Framework

For each phase of the journey (typically 5 to 8 phases), fill in:

User Goal: _______________ (the overall objective this journey serves)
Phase Name: _______________ (e.g., "Discovers the need," "Researches options," "Makes decision," "First use," "Ongoing use")
Actions: What the user does: _______________
Touchpoints: Where/how they interact: _______________ (website, app, phone, in-person, email)
Thoughts: What they are thinking: "_______________"
Emotion: How they feel (rate 1 to 5, where 1 is frustrated and 5 is delighted): ___
Pain Points: What causes friction: _______________
Opportunities: What could improve this moment: _______________

Worked Example: Doctor Appointment Booking

User goal: Book a specialist appointment within 2 weeks.

Phase: Realizes Need. Action: Wakes up with persistent symptoms, decides to see a specialist. Touchpoint: None (internal decision). Thought: "This has been going on too long, I should get it checked." Emotion: 3 (mild concern). Pain point: Uncertainty about which type of specialist to see. Opportunity: Symptom-to-specialist guidance tool.
Phase: Finds Provider. Action: Searches online for in-network specialists, reads reviews. Touchpoint: Insurance website, Google, review sites. Thought: "Why is this so hard to figure out who is in my network?" Emotion: 2 (frustrated). Pain point: Insurance site shows outdated provider lists; three listed providers are no longer accepting patients. Opportunity: Real-time availability integration with insurance directories.
Phase: Attempts Booking. Action: Calls three offices. First two have no openings for 6 weeks. Third offers a cancellation slot in 10 days. Touchpoint: Phone. Thought: "I might lose this slot if I do not decide right now." Emotion: 2 (anxious, pressured). Pain point: No way to compare availability across providers without calling each one. Opportunity: Multi-provider availability search.
Phase: Confirms Appointment. Action: Accepts the slot, provides insurance information by phone, receives email confirmation. Touchpoint: Phone, email. Thought: "Did they get my insurance info right?" Emotion: 3 (relieved but uncertain). Pain point: Verbal insurance info exchange is error-prone. Opportunity: Digital pre-registration form sent before the call ends.
Phase: Pre-Appointment. Action: Fills out paper forms emailed as PDFs, prints, fills in by hand. Touchpoint: Email, printer. Thought: "I already gave them this information on the phone." Emotion: 1 (annoyed). Pain point: Redundant information entry across phone call and paper forms. Opportunity: Single digital intake that pre-populates from the booking call.

Design insight: The emotional low point is Phase 5 (pre-appointment paperwork), not the booking itself. The biggest opportunity is eliminating redundant data entry, which is a solvable problem.

3. Problem Statement Canvas

Stage: Define Purpose: Synthesize empathy research into a clear, actionable problem statement. When to use: After completing empathy maps and journey maps, when the team needs to align on a single problem focus. Team size: 3 to 8 people (include diverse perspectives).

Fill-in-the-Blank Framework

User Archetype: _______________ (specific role, not "everyone")
User Context: _______________ (when and where does this problem occur?)
Need: _______________ (what do they need to accomplish or overcome?)
Insight: _______________ (what surprising thing did research reveal that reframes the need?)
POV Statement: "[User] needs [need] because [insight]."
Assumptions to Test:

We assume _______________. We could test this by _______________.

We assume _______________. We could test this by _______________.

HMW Questions (3 to 5 at different scopes):

Broad: "How might we _______________?"

Medium: "How might we _______________?"
Narrow: "How might we _______________?"

See our Problem Statement Examples for 10+ worked examples across industries, and How Might We Questions for scope calibration techniques.

Worked Example: Employee Onboarding

User: New hire at a mid-size technology company (first week)
Context: Remote onboarding during distributed work; no physical office visit
Need: Needs to feel productive and connected to their team within the first 5 days
Insight: Research revealed that new hires' top anxiety is not about learning tools or processes; it is about not knowing "who to ask when I do not know something." The social graph is the missing piece, not the knowledge base.
POV: "A remote new hire needs to build a personal support network within their first week because knowing who to ask is more important than knowing the answer, and the absence of hallway introductions means this network does not form organically."
Assumptions: We assume new hires prioritize social connection over task productivity. We could test this by surveying new hires at day 5 and day 30. We assume managers are not already facilitating introductions. We could test this by interviewing 5 recent managers of new hires.
HMW Questions: Broad: "How might we make remote new hires feel like insiders, not outsiders?" Medium: "How might we help new hires identify the right person to ask for help within their first 3 days?" Narrow: "How might we automate warm introductions between new hires and key colleagues based on their role and projects?"

4. Ideation Canvas

Stage: Ideate Purpose: Structure brainstorming output and evaluate ideas against criteria. When to use: During ideation sessions, after the team has aligned on a HMW question from the Define stage. Team size: 4 to 8 people (diverse roles improve idea diversity).

Fill-in-the-Blank Framework

HMW Question: "How might we _______________?" (one per canvas)
Constraints: _______________ (budget, timeline, technical, regulatory)
Wild Ideas Zone (10+ ideas, no filtering):

_______________

_______________
_______________
(continue to 10+)

Theme Clusters (group similar ideas):

Cluster A "_______________": ideas #___, #___, #___

Cluster B "_______________": ideas #___, #___, #___
Cluster C "_______________": ideas #___, #___

Evaluation Matrix (top 3 to 5 ideas):

Idea: _______________. Desirability (1 to 5): ___. Feasibility (1 to 5): ___. Viability (1 to 5): ___. Total: ___.

Idea: _______________. Desirability: ___. Feasibility: ___. Viability: ___. Total: ___.
Idea: _______________. Desirability: ___. Feasibility: ___. Viability: ___. Total: ___.

Selected Concept: _______________ (the idea or combination to prototype)
Why this one: _______________ (rationale linking back to user need and insight)

Usage Tips

Separate brainstorming from evaluation. Generate first, judge later. Set a visible timer for the brainstorming phase (8 to 12 minutes).
Aim for quantity over quality in the wild ideas phase. 15+ ideas minimum. If the group stalls at 8, use structured techniques like reverse brainstorming or SCAMPER.
The best solutions often combine elements from multiple ideas. After clustering, ask: "What if we combined the best part of Cluster A with the mechanism from Cluster C?"
If using dot voting instead of the evaluation matrix, give each person 3 votes and allow "double-voting" on one idea they feel strongly about.

5. Test Plan Template

Stage: Test Purpose: Structure your testing sessions to gather consistent, actionable feedback. When to use: After building a prototype, before committing to full development. Team size: 1 to 2 facilitators per session; 5 to 8 participants total across all sessions.

Fill-in-the-Blank Framework

Hypothesis: "We believe that [solution] will [outcome] for [user] because [reasoning from Define stage]."
What would validate this hypothesis: _______________
What would invalidate this hypothesis: _______________
Participants:

Number: ___ (minimum 5 for qualitative patterns)

Criteria: _______________ (must match your user archetype)
Recruiting method: _______________
Incentive: _______________

Task Scenarios (3 to 5):

Scenario 1: "Imagine you are _______________. You need to _______________. Please show me how you would do that." Success signal: _______________. Failure signal: _______________.

Scenario 2: "You have just _______________. Now you want to _______________. Go ahead." Success signal: _______________. Failure signal: _______________.
Scenario 3: "Something has gone wrong: _______________. What would you do?" Success signal: _______________. Failure signal: _______________.

Observation Guide (what to watch for):

Where does the participant hesitate or pause?

Where do they click/tap incorrectly?
What questions do they ask?
What do they say out loud (think-aloud protocol)?
What is their facial expression during key moments?

Post-Task Interview Questions (5 to 8):

"What was the hardest part of what you just did?"

"Was there a moment where you were unsure what to do next?"
"What did you expect to happen when you _______________?"
"How does this compare to how you currently handle _______________?"
"If you could change one thing about this, what would it be?"

Synthesis Framework (fill after all sessions):

Pattern 1: ___ of ___ participants experienced _______________. Severity: ___. Recommendation: _______________.

Pattern 2: ___ of ___ participants experienced _______________. Severity: ___. Recommendation: _______________.
Hypothesis verdict: Validated / Partially validated / Invalidated. Evidence: _______________.
Next iteration focus: _______________.

Worked Example: Mobile Checkout Redesign

Hypothesis: "We believe that a single-screen checkout (vs. multi-step) will reduce cart abandonment for mobile shoppers because our research showed they lose context when switching between steps on small screens."
Validates if: 4 of 5 participants complete checkout without backtracking, and average completion time is under 90 seconds.
Invalidates if: Participants express feeling overwhelmed by information density, or more than 2 participants miss required fields.
Task Scenario: "You found a pair of running shoes you like, priced at $89. You have a 15% discount code: SAVE15. Complete the purchase using your test credit card."
Observation focus: Do users scroll to find the discount code field? Do they notice the order summary? Do they hesitate at any field?

For guidance on choosing testing methods, see our User Testing Methods guide. For prototyping approaches that pair with this template, see Rapid Prototyping for Beginners.

Using Templates Effectively

Templates are scaffolding, not straitjackets. Adapt them to your context:

Do not fill every box for its own sake. If a section does not apply to your project, skip it. An empty box that forces useful reflection is good; a box filled with generic filler is waste.
Use templates as conversation tools. They are most powerful when filled out collaboratively: by teams during workshops, by researchers after interviews, by stakeholders during alignment sessions.
Iterate on the templates themselves. If you find yourself adding fields or removing sections, that is a sign you are developing methodology fluency.
Connect templates across stages. The "Key Contradiction" from your empathy map should inform the "Insight" in your problem statement canvas. The "Selected Concept" from your ideation canvas should become the prototype you describe in your test plan. Templates are most valuable when they form a chain of reasoning, not isolated artifacts.

Design Thinker Labs integrates these templates directly into the workflow, with AI assistance that helps you fill them out based on your research data. Each stage builds on the outputs of the previous stage, maintaining the chain of reasoning that makes design thinking effective.

Design Thinker Labs Home · All Guides · How It Works · Pricing