Empathy maps for all three personas — capturing what users Think, Feel, Say, and Do — based on data from User Interviews (5.1), Surveys (5.2), Contextual Inquiry (5.3), Diary Studies (5.4), and Focus Groups (5.5).

Empathy Map 1: Mani Krishnan (Primary Persona — The Informed Skeptic)

Age: 24 | SW Engineer | Hyderabad

THINK

• "At least 30-40% of these reviews look fake to me"
• "Why hasn't any platform solved this yet? The tech exists to verify"
• "I can spot fakes but my parents and friends can't"
• "Day-1 reviews are just hype — I need 3-month usage reviews"
• "If UPI can verify my purchase, why isn't anyone doing this?"
• "Platforms benefit from fake reviews — more engagement, more ads"
• "My honest reviews get buried under fake ones — why should I bother?"

FEEL

• Frustrated that his technical skills are wasted on spotting fake reviews
• Annoyed at spending 20-30 min per purchase cross-checking
• Betrayed when a product fails despite "good" reviews
• Anxious even after ordering — "will it actually be good?"
• Empowered when he helps friends avoid bad purchases
• Cynical about platforms caring more about ad revenue than review authenticity
• Excited when he discovers a genuinely helpful review — but that's becoming rare