Sample Empathy & Social Business Canvases
These are guidelines to help you think, not answers to copy. Your reflections should come from the life you experienced in RealLives.
Empathy Canvas – How to Think About Each Section
1. How did I connect emotionally with my family?
Think about:
Which family member affected you the most?
Did you feel worry, hope, frustration, pride, or comfort?
Was anything surprising or uncomfortable?
👉 Focus on feelings, not facts.
2. What responsibilities did I see my family handle?
Think about:
Who worked and how?
Who took care of children, elders, or the household?
What responsibilities started early in life?
👉 Notice daily effort, not just jobs.
3. Socio-economic conditions that shaped this life
Think about:
Income level and job security
Access to school, healthcare, transport, technology
Whether choices were limited or flexible
👉 Describe conditions, not judgments.
4. What thoughts or worries did my family have?
Think about:
What were they most anxious about?
What were they hopeful for?
What decisions felt risky?
👉 Imagine what they talk about at night.
5. How did the family respond to challenges?
Think about:
Did they adapt, struggle, support each other, or give up?
Did money, community, or luck help?
Were solutions short-term or long-term?
👉 Focus on responses, not outcomes.
6. What pressures came from outside the family?
Think about:
School systems, jobs, government, society
Expectations, competition, discrimination, or instability
👉 What was outside their control?
7. What emotions stood out during key moments?
Think about:
Big events (illness, exams, job loss, success)
Small moments (meals, celebrations, failures)
👉 Real empathy lives in small moments.
🎯 Key Message for Students
There are no right or wrong answers. This canvas is about observing, feeling, and reflecting, not judging or fixing.
How to Use the Social Business Canvas
🧠 Key Resources
(What do we need to start?)
Think about:
People: skills, volunteers, mentors
Money or materials
Space, tools, permissions
✔ Ask yourself:
What is the minimum we need to begin?
What do we already have vs what we must arrange?
✖ Avoid:
Listing everything you wish you had
🔧 Key Activities
(What will we actually do?)
Think about:
The main actions your team will take
What happens first, then next
✔ Ask yourself:
If someone followed these steps, would they know what to do?
✖ Avoid:
Vague words like “help”, “support”, “improve” without actions
🛠 Types of Intervention
(How are we creating change?)
Choose one main type:
Product
Service
Campaign
Workshop
Policy idea
✔ Ask yourself:
What form does our solution take in real life?
✖ Avoid:
Selecting multiple types unless clearly needed
🎯 Segments
Beneficiary – Who is helped?
Think about:
Age group
Location
Specific problem they face
Customer / Supporter – Who supports or pays?
Think about:
Schools, NGOs, donors, community, government
✔ Ask yourself:
Who directly benefits?
Who makes this possible?
✖ Avoid:
Writing “everyone”
💡 Value Proposition
(Why does this matter?)
Social Value
Think about:
How does life improve for the beneficiary?
What problem becomes smaller?
Impact Measure
Think about:
What can be observed or counted?
Attendance
Health improvement
Usage
Behaviour change
✔ Ask yourself:
How will we know this worked?
✖ Avoid:
Big claims without proof
🤝 Partners
(Who can help us?)
Think about:
NGOs
Schools
Community leaders
Local businesses
Government bodies
✔ Ask yourself:
Whose support or permission is essential?
✖ Avoid:
Listing partners just to sound impressive
📣 Channels
(How will we reach people?)
Think about:
Schools
Community meetings
Social media
Events
Word of mouth
✔ Ask yourself:
Where do our beneficiaries already listen or gather?
✖ Avoid:
Choosing channels you cannot realistically use
Final Student Reminder
This canvas is about clear thinking, not perfect ideas. Simple, realistic plans are better than complex, unrealistic ones.
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