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Isla User Guide - Discovery & Empathy Expert 🔍

Agent: Isla (discovery-empathy-expert) Version: 1.5.0 Module: BMAD Enhanced (bme) - Vortex Pattern Last Updated: 2026-02-20

Quick Start

Who is Isla? Isla is a qualitative research expert who helps teams deeply understand their users through structured discovery and empathy work. She guides you through the "Empathize" stream of the Vortex pattern — user interviews, empathy mapping, and discovery research.

When to use Isla:

  • Understanding users before defining problems
  • Designing and conducting user interviews
  • Creating evidence-based empathy maps
  • Planning discovery research activities
  • Synthesizing qualitative research findings
  • Validating assumptions about user needs and behaviors

What you'll get: Empathy maps grounded in research, interview guides and findings, discovery research plans and synthesis documents.

How to Invoke Isla

Method 1: Direct Agent File Reading (Recommended)

Read Isla's agent file to activate her. This works in any environment:

Claude Code:

Read the file at _bmad/bme/_vortex/agents/discovery-empathy-expert.md

Terminal:

cat _bmad/bme/_vortex/agents/discovery-empathy-expert.md

Claude.ai: Copy the contents of _bmad/bme/_vortex/agents/discovery-empathy-expert.md and paste into the chat.

Method 2: Slash Command (BMAD Environments Only)

If your environment supports BMAD slash commands:

/bmad-agent-bme-discovery-empathy-expert

Isla's Menu Options

Once Isla activates, you'll see menu options for her available workflows:

1. [MH] Redisplay Menu Help
2. [CH] Chat with Isla about user research, empathy, and discovery
3. [EM] Empathy Map: Create structured empathy maps (Says/Thinks/Does/Feels)
4. [UI] User Interview: Design interview scripts and capture findings
5. [UD] User Discovery: Plan and execute broader discovery research
6. [VE] Validate: Review empathy maps and research artifacts
7. [PM] Start Party Mode
8. [DA] Dismiss Agent

How to Select an Option

  1. Number: Type 3 to select option 3
  2. Command Code: Type EM to create an empathy map
  3. Fuzzy Match: Type empathy or interview - Isla will match the command

Workflows

[EM] Empathy Map (6 steps)

Create comprehensive empathy maps for target users through structured exploration.

Steps:

  1. Define Target User
  2. Says & Thinks
  3. Does & Feels
  4. Pain Points
  5. Gains
  6. Synthesize

Output: {output_folder}/empathy-map-{user-name}-{date}.md Time: 30-60 minutes

[UI] User Interview (6 steps)

Design interview scripts, plan participant recruitment, and capture findings.

Steps:

  1. Define Research Goals
  2. Design Interview Script
  3. Plan Participant Recruitment
  4. Conduct Interviews (guidance)
  5. Capture Findings
  6. Synthesize Insights

Output: {output_folder}/user-interview-{topic}-{date}.md Time: 45-90 minutes (planning), plus interview time

[UD] User Discovery (6 steps)

Plan and execute broader discovery research beyond interviews.

Steps:

  1. Define Discovery Scope
  2. Choose Research Methods
  3. Plan Research Activities
  4. Execute Research (guidance)
  5. Organize Raw Data
  6. Synthesize Discovery Findings

Output: {output_folder}/user-discovery-{topic}-{date}.md Time: 60-120 minutes (planning), plus research time

Isla's Philosophy: Listen Before You Define

The Empathize Stream (Vortex Pattern)

Isla guides teams through the "Empathize" stream:

  • Listen before you define - Understand the problem from the user's perspective first
  • Observe before you assume - Watch what people do, not just what they say
  • Feelings are data - Emotional responses reveal unmet needs
  • Talk to real people, not personas - Personas come after research, not before
  • The messier the research, the richer the insights - Embrace ambiguity

Chatting with Isla (CH)

Select [CH] Chat to discuss:

  • Qualitative research methods
  • Interview technique and question design
  • Empathy mapping best practices
  • User observation and ethnographic methods
  • Research synthesis and pattern recognition
  • When to use which research method

Example questions:

  • "How do I avoid leading questions in interviews?"
  • "When should I use empathy mapping vs. user interviews?"
  • "How many users do I need to talk to?"
  • "How do I synthesize findings from multiple interviews?"

Troubleshooting

Error: "Configuration Error: Cannot load config file"

How to fix:

  1. Check if _bmad/bme/_vortex/config.yaml exists
  2. If missing: npx bmad-install-vortex-agents

Error: "Cannot load discovery workflow"

How to fix:

  1. Check workflow files exist in _bmad/bme/_vortex/workflows/
  2. Run npx bmad-doctor to diagnose
  3. If missing: npx bmad-install-vortex-agents

Tips from Isla

"The best interviews feel like conversations"

Your script is a guide, not a rigid questionnaire. Follow the participant's energy and probe where they show emotion or hesitation.

"Ask about the past, not the future"

"Tell me about the last time you..." produces better insights than "Would you ever...?" People are terrible at predicting their own behavior.

"Silence is your most powerful tool"

When you stop talking, people fill the silence with their real thoughts. Resist the urge to fill every pause.

"Feelings are data"

When a participant's voice changes, they lean forward, or they hesitate — that's where the real insight lives. Note the emotion, not just the words.

Credits

Agent: Isla (discovery-empathy-expert) Module: BMAD Enhanced (bme) Submodule: Vortex Pattern (_vortex) Stream: Empathize (Stream 2) Version: 1.5.0

Questions? Chat with Isla (CH) - she's here to help you understand your users! 🔍