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Journey Mapping

Purpose

To visually capture all steps of a user’s journey through a service or task from end to end (not just the digital touch points).
In the Current State (Explore): To visualise your research of a user’s current journey so that you can see where there are opportunities for improvement.
In the Future State (Make): To envision your ideal customer journey based on the opportunities you’ve identified.

Current State: You’ve done research and you want to analyse the findings to see how current systems support a user’s experience.
Future State: You’ve identified concepts or ideas that impacts the whole user experience, not just a specific point in the journey.

2-4 hours

Optional

Choose your team. You can map as an individual (for a lean approach), with your internal team or with clients. Ideally you would start with an internal team for a rough session (as outlined below) and then have another one with clients to make sure that your goals are aligned.
Gather your research, such as information collected from In-depth Interviews or Surveys.
Find a large wall in a quiet place that you and your team can lay out the map on.
Set up your space. Draw the Journey Mapping template (or print it) on a large roll of paper and attach it to the wall, or sketch it out on a whiteboard in your space.

Set out the high level stages that your user would go through while completing a task, using yellow post-it notes. They can be in a line or a cycle. Think about the 5 E’s as you identify the stages:
1. Entice. What event causes the user to enter the user experience funnel?
2. Enter. What are the first steps in the user experience funnel?
3. Engage. What task(s) is the user trying to do?
4. Exit. How does the user complete the task?
5. Extend. What follow-up actions happen after the user finishes the task?
Identify the actions your user takes at each stage to get them towards their goal, write them on blue post-it notes, and put them under that stage.
Map additional information. This could be pain points that act as a barrier, and notes that you feel are helpful, such as emotions or thoughts.

Identify opportunities. Turn the pain points you’ve found into ways to improve the user journey. You can also use them to guide your How Might We Statements.

The map should tell a simple story that focuses on the users’ needs, questions and feelings throughout their experience.
At a glance, you should be able to see all the key points that a user goes through. It should remind you to keep their needs front of mind.