This is roughly what a journey map will look like! The fun part is adding color and style and making it yours!

What is a Journey Map?

Journey maps are a supportive tool in user experience research and design. They are helpful in following a user’s journey while interacting with a product and, identifying emotions and details for each step they take. Author, Sarah Gibbons explains the definition, “A journey map is a visualization of the process that a person goes through in order to accomplish a goal. In its most basic form, journey mapping starts by compiling a series of user actions into a timeline. Next, the timeline is fleshed out with user thoughts and emotions in order to create a narrative. This narrative is condensed and polished, ultimately leading to a visualization.” By identifying all of this information in a user’s journey, a user experience researcher or designer is provided with valuable insights into any pain points, frustrations, or successes that exist within a user’s interaction with their product.

What to Include in a Journey Map

Journey maps come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. However, the components within it are generally consistent throughout them all. These components include (but are not limited to): a scenario, a persona, steps within the journey, persona thoughts and emotions, actions and channels, and opportunities for improvement. Using a persona to work through the scenario you’ve chosen allows you to look at product interactions from another perspective. Consider what is important to your persona, their frustrations, their needs, and their personality. By identifying these factors, it will be easier for you to step into their shoes to state their thoughts and emotions. Additionally, once you have figured out what they would be feeling and thinking throughout each step of their journey, you can also identify areas for potential improvement with the product you are designing for.

Benefits of Journey Maps

There is a multitude of potential benefits to gain through the use of journey maps. By stepping out of your designer shoes, and into the shoes of your user, you begin to understand what your users will experience as they use your product. Author, Geordie Kaytes explains, “The act of simply creating user journey maps often reveals insights into your customers’ experience with your product. Even more powerful conclusions can be drawn with the careful study of your slew of completed maps. These conclusions will help you to build customer-centric product strategies and smoother user experiences.” Journey maps allow you to develop user-centered design by designing for the user, and ensuring that they have the most optimal experience with your product.

My Take on a Journey Map

This is the journey map that I developed and the style that I added to it! You can see that I have all of the main components included.

Recently, I developed a journey map for a persona who had to buy a new wardrobe online. This persona in specific, Liam, is a first-year college student who isn’t exactly sure what his style is or what he wants it to be. He needs something new for this new phase of his life but has no idea where to start. I highlight different phases of his journey through online shopping on the Aeropostale website. I was able to understand the emotions that he would feel, and what he would be thinking throughout each stage. By doing so, I was also able to identify any areas where improvement could enhance the user experience.

Developing Your Own Journey Map

Though journey maps seem as though they would require extensive amounts of effort and skill to develop, anyone, can create a journey map. As long as you include the key components, and do your best to look at the product through the eyes of your user/persona you can create your own journey map. Consider developing your own, you never know what you could find out and how your product could improve!