Journey Map

Visual representation of a user's end-to-end experience across touchpoints, capturing emotions, actions, pain points, and opportunities at each stage.

Process

Key Fields

Question it answers	How does experience unfold across channels and time? Where are the emotional peaks and valleys? What are the critical friction and delight moments?
Participants & timing	Based on 15-25 interviews or equivalent research · 2-3 weeks creation
AI compatibility	AI clusters interview data into stage insights and generates emotion curves; human interpretation of strategic implications is required.
Output	Visual journey map, research quotes appendix, insight deck, opportunity prioritization

Use when

Experience spans multiple touchpoints or channels
Organizational silos need alignment around the user journey
Designing service experiences, not just a digital product
Identifying gaps between customer expectations and delivery

Skip when

Experience is a single touchpoint with no journey
Research data is insufficient (fewer than 10 interviews)

Common Mistakes

Creating an idealized journey

Mapping "how we wish it worked" instead of "how it actually works." Use real data to document the current state before proposing improvements.

One-size-fits-all journey

Treating all users as having the same path. Segment journeys by user type (new vs. returning customer) to show path variations.

Emotion without data

Adding an emotion curve based on assumption. Every peak or valley should be anchored to participant quotes or behavioral evidence.