Journey Mapping

Journey Mapping

Purpose

Map complete user journeys with entry points, states, emotions, and decision points to ensure features serve real user needs.

Inputs

• Feature description or user story
• Target user persona (or enough context to infer one)
• Existing screens/views if modifying an existing flow
• Any known constraints (platform, auth requirements, data dependencies)

Process

Step 1: Identify the User Persona

• Who is this for?
• What is their context (new user, power user, admin)?
• What job are they hiring this feature to do?
• What is their emotional state when they arrive (frustrated, curious, task-focused)?

Step 2: Define Entry Points

How does the user discover or arrive at this feature:

• Direct navigation (sidebar, menu)
• Deep link / URL
• Notification or alert
• Search result
• Redirect from another flow
• First-time onboarding prompt

Step 3: Map the Happy Path

Walk through step by step:

For each step capture:

• What does the user see?
• What action do they take?
• What feedback do they receive?
• What emotion do they feel? (confident, confused, delighted, anxious, neutral)

Step 4: Map Alternate Paths

• First-time user vs returning user — different onboarding needs, remembered preferences
• Power user shortcuts — keyboard shortcuts, bulk actions, saved presets
• Mobile vs desktop — layout differences, touch vs pointer, reduced screen real estate

Step 5: Map Error and Edge Paths

• What happens when something fails (API error, validation failure)?
• Empty states (no data yet) — what does the user see and do?
• Permission denied — clear messaging and recovery path
• Network failure mid-flow — data preservation, retry strategy
• Timeout or slow response — loading states, skeleton screens

Step 6: Identify Friction Points

Where users might:

• Hesitate (unclear next action)
• Get confused (ambiguous UI, unexpected behavior)
• Abandon (too many steps, too much required input)
• Make errors (easy to misclick, unclear consequences)

Step 7: Design Delight Moments

Where can we exceed expectations:

• Instant feedback (optimistic updates, real-time validation)
• Smart defaults (pre-filled from context, remembered preferences)
• Progressive disclosure (show basics first, reveal complexity on demand)
• Micro-interactions (subtle animations that confirm actions)
• Shortcuts (auto-complete, recent items, suggested actions)

Output Format

Journey Map Table

Entry Point Diagram

[Entry Point A] ──→ [Step 1] ──→ [Step 2] ──→ ...
[Entry Point B] ──→ [Step 1]
                        ↓
                   [Error Path] ──→ [Recovery]

Friction and Delight Annotations

• Friction: [Step X] — [description of friction and mitigation]
• Delight: [Step Y] — [description of delight opportunity]

Quality Checks

• Every step has an emotion annotation
• Error paths are mapped for each step that can fail
• Empty states are designed (not just "no data")
• Mobile path is considered
• Entry points cover all discovery methods
• First-time vs returning user differences noted
• Friction points have mitigation strategies
• At least one delight moment identified

Evolution Notes