Kofi Senaya, Director of Product at Clearbridge Mobile
Understanding a users needs is the bedrock of great design.
The Smithsonian Museum maps out its visitors journey across multiple channels and touchpoints of engagement.
What is a journey map?
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The quest to understand the target user or customer is not new or specific to the digital landscape.
Disney laid out their omnichannel touchpoint strategy with this map in 1957.
An experience map is crafted as part of a UX design process for an utility.
User journey maps helpdesignersand stakeholders empathize with a users motivations and experiences from point A to Z and beyond.
A customer journey map helps designers and stakeholders figure outwhat questions to askbut does not immediately answer them.
This will depend on what your next steps are, driving strategy or tactical design.
Adam Ramshaw at Genroe
Mapping is an exercise of connecting concepts and data to each other.
The more one knows about a customer and their needs, the more accurate a map will be.
Customers will respond to a product within the framework of completing a particular task.
This means the customer journey starts before users even engage with a single product and continues after they leave.
The designer documents the source of his data on the map, itself, for added context.
Looking at more quantitative analytical data can provide valuable insights into the products users as well.
There is also great value in conducting competitive and comparative research.
Observe how users engage with existing products and solutions.
One should also leverage others in their organization.
After synthesizing the research, one should be able to understand the scope or timeline of the experience.
Are customers enjoying a responsive website, but deleting the native app after first launch?
How does a company foster loyalty in its publication readers and keep them coming back?
Mapping out the customer journey across each channel helpsdesignerssurvey and optimize the overall experience.
This may even mean looking at how the overall experience involves other platforms and services.
Once the outline is laid out, make a run at group steps into stages.
This will help you further contextualize and link the users motivations and actions.
How does customer service escalate a service request?
How does an online purchase system connect with an in-store return?
Most journey maps will also give a shot to track a customers emotions during each stage of the journey.
verify the information included is clear and conciseeasily digestible for the team and stakeholders.
Refine the map down to the essential so that the insights it highlights are actionable.
Think of the customer journey map as a poster pinned to the office wall.
At a glance, people should be able to see the key touchpoints that a user passes through.
Present the map to the design and development team as well as stakeholders.
Look at the map with an honest, analytical eye.
Connect customers emotions, such as frustration, with the motivations and expectations guiding the users actions.
Look for gaps between various channels of your business where the experience falls through.
Refer back to the customer journey map repeatedly throughout the design process to validate potential solutions.
A journey map is meant to empathize with customers and identify problems and opportunities; not solve them.
New touchpoints may be created and journeys re-routed as the team iterates, tests, and validates new solutions.
