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