Mapping Customer Experience Ecosystems

🗺️ AirBnB Customer Journey Blueprint, a wonderful practical example of how to visualize the entire customer experience for 2 personas, across 8 touch points, with user policies, UI screens and all interactions with the customer service — all on one single page. AirBnB Customer Journey (Google Drive): https://lnkd.in/eKsTjrp4 Spotify Customer Journey (High-res): https://lnkd.in/eX3NBWbJ Now, unlike AirBnB, your product might not need a mapping against user policies. However, it might need other lanes that would be more relevant for your team. E.g. include relevant findings and recommendations from UX research. List key actions needed for next stage. Add relevant UX metrics and unsuccessful touchpoints. That last bit is often missing. Yet customer journeys are often non-linear, with unpredictable entry points, and integrations way beyond the final stage of a customer journey map. It’s in those moments when things leave a perfect path that a product’s UX is actually stress tested. So consider mapping unsuccessful touchpoints as well — failures, error messages, conflicts, incompatibilities, warnings, connectivity issues, eventual lock-outs and frequent log-outs, authentication issues, outages and urgent support inquiries. Even further than that: each team could be able to zoom into specific touch points and attach links to quotes, photos, videos, prototypes, design system docs and Figma files. Perhaps even highlight the desired future state. Technical challenges and pain points. Those unsuccessful states. Now, that would be a remarkable reference to use in the beginning of every design sprint. Such mappings are often overlooked, but they can be very impactful. Not only is it a very tangible way to visualize UX, but it’s also easy to understand, remember and relate to daily — potentially for all teams in the entire organization. And that's something only few artefacts can do. Useful resources: Free Template: Customer Journey Mapping, by Taras Bakusevych https://lnkd.in/e-emkh5A Free Template: End-To-End User Experience Map (Figma), by Justin Tan https://lnkd.in/eir9jg7J Customer Journey Map Template (Figma), by Ed Biden https://lnkd.in/evaUP4kz Free Figma/Miro User Journey Maps Templates https://lnkd.in/etSB7VqB User Journey Maps vs. Service Blueprints (+ Templates) https://lnkd.in/e-JSYtwW UX Mapping Methods (+ Miro/Figma Templates) https://lnkd.in/en3Vje4t #ux #design

User Journey Mapping is essential for product teams. But it's often poorly applied and can lead you astray. Top 7 mistakes and a free template: 1. Guesses instead of data The User Journey Map is worthless without talking to users. How else can you understand what they think and feel? One helpful method is "thinking aloud." Start by defining a series of tasks. Next, ask the first-time user to discuss their thought processes as they interact with your product. 2. Mapping only the top-level phases It's tempting to just focus on the big phases for a neat user story map. But those little steps matter, too. Each one can spark different thoughts and emotions. Balance is key here. 3. Ignoring variations Not every user journey will look the same. For example, before publishing the first product, the user might want to add a custom domain. So try to capture all these different paths. 4. Mapping only the happy path Let's face it: users aren't always happy. If your map only shows sunshine and rainbows, you're missing something. Look out for negative emotions like confusion or frustration. These are important, too. 5. Simplifying emotions We're complex beings. We can feel exhausted, delighted, and worried at the same time. And our emotions can be much richer than emoticons. Name the emotion and consider adding a context to paint a complete picture. 6. Mapping only the current state Mapping the current state is great for spotting the current problems. But don't forget about the future. Map out where you want to be and test your assumptions before the implementation. 7. Not taking action It's disappointing to map out a user journey, find opportunities, and then... nothing. Use what you learn. Otherwise, your insights are just gathering dust. --- Hope that helps. A free template (PPTX): https://lnkd.in/dJeVnGrQ --- If you enjoyed this, subscribe to my newsletter (73K+). You will get 600+ free PM learning resources by email: https://lnkd.in/dns_iaYG

One of the best ways to align teams, stakeholders, and strategy is to make the invisible visible. That’s why I’m such a fan of mapping techniques. They help you zoom out, focus in, and uncover the things that are often hiding in plain sight. Whether it’s unclear goals, conflicting priorities, or pain points users are quietly putting up with. Here are 7 mapping techniques I keep coming back to and how I use them in delivery: 🗺️ User Story Mapping Helps me turn flat backlogs into something visually dynamic, tangible, and user-focused. I use this to map out a user's journey step by step, then slice features based on what really matters to them. It’s a brilliant way to align teams around MVPs and delivery releases. 🗺️ Impact Mapping Just like Simon Sinek this one starts with why. It links business goals to user behaviors and potential features, helping teams focus on outcomes over outputs. I’ve used it to reframe entire product roadmaps around expected impact instead of a list of things to build. 🗺️ Wardley Mapping This is more strategic and it's great for mapping components of a system by how visible they are to users and how mature they are. It’s helped me spot where we should innovate, where we can standardise, and where buying makes more sense than building. 🗺️ Dysfunction Mapping I use this when things feel off, but the problem or solution isn’t immediately obvious. It’s a structured way to identify root causes of delivery friction whether it’s misaligned priorities, unclear ownership, or recurring blockers. Great for retros and recovery plans. 🗺️ Stakeholder Mapping Simple but powerful. I use this to understand who’s influencing the project, who needs to be kept in the loop, and who we might be unintentionally leaving out. It’s especially useful when stepping into a new team or navigating complex stakeholder landscapes. 🗺️ Experience Mapping This is about stepping into the user’s shoes and walking through their journey. Not just where the product touches them, but where the experience begins and ends. I’ve used this to uncover gaps, friction points, and opportunities we hadn’t considered. 🗺️ Empathy Mapping When we’re trying to build something truly user-centric, empathy mapping helps us understand what users think, feel, say, do, and hear. It goes deeper than roles or personas and helps teams emotionally hook in with the people we’re building for. If you’re in delivery, product, UX, or transformation work there’s probably a mapping method in here that can help you in your day to day role. Let me know if I've missed any effective mapping techniques and if a deep dive into any of these would be useful!

Journeys should help us focus on behavior change, not be pretty wall art. I have seen my fair share of journeys, some good, some bad and others, well just plain sad! Journeys are not meant to be a decoration, they are meant to serve a purpose, and that purpose should be for us to ensure that at different stages of that journey we can meet needs, address barriers and understand where we can use the levers we have as an organization. (and align ourselves) Journeys while represented in a linear way, are not linear per-se, because of context and because life is not linear - but they do help us get a mental model of how things could be and where we need to pay attention to. If you create journeys, or help customers do so - as we do in the consulting work we do - you should have a few basics in mind. The scenario, type of journey, data that backs it up...(and how it will be managed) Typical lanes you could have (but not limited to these) -Stages -Steps -Actors -Channels/Touchpoints -Emotional Journey, Dramatic Arcs, and on and on In most journeys, I also see teams capturing what actors are: "Saying" "Feeling" "Thinking" This is typical and you can see it in the example from the journey map from the Interaction Design Foundation. (image credit) But what good is to capture these "sayings" and "feelings", if you have no idea how to apply them later on. My team takes the nuances and are able to match them to specific areas using behavioral models, because it gives us more precision. If you are able to overlay behavioral factors into a journey you can go beyond the superficial and have levers to address the psychological and system barriers that will drive change. Furthermore, what we do in these journeys is address those barriers in a way that is systematic and backed by evidence, not by gut feel, because what is the point of wasting time on things you cannot influence with the levers you have. Before, I used to build superficial journeys, and on the client side, I used to get superficial journeys built by some of the best experience agencies in the world, bu they always stayed as decoration. Now, I will only build maps if they will help my clients see the nuaces, so they invest their resources where it matters.

How I use Customer Journey Mapping to Define Requirements (As a Business Analyst) One of the most effective tools I use is customer journey mapping - but not in the traditional sense. I use it to turn journeys into requirements. Here’s how I approach it 👇 1️⃣ Start with the big picture Define the high-level customer journey phases. For example, in an insurance claim: Lodge → Provide Evidence → Assessment → Settlement. 2️⃣ Bring it to life visually I set up a Miro board so we can see the end-to-end journey. A visual map uncovers gaps and opportunities much faster than a list. 3️⃣ Co-design the future state I run stakeholder workshops where we map the future journey. This isn’t just about steps - it’s about the customer experience we want to deliver. 4️⃣ Elicit requirements as we go As we map, we capture the requirements, assumptions, risks, dependencies, and key decisions behind each phase. ✨ The outcome? → End-to-end high-level requirements →A collaboration artefact that helps align stakeholders on what we’re delivering A few extra tips: → Keep it high-level (don’t get lost in sub-steps). → Co-create with the right stakeholders. → Don’t stress if it’s not “true” journey mapping... use what makes sense. The outcome is the requirements, not the map itself. → Validate with the wider group. If you got value from this and want to go deeper, I’m opening up early access to my BA mentoring community while I finalise the content. ▶️ Click the link in my bio for more info! #businessanalyst #ba #requirements

Why Customer Journey Mapping Matters for Product Success Have you ever watched a product you knew was great fail to connect with users? 😢       I worked on a product once that had everything going for it: 🌟 Great features 📈 Solid metrics 👍 Enthusiastic internal buy-in But after launch, the results didn’t add up. Adoption was slow, and users weren’t sticking around. The issue wasn’t the product itself .. it was the experience. Through customer journey mapping, we discovered a poorly timed touchpoint was causing users to drop off before realizing the product’s value. Fixing it made all the difference. 👉 Your product is only as good as the EXPERIENCE it DELIVERS to USERS. That’s why Customer Journey Mapping is invaluable - it reveals the blind spots holding your product back. Journey maps are more than just visuals, they are strategic tools that help you understand and improve the entire experience users have with your product. Here’s my 7-step framework for creating actionable customer journey maps: 1️⃣ Define Your Objective – Start with a clear goal (e.g., "Reduce drop-offs during onboarding") 2️⃣ Identify Personas – Research your audience deeply using interviews, analytics, and surveys. 3️⃣ Map the Stages – Break down the journey: awareness, onboarding, engagement, retention, and advocacy. 4️⃣ List Touchpoints – Identify every interaction users have with your product (e.g., website, support) 5️⃣ Capture Emotions – Track emotional highs and lows to uncover frustration or delight points. 6️⃣ Spot Pain Points – Identify where friction or dissatisfaction occurs. 7️⃣ Identify Opportunities – Highlight actionable improvements to enhance the user experience. 📌 Example: Spotify’s Playlist Sharing Journey 🔸 Problem: Spotify wanted to understand why users weren’t fully utilizing the playlist-sharing feature. 🔸 Solution: Using customer journey mapping, they pinpointed that users were reluctant to share playlists due to fear of judgment or were unaware that the feature existed. 🔸 Result: Spotify improved the sharing experience, making it more intuitive, which led to higher user engagement and more frequent playlist sharing. 🔑 TAKEAWAY: Customer Journey Maps are not just about fixing pain points; they’re about building empathy, aligning your teams, and designing a seamless, cohesive experience that delights users at every stage of their journey. 💬 Your Turn: Have you used customer journey mapping in your role? What’s one surprising customer behavior you uncovered through journey mapping? Drop your thoughts below. #ProductManagement #CustomerJourney #CustomerExperience #EmpathyInDesign #UXInsights

🗺️ Customer Journey Mapping: More than just sticky notes on a wall! When you bring people together to map a customer journey, you’re not just drawing boxes and arrows - you’re uncovering the truth about how your customers actually experience your service. Here’s how to run a simple yet powerful session: 1️⃣ Set the scene Start with a clear journey to map (complaints, repairs, onboarding, arrears - pick one). Agree the start and end points so everyone’s aligned. 2️⃣ Bring the right people Customers, frontline colleagues, back-office teams, leaders. If they touch the journey, they should have a seat at the table. 3️⃣ Walk the steps Document the journey as it really happens today, not how the process map says it should. Capture every stage in the customer’s shoes. 4️⃣ Surface the feelings At each step, ask: how does the customer feel here? Frustrated, confused, reassured, delighted? Emotions are often the missing layer. 5️⃣ Spot the gaps Write down pain points, blockers, and duplication. But don’t forget to highlight the moments that work well as you’ll want to protect these. 6️⃣ Layer in evidence Add data, feedback, and insights to back up the journey. This turns sticky notes into a business case for change. 👉 What to document: ✅️ Steps & touchpoints ✅️ Customer thoughts & feelings ✅️ Pain points & opportunities ✅️ Supporting data & insights ✅️ “Moments of truth” - the make-or-break points in the journey Done well, a journey map becomes more than a workshop artefact. It’s a living tool that guides design, investment, and transformation. Because when you see your service through your customer’s eyes, it becomes impossible to design it any other way.

✈️ Why Passenger Journey Maps Matter for Airlines   Passenger experience isn't optional for airlines anymore. In today's competitive aviation market, customer journey maps offer the strategic insights needed to create more efficient operations and happier customers.   What is a passenger journey map?   It's a visual map that shows the complete travel experience - capturing every touchpoint, emotion, and frustration passengers encounter from planning their trip to reaching their destination. This includes airline interactions, such as booking and boarding, as well as external elements like airport security, ground transportation, and government processes that airlines don't control but still impact how passengers perceive their journey.   When airlines map these interactions, they will be able to:   • Spot the friction points that frustrate passengers • Fix operational bottlenecks that cause delays • Create personalised services that build loyalty • Align their services with what travellers actually want   The strategic advantage   Journey mapping brings marketing, operations, and customer service teams together around shared passenger insights. So, rather than working in departmental silos, airlines can make decisions based on comprehensive passenger data, which helps them:   • Build better customer experiences that strengthen their brand • Improve pricing and revenue strategies • Make digital services actually work for passengers   How to implement this   Start with the big picture - map the entire passenger experience first. Then drill down into specific areas, such as booking processes or in-flight experience. Additionally, create separate journey maps for different passenger segments: business travellers, leisure passengers, and frequent flyers each have distinct needs and pain points throughout their journey. This way, you get both the strategic overview and the tactical details you need.   💡 Save this guide for your strategy planning. Which passenger touchpoint presents the most significant optimisation opportunity for airlines?   #Air52Insights  #Aviation  #JourneyMapping

How to Create a Journey Map for ITSM (Without Losing Your Mind or Your Users) Let’s face it—most ITSM diagrams look like a spaghetti chart married a ticket queue. If you want to stop guessing where your users are frustrated and start fixing what actually matters, a journey map is your new best friend. Here’s how to build one that makes IT look like a hero (not the villain): 1. Pick a Journey That Actually Happens ↳ Password resets, new hire onboarding, broken printer meltdowns. Start with something real, not theoretical. 2. Talk to Users—Not Just IT ↳ Ask them what they expected, what they experienced, and what drove them to curse under their breath. 3. Write Down the Actual Steps (All of Them) ↳ What really happens, not what’s in the SOP. Include email lag, portal confusion, and "calling my cousin in IT." 4. Capture the Pain Points ↳ Highlight friction, frustration, delays, and unnecessary approvals. If a step adds no value, it adds user rage. 5. Add Emotions, Not Just Actions ↳ Mark how users feel at each stage: Confused. Hopeful. Furious. A smiley face where one belongs? Rare. But possible. 6. Visualize the Whole Experience ↳ Build a timeline or flowchart. Make it so clear that even leadership says, “Oh… yeah, that’s not great.” 7. Fix It with Users, Not to Them ↳ Co-create the better experience with feedback loops, pilot changes, and check-ins. 8. Rinse & Repeat ↳ Because once you map one journey, you’ll discover five more that need saving. A few of my favorite resources to help get your journey started: ↳ Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) ↳ Annette Franz, CCXP ↳ Lynn Hunsaker, CCXP Journey Mapping isn’t about perfection. It’s about visibility. You can’t fix what you refuse to see. Have you ever gone through your own IT process as a “test user”? What did you find? (And did you survive?) ♻️ Repost to save someone from another broken ticket loop. 🔔 Follow Bob Roark for more no-fluff ITSM leadership tips.

Most customer journey maps look like spreadsheets with prettier fonts. 😬 Functional? Sure. Emotional? Not even close. If you really want to understand your customer experience, your journey map has to capture both the head and the heart. Here’s what I mean. 👇 When you’re building or updating your map, don’t just track what your customer does! You should also track how they feel while doing it. ✅ Audience: Who’s actually on this journey? Think less demographics, more motivations. ✅ Actions: What are they doing at each stage? And WHY? ✅ Timeline: When does momentum build or break? ✅ Channels: Where are they choosing to engage (or ghost you)? ✅ Feelings + Expectations: What emotions show up along the way — excitement, confusion, frustration, delight? That last one — FEELINGS — is where the magic happens. The difference between a process and an experience is how your customer feels when they’re in it. If your journey map doesn’t include empathy, it’s just a flowchart. Your turn: What’s one emotion you think most brands overlook when mapping their customer journey?