A journey map, also known as a customer journey map or user journey map, is a visual representation of the steps or touchpoints that a user goes through when interacting with a business, product, or service.
It is a particularly useful tool when defining and prioritizing requirements, allowing us to understand and analyze our user’s experiences and perspectives – including their emotions, pain points, and satisfaction levels, throughout the different stages of the user’s journey. Thus, we are better able to identify areas for improvement, optimize user processes, and ultimately enhance the overall customer experience.
A journey map typically consists of several phases that a customer goes through when interacting with a business, process, or product. Although the number and names of these phases may vary, some common phases include:
- Awareness: The customer becomes aware of the business or product through advertising, word of mouth, or other marketing efforts.
- Consideration: The customer begins to research and evaluate the business or product to determine if it meets their needs.
- Purchase: The customer decides to make a purchase and completes the transaction, whether online or in person.
- Onboarding/Activation: After the purchase, the customer begins to use the product or service, and the business may provide onboarding support or tutorials to help the customer get started.
- Usage: The customer continues to use the product or service
For a more in-depth look, visit Introduction to Journey Mapping.
