Experience Mapping

When to use Experience Mapping

Use Experience Mapping when you need to understand a service that spans multiple steps, locations, or teams, especially when the service involves complex user interactions and potential pain points.

What it solves

Lack of shared understanding of the user journey; Siloed teams with limited visibility into the end-to-end user experience; Difficulty identifying and prioritizing areas for service improvement.

How to run Experience Mapping, step by step

1. Gather User Data (Ongoing): Collect data from user interviews, surveys, and observations to understand their experiences.
2. Prepare the Workspace (15 min): Choose a large wall or digital whiteboard and gather sticky notes, markers, and event cards.
3. Identify Common Stages (30 min): Lay out event cards for each participant, align common events, and break the rows into stages. Name each stage using color-coded sticky notes.
4. Build Up the Experience (60 min): Add the steps involved in each stage to form the 'spine' of the experience. Extract emotional highs and lows, reactions, and service touchpoints from event cards.
5. Live with the Map (Ongoing): Display the draft map in a team area and encourage discussion, review, and refinement over several days or weeks.
6. Draw a Detailed Map (60 min): Create a finalized, digital version of the map in a graphics application for sharing and ongoing reference.
7. Share a Summary Map (30 min): Create a simplified version of the map highlighting key stages and findings for broader communication.

Materials needed

• Sticky notes (various colors)
• Markers
• Large wall or whiteboard
• Event cards (representing user interactions)
• Graphics application (for creating a digital map)

Facilitator tips

• Encourage diverse perspectives from team members to create a comprehensive map.
• Focus on capturing the user's emotional experience, not just the steps they take.

Common pitfalls

• Creating a map based on assumptions rather than user data. Avoid this by grounding the map in research findings.
• Getting bogged down in details and losing sight of the overall user journey. Maintain a focus on the big picture.

Variations

• Focus on a specific user persona to create a more targeted experience map.
• Create separate maps for different user segments with distinct journeys.

Running it online or hybrid

Use a collaborative whiteboard tool like Miro or Mural to create a shared digital map. Ensure remote participants have access to digital sticky notes and can contribute in real-time.

What it produces

A visual map illustrating the user's journey, including stages, steps, touchpoints, emotions, and pain points.

Origin

Adapted from GOV.UK Service Manual — source

Build a session around Experience Mapping

METODIC places Experience Mapping inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.

Generate a session with Experience Mapping · Try METODIC free