The journey
#18 - Aug.2021
Mapping a customer journey can sometimes be intimidating. How many steps should I consider? What level of detail is relevant? When should I consider a map complete? I'm not a visual person, will I be able to build one? Stop. Breath. You can start very simple and still get the benefits of this tool.
Customer journey maps are important tools to drive a design conversation and synthesize the team's understanding of customer behavior and they work as a great communication artifact.
The purpose is to map the key interactions of a customer while using your product or service. The level of complexity can vary - as with other design tools, the goal is not to focus on the aesthetics but to turn it into a practical living document as you understand and find new ways to improve that experience.
The more you socialize the map, the more feedback you get, the more insights are captured, and the more you can test your hypothesis - a virtuous cycle. Here are some key elements that I usually consider:
- Moments - these are the key steps of the customer experience. Keep it simple. Aim for synthesis - 5-7 key moments are enough. Evolve as you need.
- Customer intention - keeping the key intention of the customer (job-to-be-done) at each step is a constant reminder for driving the conversation around the customer's goal.
- Touch-points - I like to frame touch-points as any tool or mechanism the customer uses to solve their problem. From interactions with other persons to technology, these are important clues for optimization.
- Pain-points - As you discover the customer needs, this is a great place to list the challenges and capture key insights of your learnings. This is also a good place to map assumptions and open questions.
- Opportunities - As you progress on the design, new ideas can be included in the map. Then you can use other techniques to prioritize and test your solutions.
Journey maps are not one-size-fits-all. Adapt it to your project needs. Push the boundaries & rules if it adds value to the collaboration within your team.
