User Journey

A user journey (or journey map) is a visualization of the process a user goes through to accomplish a goal with your product or service. It maps touchpoints, emotions, and pain points across the entire experience.

What's in a Journey Map

Stages: Awareness → Consideration → Purchase → Use → Loyalty Touchpoints: Where users interact (website, app, email, support) Actions: What users do at each stage Emotions: How users feel (frustration, delight, confusion) Pain Points: Problems users encounter Opportunities: Where you can improve

Why Journey Mapping Matters

Find friction: Discover where users struggle Build empathy: See through your users' eyes Align teams: Everyone understands the experience Prioritize fixes: Focus on high-impact pain points Measure success: Track improvements over time

Types of Journey Maps

Current State: How things work today

• Shows existing pain points
• Based on real user research
• Identifies improvement opportunities

Future State: Your ideal experience

• Vision for improvement
• Guides development priorities
• Aspirational but achievable

Day in the Life: Broader context

• Shows user's entire day
• Your product as one part
• Reveals unexpected needs

Creating a Journey Map

1. Define the scope: Which user? Which goal?
2. Research: Interviews, surveys, analytics
3. Identify stages: Break journey into phases
4. Map touchpoints: Where do users interact?
5. Plot emotions: High points and low points
6. Find opportunities: Where can you improve?
7. Validate: Test with real users
8. Act: Prioritize and fix pain points

Journey Mapping + Card Sorting

Use card sorting to:

• Understand mental models at each journey stage
• Optimize navigation for different stages
• Group features by user goals
• Test if your IA matches user journeys

Example: Users in "research" stage need comparison tools. Users in "use" stage need quick access to features.

Journey Map Elements

Persona: Which user are we mapping? Scenario: What are they trying to do? Timeline: How long does this take? Channels: Web, mobile, email, in-person Emotions: Rating from frustrated to delighted Quotes: Real user feedback Metrics: Completion rates, time on task

Common Mistakes

❌ Making assumptions instead of research ❌ Mapping what you want, not reality ❌ Too complex (keep it simple) ❌ Creating once and never updating ❌ Not validating with real users

From Journey Map to Action

✅ Prioritize pain points: Fix biggest problems first ✅ Quick wins: Address easy improvements ✅ Long-term fixes: Plan major changes ✅ Measure impact: Track before and after ✅ Iterate: Journey mapping is ongoing

Real Example: E-commerce

Stage 1 - Browse

• Touchpoint: Homepage
• Action: Looking for products
• Emotion: Overwhelmed by options
• Pain: Can't find what I need
• Opportunity: Better navigation via card sorting!

Stage 2 - Purchase

• Touchpoint: Checkout
• Action: Entering payment info
• Emotion: Anxious about security
• Pain: Too many form fields
• Opportunity: Simplify checkout flow

Stage 3 - Receive

• Touchpoint: Delivery
• Action: Tracking package
• Emotion: Excited but impatient
• Pain: Poor tracking updates
• Opportunity: Better notifications

Map your users' journeys, then optimize navigation with card sorting at freecardsort.com