User Journey Map: Complete Guide to Mapping the User Journey

In the world of UX, we often get lost in the details of screens and interfaces, forgetting the big picture. The User Journey Map is the perfect antidote to that myopia. It’s not just a pretty deliverable to hang on the wall; it’s a strategic narrative tool that aligns teams and puts the user at the center of the conversation.

What is a User Journey Map?

A User Journey Map is a narrative visualization of a person’s experience (usually represented by a Persona or Archetype) as they interact with a product or service over time and across different channels.

Unlike a system flowchart, which focuses on technical logic, the journey map focuses on the human experience. It tells a story about the user’s actions, feelings, perceptions, and mental states.

According to Adaptive Path, the map is not an end in itself, but an artifact that results from a collaborative research and synthesis process. Its goal is to convert intangible data into a visual story that creates empathy.

Key elements of a User Journey Map

The Lens: Defines who the protagonist (Persona) is and their specific scenario or goal
Journey Phases: The main blocks of time (e.g., Discovery, Purchase, Use, Support)
Actions (Doing): What the user does at each step
Thoughts (Thinking): The user’s questions, doubts, or expectations
Feelings: The emotional curve (frustrated, happy, anxious)
Touchpoints: Where the user interacts (Web, App, Call Center, Physical Store)
Opportunities: Team ideas to solve detected problems

What is it for and when to use it?

The main value of a journey map is shifting the organization’s focus: moving from looking at internal operational processes (“how we invoice”) to looking at the user’s real context (“how the user feels when paying”).

Main uses

Identify pain points: Reveals where users get frustrated or where the service fails
Break organizational silos: Helps different departments see how their work impacts the overall experience
Generate opportunities: Allows you to visualize “moments of truth” where you can innovate

Types of Journey Maps

According to service design literature, there are two key moments:

Current-State: To diagnose problems in an existing service. Based on real research.
Future-State: To ideate and visualize how a new experience should be that doesn’t yet exist.

If you’re starting your research, the UX Methodology Selector will help you choose the right method for your project.

How to create a User Journey Map step by step

Creating a map is a “building blocks” process. Follow these steps recommended by the Service Design Doing methodology:

Step 1: Define the scope

Are you going to map the complete experience (“end-to-end”) or just a specific interaction (e.g., the onboarding process)?

Step 2: Choose your Persona

Decide whose shoes you’re going to put yourself in. A generic map for “all users” usually fails because different segments have different emotions and flows.

Step 3: Gather evidence (Research)

Don’t make things up. A solid map is based on qualitative research (interviews, user diaries). If you don’t have a budget, you can start with an “Assumption Map,” but you must validate it later.

Step 4: Co-creation Workshop

Gather stakeholders from different areas. Use sticky notes to trace the stages. Ask: “What happens before?” and “What happens after?”

Step 5: Add the emotional layer

Once you have the steps, identify the highs and lows. Where does the user feel anxious? Where do they feel satisfied?

Step 6: Refine and visualize

Convert the post-it draft into a visual document that communicates the story clearly.

Practical example: Fashion e-commerce

Stage	Action	Thought	Emotion	Opportunity
Discovery	Sees Instagram ad	“What a beautiful dress”	Curiosity	Improve targeting
Exploration	Browses catalog	“Do they have my size?”	Expectation	More visible filters
Decision	Reads reviews	“Is it good quality?”	Doubt	More customer photos
Purchase	Adds to cart	“Shipping is too expensive”	Frustration	Free shipping over X amount
Receipt	Opens package	“I love it!”	Satisfaction	Include personalized note

Real case studies

Case 1: Banco Pichincha (Mobile Banking)

In redesigning their mobile channel, the team used journey maps to understand not just the transaction, but the context of use. They identified that for users, financial products are not ends, but means to life goals (e.g., “move my money”). This helped simplify the dashboard based on the real needs of the customer journey, rather than the bank’s internal structure.

Case 2: Railway Transport (Academic Research)

In a study on train passenger experience, overlapping journey maps were used with different personas. This revealed that the “pleasure” of a trip is not constant; factors like noise from other passengers or lack of information affect the emotional experience, allowing the company to identify points of social intervention, not just technical.

Common mistakes to avoid

According to the experience of agencies like Adaptive Path and Nielsen Norman Group, these are the most frequent failures:

Doing it alone: Journey mapping is a collaborative activity. If you do it alone at your desk, you lose team alignment and the richness of perspectives.
Relying only on assumptions: A map without research is fiction. You must validate your hypotheses with real user data.
Confusing it with a flowchart: If you only map the “system process” and forget what the user thinks and feels, it’s not a journey map.
Not taking action: If completing the map doesn’t generate actions or changes in the product backlog, the exercise has failed.

Recommended tools

Physical (Best for workshops): Post-its, kraft paper on the wall, markers
Digital Whiteboards: Miro, Mural, FigJam (ideal for remote work)
Specialized Software: Smaply, UXPressia
Design: Figma or Adobe XD for the final high-fidelity version

Next steps

Once you have your User Journey Map, you can:

Prioritize improvements using an impact/effort matrix
Create prototypes to test solutions with users
Measure progress by defining KPIs for each stage
Iterate by updating the map with new learnings

Related resources

UX Methodology Selector - Find the perfect methodology for your project
Sample Calculator - Calculate the sample size for your research
UX Research Consulting - Need professional help?

References

Adaptive Path. (2013). Adaptive Path’s Guide to Experience Mapping.
Martin, B., & Hanington, B. (2012). Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions. Rockport Publishers. (Method 95: User Journey Maps).
Nielsen Norman Group. (n.d.). UX Research Articles & Reports. Retrieved from nngroup.com.
Stickdorn, M., & Schneider, J. (2010). This is Service Design Thinking: Basics, Tools, Cases. BIS Publishers.