Customer Journey mapping

What

Journey mapping is a method of visually representing the actual and everyday user experience of a service. Mapping journeys is one of the simplest and most useful approaches to understand services, gaps in service, and to identify and design opportunities for improvement and innovation. The mapping, representation and analysis of a journey -an experience over time- has many functions and can be applied to service design and innovation at various stages.

What you get

The customer journey map will plot touch points, service interactions and gestures of users having experienced a service. The method helps us understand the intentional and unintentional aspects of the customer journey. The map is humanised with personal insights, anecdotes and photos, using the users language, their successes and even failures as a very user-centred visualisation of the customer journey.

When to use it

Engine uses customer journey mapping and the representation and analysis of journeys in our work in a number of ways:

• As a framework for modelling and redesigning services and interactions.
• To reveal the real and informal touchpoints of a service.
• In order to identify and design-out non-value adding steps and duplications of effort etc.
• To design-in better process interfaces with the right people, resources and organisations
• To unlock opportunities for people to help themselves when appropriate.
• As an approachable user-engagement technique that helps people to structure their thinking about their experiences.
• An insight tool for managers and as a counterpoint to the familiar operational process maps that they use.
• An audit tool from which user experience metrics (MyMetrics) can be developed.
• A planning and training solution as part of service production (or delivery) .

Examples

Engine has used customer journey mapping in a variety of projects. For another example see our Nesta case study.