Complete firstClear scenario
The group, goal, start and end, and current or future perspective are specified.
Different scenarios may require separate maps.
Method guideUX Research
Customer Journey Mapping
A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.
ComplexityMedium
Time2-4 h
Participants4-10
FormatWorkshop
MaturityCanonical
01
Prerequisite
What needs to be finished first
Complete firstTraceable inputs
Available research, observations or service data are accessible. Assumptions and missing evidence are labeled.
A map based on team assumptions initially yields research questions.
Complete firstUse of the results
Relevant research and service perspectives participate; follow-up ownership is assigned.
The map needs a concrete decision or learning purpose.
02
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
A large surface with freely named columns, source references and distinct markers for evidence, assumptions and open questions.
People / roles
Facilitation, research or UX perspective, and relevant service or product roles. A small working group of roughly 4 to 10 people is a guide; choose roles for the scenario.
Pre-read
Gather relevant cases, user accounts, observations and available service data. Classify sources by situation and date.
Time needed
Allow roughly 2 to 4 hours for a focused mapping session. Gathering and analyzing research and evaluating improvements are additional work.
Setup
Display the scenario. Develop columns from the journey and add rows for actions, touchpoints, experiences and evidence. Agree on how to label assumptions.
03
Core question
The one question this method answers
How does this group experience the chosen scenario across its phases, and where would learning or improvement help?
04
Flow
Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall
Journey Mapping maps the journey of a specific group in a clear scenario. It connects actions, touchpoints, and evidenced experiences to the questions and improvements that follow.
Journey map structure
Fictional teaching example
Fictional current journey of a household planning a repair. All entries are invented; missing experience remains visible.
| Experience lane | Search and reserve | Plan collection | Collect tools | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActionsWhat does the person do in this phase? | Choose a tool and request dates. | Arrange travel and collection time. | Identify the reservation and collect the tool. | Return the tool at the agreed time. |
| TouchpointsWhere and through which channel does the action happen? | Catalog and reservation form. | Confirmation and a phone inquiry. | Collection point and service staff. | Return point. |
| Thoughts and feelingsWhat is reported or observed, and what is assumed or open? | Open: how easy is choosing a tool? | Fictional note F1: uncertainty about whether the tool is firmly reserved. | Fictional note F1: the in-person explanation is described as helpful. | Open: no account of the return experience is available. |
| Evidence and follow-up questionWhich source supports the claim and what investigation follows? | Assumed sequence; investigate real selection cases. | Fictional note F1; examine confirmation clarity. | Fictional note F1; compare different collection cases. | No source; investigate return cases. |
1. Search and reserve
- Actions
- Choose a tool and request dates.
- Touchpoints
- Catalog and reservation form.
- Thoughts and feelings
- Open: how easy is choosing a tool?
- Evidence and follow-up question
- Assumed sequence; investigate real selection cases.
2. Plan collection
- Actions
- Arrange travel and collection time.
- Touchpoints
- Confirmation and a phone inquiry.
- Thoughts and feelings
- Fictional note F1: uncertainty about whether the tool is firmly reserved.
- Evidence and follow-up question
- Fictional note F1; examine confirmation clarity.
3. Collect tools
- Actions
- Identify the reservation and collect the tool.
- Touchpoints
- Collection point and service staff.
- Thoughts and feelings
- Fictional note F1: the in-person explanation is described as helpful.
- Evidence and follow-up question
- Fictional note F1; compare different collection cases.
4. Return
- Actions
- Return the tool at the agreed time.
- Touchpoints
- Return point.
- Thoughts and feelings
- Open: no account of the return experience is available.
- Evidence and follow-up question
- No source; investigate return cases.
These four journey phases belong to this example. Scope and names follow your scenario; an emotion curve is optional and needs evidence.
- 1
Frame
Frame the scenario
Goal
Everyone works on the same journey.
Inputs for this step
- Brief and existing user knowledge
Actions
- Name the group and concrete goal. Record the beginning, end and current or future perspective.
- Review available sources and label missing perspectives as open questions.
Output
Scenario frame
Group · goal · boundaries · perspective
Quality check
Is the chosen journey unambiguous?
Pitfall
A generic customer journey is expected to explain every situation. Select a concrete scenario and note differences for additional maps.
Timing: Roughly 15 minutes with prepared inputs.
- 2
Sequence
Outline the journey
Goal
Phases represent meaningful parts of the scenario.
Inputs for this step
- Scenario and relevant cases
Actions
- Collect concrete actions from beginning to end, including transitions and loops.
- Group actions into clear phases and check the names against the cases.
Output
Journey phases
Sequence · transitions · actions
Quality check
Do phases follow the person’s experience?
Pitfall
Internal departments are treated as journey phases. Name phases by the person’s actions and goals.
Timing: Roughly 20 minutes for a bounded scenario.
- 3
Map
Map experience and evidence
Goal
The map distinguishes evidence, assumptions and gaps.
Inputs for this step
- Phase outline and accessible sources
Actions
- Add actions and touchpoints per phase. Include thoughts and feelings with source references or explicit assumption labels.
- Attach source codes and leave missing experience visibly open. Use an emotion curve only when it meaningfully summarizes the available accounts.
Output
Evidenced working map
Action · touchpoint · experience · source
Quality check
Is each claim supported or visibly assumed?
Pitfall
A dramatic emotion curve replaces missing research. Leave missing details open and specify the research needed.
Timing: Roughly 40 minutes; analyze extensive sources beforehand.
- 4
Interpret
Examine patterns and opportunities
Goal
Opportunities follow the scenario and available evidence.
Inputs for this step
- Working map with sources and questions
Actions
- Examine friction, successful moments and differences between cases. Record impact separately from possible explanations.
- Formulate improvement or research opportunities and select them by user goal, evidence and ability to act.
Output
Justified opportunities
Moment · evidence · potential impact · open question
Quality check
Does the map justify the opportunity?
Pitfall
Every marked point receives a premature solution. Clarify impact and open questions first; label a solution as a proposal.
Timing: Roughly 25 minutes for selection and clarification.
- 5
Act
Agree on follow-up
Goal
An owner follows the next learning or improvement step.
Inputs for this step
- Selected opportunities and gaps
Actions
- Agree on a concrete task, owner and review point. Plan necessary investigation before a consequential decision.
- Share scenario, date and evidence version with the map. Record when it should be updated.
Output
Tasks and an updateable map
Next step · owner · review
Quality check
Are the follow-up task and review concrete?
Pitfall
The map is filed away without following its open questions. Agree on a suitable follow-up task, owner and review.
Timing: Roughly 20 minutes for closure and tasks.
05
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Sketch: what the artifact looks like
Form
A dated journey map with scenario, sources, labeled knowledge gaps and assigned follow-up work.
Versioning / ownership
Record scenario, perspective, date and evidence version. Retain earlier versions and trace changes in experience or assumptions.
Tool alternatives
- Paper wall with notes and source codes
- Shared whiteboard with freely named phases
- Table with one column per journey phase
journey-map-working-template.md
Plan the scenario, sources and working approach for a useful journey map.
Customer Journey Mapping: Worksheet
Question
To be confirmed
Desired outcome
To be confirmed
Scope
Develop a journey map Time: 2–4 hours; research is additional
Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.
Preparation for this scope
Method setup
- Materials: A large surface with freely named columns, source references and distinct markers for evidence, assumptions and open questions.
- Roles: Facilitation, research or UX perspective, and relevant service or product roles. A small working group of roughly 4 to 10 people is a guide; choose roles for the scenario.
- Advance information: Gather relevant cases, user accounts, observations and available service data. Classify sources by situation and date.
- Overall time needed: Allow roughly 2 to 4 hours for a focused mapping session. Gathering and analyzing research and evaluating improvements are additional work.
- Setup: Display the scenario. Develop columns from the journey and add rows for actions, touchpoints, experiences and evidence. Agree on how to label assumptions.
Prepare for the work steps
Frame: Frame the scenario
- Brief and existing user knowledge
Sequence: Outline the journey
- Scenario and relevant cases
Map: Map experience and evidence
- Phase outline and accessible sources
Interpret: Examine patterns and opportunities
- Working map with sources and questions
Act: Agree on follow-up
- Selected opportunities and gaps
Journey map structure
| Experience lane | Name phase 1 | Name phase 2 | Name phase 3 | Name phase 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actions | ||||
| Touchpoints | ||||
| Thoughts and feelings | ||||
| Evidence and follow-up question |
- Actions: What does the person do in this phase?
- Touchpoints: Where and through which channel does the action happen?
- Thoughts and feelings: What is reported or observed, and what is assumed or open?
- Evidence and follow-up question: Which source supports the claim and what investigation follows?
Before filling the map, record group, goal, start, end and current or future perspective. Name, add or remove columns for the scenario. Label sources and assumptions.
Structure based on Nielsen Norman Group
Frame: Frame the scenario
Expected artifact: Scenario frame
Group · goal · boundaries · perspective
Entry:
...
- Is the chosen journey unambiguous?
Sequence: Outline the journey
Expected artifact: Journey phases
Sequence · transitions · actions
Entry:
...
- Do phases follow the person’s experience?
Map: Map experience and evidence
Expected artifact: Evidenced working map
Action · touchpoint · experience · source
Entry:
...
- Is each claim supported or visibly assumed?
Interpret: Examine patterns and opportunities
Expected artifact: Justified opportunities
Moment · evidence · potential impact · open question
Entry:
...
- Does the map justify the opportunity?
Act: Agree on follow-up
Expected artifact: Tasks and an updateable map
Next step · owner · review
Entry:
...
- Are the follow-up task and review concrete?
Open questions and next steps
...
Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/journey-map/run-sheet
06
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.
journey-map-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Fictional teaching example: borrowing tools
All details are invented. No user accounts have been collected.
Scenario: A household wants to borrow tools for a planned repair. The map describes an assumed current experience from search to return.
Phases: Search and reserve → Plan collection → Collect tools → Return.
Example F1: The person asks before traveling whether the tool is firmly reserved. The fictional note describes uncertainty at this transition. No account of the return experience is available; that field stays open.
Possible opportunity: Investigate how understandable the reservation confirmation is.
Follow-up: Alex compares confirmations and clarification requests in relevant real cases. A change will be decided afterward. The map does not establish problem frequency or cause.
07
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow
- Frame the scenarioA generic customer journey is expected to explain every situation.View in phase
- Outline the journeyInternal departments are treated as journey phases.View in phase
- Map experience and evidenceA dramatic emotion curve replaces missing research.View in phase
- Examine patterns and opportunitiesEvery marked point receives a premature solution.View in phase
- Agree on follow-upThe map is filed away without following its open questions.View in phase
Trap
Frame the scenario
Symptom
A generic customer journey is expected to explain every situation.
What to do
Select a concrete scenario and note differences for additional maps.
Trap
Outline the journey
Symptom
Internal departments are treated as journey phases.
What to do
Name phases by the person’s actions and goals.
Trap
Map experience and evidence
Symptom
A dramatic emotion curve replaces missing research.
What to do
Leave missing details open and specify the research needed.
Trap
Examine patterns and opportunities
Symptom
Every marked point receives a premature solution.
What to do
Clarify impact and open questions first; label a solution as a proposal.
Trap
Agree on follow-up
Symptom
The map is filed away without following its open questions.
What to do
Agree on a suitable follow-up task, owner and review.
08
Stop criteria
When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach
Groups or goals become mixed: narrow the scenario or separate maps.
Feelings are added without support: label them as assumptions or leave the field open.
The internal process displaces the user perspective: return to concrete actions and touchpoints.
Current and desired journeys become mixed: clarify and document each perspective separately.
The map cannot support a follow-up decision: turn the relevant knowledge gap into a research task.
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