---
name: user-journey-mapping
description: Create comprehensive user journey maps that identify pain points, opportunities, and emotional states across touchpoints. Use when mapping user experiences or analyzing conversion flows.
---

# User Journey Mapping

Comprehensive guide to creating user journey maps that reveal pain points, opportunities, and emotional states across the entire user experience.

## When to Use This Skill

- Mapping end-to-end user experiences
- Identifying conversion funnel drop-off points
- Understanding emotional states during key interactions
- Discovering optimization opportunities
- Aligning teams around user perspective

## Journey Map Components

### 1. Stages
Define the major phases users go through:
```
Awareness → Consideration → Decision → Onboarding → Usage → Advocacy
```

### 2. User Actions
What the user does at each stage:
- Searches, browses, compares
- Signs up, configures, learns
- Uses features, seeks help
- Shares, recommends, upgrades

### 3. Touchpoints
Where interaction happens:
- Website, mobile app, email
- Support chat, documentation
- Social media, reviews
- In-person, phone

### 4. Emotions
How users feel (use emoticons or scale):
```
😊 Delighted  →  😐 Neutral  →  😤 Frustrated  →  😡 Angry
```

### 5. Pain Points
Where friction occurs:
- Confusion, delays, errors
- Missing information
- Poor feedback
- Technical issues

### 6. Opportunities
Where we can improve:
- Quick wins
- Major improvements
- Innovation opportunities

## Journey Map Template

```markdown
## User Journey: [Persona Name] - [Goal]

### Stage 1: [Stage Name]

**User Goal**: [What they're trying to achieve]

**Actions**:
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]

**Touchpoints**: [Where interaction happens]

**Emotions**: [😊/😐/😤/😡] - [Why they feel this way]

**Pain Points**:
- [Pain point with impact]

**Opportunities**:
- [Opportunity with potential impact]

**Metrics**: [How we measure this stage]

---
[Repeat for each stage]
```

## Example Journey Map

### E-commerce Checkout Journey

| Stage | Awareness | Cart | Checkout | Payment | Confirmation |
|-------|-----------|------|----------|---------|--------------|
| **Actions** | Browse, compare | Add items, review | Enter details | Pay | Receive |
| **Emotions** | 😊 Excited | 😐 Considering | 😤 Tedious | 😰 Anxious | 😊 Relieved |
| **Pain Points** | Too many options | Price unclear | Too many fields | Security fears | No ETA |
| **Opportunities** | Recommendations | Clear pricing | Autofill | Trust signals | Tracking |

## Best Practices

### Do's
- Base on real user research, not assumptions
- Include both digital and non-digital touchpoints
- Map emotional highs and lows
- Quantify with metrics where possible
- Involve cross-functional stakeholders

### Don'ts
- Don't map the ideal journey - map reality
- Don't focus only on your touchpoints
- Don't ignore competitor alternatives
- Don't skip the "boring" stages
- Don't create and forget - iterate

## Integration with Design

1. **Identify critical moments**: Where do emotions shift?
2. **Prioritize pain points**: Impact × Frequency matrix
3. **Design interventions**: Targeted improvements
4. **Measure success**: Before/after metrics
5. **Iterate**: Journey maps are living documents

## Resources

- [Nielsen Norman Group Journey Mapping Guide](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/journey-mapping-101/)
- [Service Design Tools](https://servicedesigntools.org/tools/customer-journey-map)
