Mapping the User Journey
Breaking a journey into steps helps us understand how people use a service.
- It shows where people start, go, and finish (touchpoints).
- We can see what parts they like, what parts confuse them, and where they get stuck (user behaviours).
- It helps us learn about their feelings, actions, and needs (pain points).
Running a Virtual Workshop
You can run a workshop online to map out this journey.
- Everyone works together to draw the steps.
- You talk about what works well and what needs fixing.
- It is a fun way to learn how to make things better for users.
You can find out more here: How to run a virtual user journey mapping workshop | by Ana Boyer | UX Planet
Service Blueprinting
Service blueprinting is a way to draw a big picture of how a service works.
- It shows how customers use the service and where they interact with it (these are called touchpoints).
- It helps you see who does what inside the organisation.
- You can understand how everything fits together like a team puzzle.
- It is useful for bringing people together to talk about how things work and where they can be improved.
User Personas
User personas are user profiles that represent the users journey and help the team to empathise with users. Each persona may represent users within a particular subgroup. They detail the user goals, behaviours, problems, and needs of a particular group of users. Proto personas can be created at the start of a project. These will be based on the assumptions of stakeholders and project team and can then be refined or added to following user research activities when you have met with users and have a deeper understanding of contexts, behaviours, challenges and goals. Additional personas are likely to be added at this stage.
The design and content teams can use this information to build products that align with the needs of the users. Knowing your audience will influence the design and help with making decisions about the product.
Typically, a user persona might include:
- A persona name, image, demographic and other contextual information.
- Their needs, goals and behaviours in relation to the product
- Challenges, frustrations and pain points
- Accessibility needs
- Quotes from real users that relate to the persona group.
Example personas can be found in the research library.
What Are User Personas?
User personas are made-up profiles that show what a real user might be like. They help teams understand and care about the people who use their service.
Why Use Them?
- Each persona shows a type of user with their own goals, needs, and problems.
- They help teams design better websites and services.
- They make sure the team is thinking about real people, not just guesses.
When Are They Made?
- At the start of a project, teams can make proto-personas. These are based on what the team thinks users might be like.
- Later, after talking to real users, the team can update or add new personas to make them more accurate.
What is in a Persona?
A typical persona might include:
- A name, picture, and basic info (like age or job)
- What they want to do and how they behave
- What makes them frustrated or confused
- Any accessibility needs (like needing large text or screen readers)
- Quotes from real users that match the persona
Empathy Maps
An empathy map helps us understand how a user feels when using a service or product. It is a quick way to learn about a group of users and what they need.
What Does It Show?
An empathy map usually includes:
- What the user says and does – Things they say in interviews or what we see them doing.
- What the user thinks and feels – What is important to them and what they might worry about.
- What the user hears – Advice or ideas they get from friends, family, or others.
- What the user sees – Things they notice, like reviews, social media posts, or news.
Pains and gains
Some empathy maps also show:
- Pains – what is hard or frustrating for the user.
- Gains – what the user wants to achieve or what makes them happy.