UX Analysis: Customer Journey Map from Affinity Diagram results
Intro
This Customer Journey Map project is the second and last section that will form the Analysis Block of my UX Case Study. The process has been guided and developed during my studies at the UX Design Institute.
The study aims at designing a hotel booking system that is aligned with users’ needs while following the design thinking process. The main purpose is to declutter the interface while reducing the number of steps. The outcome is to prototype a booking system that sparks joy in the eyes of users. Such products facilitate experiences smoothly and enjoyably.
What is a Customer Journey Map?
A customer journey map is a visual storyline of every engagement a customer has with a service, brand, or product. The creation of a journey map puts us directly in the shoes of the consumer, so that we can see where we may be missing the mark, what we are doing right, and where we can make improvements across the customer lifecycle¹.
CJMs help visualize all touchpoints that users may have with a product, as well as how do they interact with them. They include all actions that users take to complete their objectives across a period. Every aspect of the Customer Journey is based on patterns observed during research phase.
Why is CJM relevant in the Design Process?
Because essentially it is a great tool to verify if the experience we designed is aligned with customers’ expectations. Establishing an empathetic understanding of users’ needs can help meet those expectations and adapt our strategy.
“Experience maps look at a broader context of human behavior. They show how the organization fits into a person’s life.”
-Jim Kalbach, author of Mapping Experiences
Objectives
- Creating additional structure on the analysis of previous research data.
- Learn how to display the structured data visually into an easy-to-follow customer journey diagram.
Journey Steps
Based on patterns and groups that surfaced from the Affinity Diagram created in the previous step, as well as from all previous research data, I was able to draft the main touchpoints of the experience. Starting from the users’ motivation to engage in browsing for accommodations before their trips, all the way to booking confirmation.
- Starting User Motivation
- Homepage
- Search
- Viewing Results
- Selecting
- Room type/photos
- Add-ons
- Booking Confirmation
Variables
Next, I proceeded by identifying which UX aspects to consider and therefore add to the map.
- Emotional Experience
- Goals
- Behaviors
- Mental Models
- Positives
- Pain Points
- Context
Keys
Drafting the CJM
Drafting by hand enables the visualization of an idea in the format of a sketch. It, therefore, helps to think more clearly and to find better solutions.
Fully acknowledging my handwriting is terrible *cries in shame*, I nevertheless started by drafting the Customer Journey Map by hand in the name of inspiration and creativity. The flow of the journey as users perform their tasks, illustrating their experience with emotions and quotes, is the visual result of the variables listed underneath.
Full Map
Note: Not all variables on all stages of the journey required to be filled out. This is because many times, e.g. in the case of Context, the state of that variable might be the same as previous ones. It is also important to keep in mind that generating a CJM is more of an art than it is science. Although, it is not guesswork but fully backed up by research data.
Hopefully, these insights can be of any help to anyone out there reading this article! This is the second and last part of my UX Analysis Block. The next phase is creating a User Flow Diagram (for Desktop), and with that starts the UX Concept Block of my Case Study. I will be posting the next project soonish. Wishing everybody a great start to the week! Cheers ✨
[1]Alex Bischoff. Delighted. Customer journey map: The key to understanding your customer: https://delighted.com/blog/guide-to-customer-journey-mapping#what-is-a-customer-journey-map
