Experience Mapping

Experience mapping is a strategic visualisation tool that captures the holistic experience of interacting with an organisation. While related to customer journey mapping, experience mapping takes a broader view, often including emotional states, behind-the-scenes processes, and opportunities for improvement.

Types of experience maps:

• Current state map: Documents the experience as it exists today
• Future state map: Envisions the desired experience after improvements
• Day-in-the-life map: Captures the broader context of a person's daily experience (not limited to interactions with your organisation)
• Service blueprint: Adds backstage processes and support systems to the experience map
• Empathy map: Focuses on what the customer says, thinks, feels, and does

Experience map components:

• Stages: Major phases of the experience (awareness, consideration, purchase, use, support)
• Actions: What the customer does at each stage
• Touchpoints: Where interactions occur (channels, platforms, locations)
• Thoughts: What the customer is thinking at each moment
• Emotions: How the customer feels (often shown as an emotional journey line)
• Pain points: Frustrations, barriers, and negative moments
• Opportunities: Areas for improvement or innovation
• Backstage processes: Internal processes that support the experience

Creating effective experience maps:

• Base maps on real customer research (interviews, observation, data)
• Include diverse customer perspectives and segments
• Involve cross-functional teams in the mapping process
• Focus on emotions and pain points, not just actions
• Make maps actionable with prioritised improvement opportunities
• Update maps regularly as experiences evolve