User experience mapping: Connecting the dots in real life

    User experience mapping: connecting the dots in real life

    Just do it. It’s a catchy slogan, but when you really think about what it takes to “get something done,” it’s rarely that simple. Sure, it’d be amazing if all it took was a little motivation and a one-app-fits-all solution (as many promise). But in reality, achieving goals is a lot more complex — and that’s where user experience (UX) mapping comes in.

    Whether you’re trying to get back in shape, buy a house, or educating yourself on how to design an amazing user experience (wink) — real life doesn’t “just happen” through an app or a screen. It’s a vibrant, technicolor, 3D human experience, full of ups and downs. And since users are real people, just like me and you, they don’t experience apps, products, or services in isolation. More likely, their scouring the internet for advice, downloading multiple apps, talking to people who’ve been there before and trying out different solutions — all while juggling their specific goal against life’s other competing priorities.

    In this blog, we’ll dive into what UX mapping is and how it differs from customer journey mapping. We’ll follow Lindsey’s journey to get back in shape after an accident, showing you how UX mapping plays out in real life. Plus, we’ll explore the best tools to help you create exceptional experiences that resonate with real people — helping you design better, more meaningful solutions that seamlessly integrate into their lives.

    Ready? Let’s do it!

    What is user experience mapping and how is it different from a customer journey?

    Unlike customer journey mapping, which focuses on brand-specific touchpoints, UX mapping is completely product-agnostic; It’s not tied to a single app, product, or service. Instead, it takes a wide-angle view, capturing the full landscape of a user’s experience as they navigate the real-life process of achieving a goal.

    Each interaction is just one thread in an intricate web of tools, emotions, and challenges. UX mapping connects the dots in this web — allowing you to step into your users’ shoes to better understand everything they do, think, and experience, beyond your specific product or service.

    What does success look like for them? UX mapping reveals how your product or service can be improved to fit seamlessly into the rich complexity of their lives, rather than forcing them to adapt to it. The result? Better, user-centered solutions.

    What does a typical UX map include? 

    A UX map breaks down the user’s journey into key components, helping you understand their experience and identify opportunities for improvement. By visuallizing each step, it transforms raw data into actionable insights — uncovering pain points, identifying gaps, and highlighting opportunities. Here’s what it typically includes:

    • Actors: Who is the user?

    • Scenarios and goals: What are they trying to achieve?

    • Journey stages: What steps do they take to move closer to their goal?

    • Actions and emotions: What are they doing, thinking, and feeling at each stage?

    • Opportunities: Where can their experience be improved?

    Plot it out: A real-life user experience mapping example

    Let’s break down UX mapping with a practical example: Meet Lindsey. After a skiing accident left her with a broken leg, she spent a year recovering and slipping out of her once-active lifestyle. Now, Lindsey is determined to get back in shape, but her journey is anything but simple. It involves rebuilding strength, managing her diet, balancing therapy, and tracking progress—all while juggling her daily life.

    Here’s how to map Lindsey’s user experience step by step:

    1. Define the user persona

    User: Lindsey, 35, a professional with an active past.

    Goals: Rebuild strength, establish a workout routine, manage meal prep, and stay consistent with therapy and checkups.

    Challenges:

    • Finding safe exercises for her recovery.

    • Overcoming overwhelm from conflicting advice.

    • Balancing fitness, work, and personal life.

    • Tracking progress in a way that feels encouraging.

    2. Identify Lindsey’s journey phases

    Lindsey’s journey to regain fitness can be broken into five phases:

    1. Discovery: Recognizing the need to focus on her health.

    2. Gathering tools: Researching workouts, meal prep, and therapy schedules.

    3. Planning: Creating a realistic and sustainable routine.

    4. Taking action: Implementing her plan through workouts and meal prep.

    5. Tracking progress: Monitoring improvements and adjusting her approach.

    3. Pinpoint touchpoints in her journey

    Each phase involves specific actions, tools, and emotions:

    Discovery phase

    • Actions: Notices fatigue and schedules a doctor’s checkup.

    • Tools: Google, health blogs, doctor consultations.

    • Emotions: Frustrated but hopeful.

    Gathering tools phase

    • Actions: Researches workouts, downloads apps, watches tutorials, and books therapy.

    • Tools: Fitness apps, YouTube, Pinterest, therapy booking platforms.

    • Emotions: Excited but overwhelmed by choices.

    Planning phase

    • Actions: Creates a weekly schedule, stocks up on healthy groceries, sets fitness goals.

    • Tools: Calendar apps, grocery delivery services, fitness trackers.

    • Emotions: Optimistic but concerned about staying consistent.

    Taking action phase

    • Actions: Starts swimming and yoga, prepares meals, tracks therapy progress.

    • Tools: Yoga videos, meal prep tools, therapy apps.

    • Emotions: Motivated but occasionally discouraged by slow progress.

    Tracking progress phase

    • Actions: Logs workouts and meals, tracks mobility milestones, celebrates small wins.

    • Tools: Journaling tools, fitness apps, wearable trackers.

    • Emotions: Encouraged but uncertain about long-term goals.

    4. Analyze actions and emotions

    Pain points:

    • Discovery: Uncertainty about where to start.

    • Gathering Tools: Overwhelmed by too many choices.

    • Planning: Difficulty creating a sustainable routine.

    • Taking Action: Frustrated by slow progress and managing multiple tools.

    • Tracking Progress: Difficulty seeing improvements beyond weight loss.

    Opportunities:

    • Create integrated solutions combining fitness, nutrition, and therapy tracking.

    • Simplify onboarding for apps with tailored recovery plans.

    • Celebrate non-scale victories to keep users motivated.

    5. Use Lindsey’s UX map to design solutions

    By understanding Lindsey’s experience, you can identify actionable ways to improve her journey:

    • Discovery phase: Provide beginner-friendly guides for injury recovery.

    • Gathering tools phase: Offer curated fitness plans linked to therapy schedules.

    • Planning phase: Develop an all-in-one app that syncs workouts, meals, and appointments.

    • Taking action phase: Add interactive features that adjust based on user feedback.

    • Tracking progress phase: Highlight non-scale wins like improved mobility or endurance.

    Benefits of UX mapping

    As you can see, Lindsey’s UX map provides a clear, holistic view of her journey. Whether you’re designing a product, offering services, or coaching clients, this kind of mapping helps you identify how your solution can fit into the broader complexity of someone’s life — and make a real difference. Here are a few other benefits of UX mapping:

    • Empathy-building: Helps you design solutions that address real frustrations, whether creating a meal prep app or offering tailored gym programs.

    • Team alignment: Provides a shared framework for designers, marketers, and other stakeholders to collaborate effectively.

    • Pain point identification: Highlights specific struggles like balancing schedules or managing conflicting advice.

    • Strategic decision-making: Focuses efforts on impactful features, like integrating meal planning with fitness tracking or celebrating recovery milestones.

    Choose the best tools for your UX mapping journey

    Mapping a user experience is, in itself, a user experience — and if you’ve tried it, you know it can quickly become overwhelming. Just as your users navigate a maze of challenges to achieve their goals, you’re faced with the intricate task of connecting all the dots in their journey. That’s where having the right tools can make all the difference. Here are a few you can use:

    • Figma: Ideal for collaborative visual mapping with your team.

    • Miro: A versatile digital whiteboard for brainstorming and organizing ideas.

    • Lucidchart: Great for structured, process-driven diagrams.

    • TheyDo: A robust journey management platform designed for comprehensive mapping and collaboration. 

    Do more with TheyDo — the ultimate people-first platform

    User experience mapping is about understanding real people and solving their real problems. More than just a tool, TheyDo is a centralized platform that helps teams align around the people they serve. 

    With TheyDo, you’re not just mapping journeys — you’re embedding them into the heart of your organization so you can create meaningful, empowering solutions that seamlessly fit into people’s lives. By using it to map the full experiece first, you can make it easier for your users to “just do it” — even if your product is only one touchpoint on their messy, exciting, complexly rich path. Get started for free today and see how TheyDo can help you achieve your CX goals.