Skip to main content
Next Step PM
Back to the library

Design · Core

Map the user journey end to end

A journey map shows every step a user takes to reach their goal, including steps outside your product. It reveals where the experience breaks and makes sure the design solves the whole problem, not just one screen.

About 1-3 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026

Who this applies to

Skills it builds
Design and user experienceDiscovery and research
PM types
All
Product types
All
Starting points
All
Ways of working
All
Experience
All
Size of organisation
All

Steps, by experience

Beginner (under 1 year)

  1. Choose one type of user and one goal, for example 'a new customer setting up their first account'.
  2. List every step they take from start to finish, including emails, phone calls and offline steps.
  3. For each step, note what they are doing, thinking and feeling, using research evidence.
  4. Mark the pain points and moments that matter most.
  5. Add the behind-the-scenes steps your organisation or systems take.
  6. Mark where your chosen solution changes the journey, and check nothing breaks before or after it.

Intermediate (1 to 4 years)

  1. Map the current journey for one user type and goal, using research evidence.
  2. Include touchpoints outside the product and the behind-the-scenes processes.
  3. Highlight pain points and map the future journey with the chosen concept.
  4. Share the map and use it to scope the work.

Experienced (5+ years)

  1. Map journeys for the main user segments and show where they differ.
  2. Connect journey pain points to data and to the business processes behind them.
  3. Use the future journey to spot dependencies on other teams and systems early.
  4. Make the journey map a shared artefact that guides prioritisation across teams.

Who can do this

Owner: Product manager

Can be delegated to

  • UX Designer or User Researcher: Draw the current and future journey maps
  • User Researcher: Supply research evidence for each step
  • Business Analyst: Map the behind-the-scenes processes and systems

Reviewed by: Tech Lead, Content Designer

Tool examples

Miro
Use a journey map template with lanes for actions, thoughts, feelings, pain points and back-stage processes.
Mural
Build the map with the team and add research quotes on each step.
Figma
Create a polished version of the map to share with stakeholders.
Claude
Paste research notes and ask it to draft the steps of the journey, then check every step against the evidence.

Definition of done

  • Current journey mapped with evidence and pain points
  • Future journey shows how the chosen concept changes it
  • Map shared and used to agree scope

Common pitfalls

  • Mapping only the steps inside your product
  • Filling the map with assumptions instead of research
  • Making the map once and never using it again

If you lead the team

What good looks like: Teams understand the user's whole journey, including steps outside the product.

Ask your PM

  • Where in the journey do users struggle most?
  • Which steps sit with other teams or organisations?

Warning signs

  • Teams only know their own screens.
  • Hand-offs between teams cause repeated complaints.

Do these first

Sources