Mapping Experiences, 2nd Edition

PREFACE

Second Edition Preface

My journey with mapping experiences began around 2005, while I was working for LexisNexis. At the time, we were intent on understanding the workflows of legal professionals. There was only scattered literature on the topic of mapping back then, and I was forced to navigate different approaches myself. In many ways, the first edition of Mapping Experiences is the sum of my mistakes and observations along the way.

Mapping has become mainstream over the past decade or so. Stakeholders are now asking for “customer journey maps” by name, even if they don’t know exactly what they are requesting. Mapping experiences and associated fields, such as experience design, service design, and customer experience management, are maturing quickly to keep up with demand.

As I continue to watch the field, I’ve noticed five trends since Mapping Experiences was published in 2016.

First of all, mapping is moving from an activity focused on a deliverable to one of actionability. It’s not about the map (the noun), but about the mapping (a verb). The mapmaker necessarily becomes a facilitator, and the map becomes a springboard into collective sense making around human experience. Chapters 8–9 have been rewritten to better reflect this trend, and many of the case studies included in this edition highlight how to make mapping more actionable.

A second trend is an increased focus on multichannel experience design and ecosystem mapping. Although I touched on those topics ...