Mapping Experiences, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 12. Experience Maps

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Overview of experience maps
• Related models: day-in-the-life diagrams, workflow diagrams, and job maps
• Elements of an experience map
• Case study: Mapping the domestic violence journey

We tend to consider a map of an experience in relation to the use of a product or service, as seen with service blueprints and customer journey maps. For sure, much of this book focuses on mapping commercially oriented experiences. But that need not be the case. It’s also possible to map experiences independent of a given product or service.

In particular, experience maps (as defined in this book) look at the broader context of human activity, beyond the offerings of just one organization. They show the connections between people, places, and things, and they aid in the design of ­ecosystems.

In other words, experience maps as defined here have a completely different point of view than, say, customer journey maps. Rather than seeing the individual as a consumer of a brand or offering, you can instead focus on their objectives and goals regardless of the solution.

For instance, consider the diagram in Figure 12-1, created by Sarah Brooks, chief design officer at the US Department of Veteran Affairs.^* This is a map of a military veteran’s life experiences, reflecting a wide range of disparate goals and objectives over time. There is no “Awareness” or “Purchase” phase here because the map takes a different point of view from a classic ...