July 2026
Intermediate to advanced
378 pages
10h 17m
English
Content preview from Mapping Experiences, 3rd Edition
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CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7. Illustrate: Visualizing the Experience
Graphical excellence is that which gives to the viewer the greatest number of ideas in the shortest time with the least ink in the smallest space.
IN THIS CHAPTER
- Layout and form of a diagram
- Consolidating the content
- Designing the information
- Tools and software
- Collaborative methods for diagramming
“I’m not a graphic designer and can’t draw. How can I possibly create a diagram?”
I get that reaction a lot in my experience mapping workshops. There’s good news: mapping is not about artistic talent. It’s about bringing all your findings into a single, cohesive storyline. The hard part isn’t the styling; it’s creating an insightful narrative of the experience.
Consider the diagram in Figure 7-1, created by Eric Berkman, coauthor of Designing Mobile Interfaces. Visually, it has very few elements, but it reveals key insights about both positive and negative aspects of service at a Starbucks coffee shop. Diagrams don’t need to have elaborate graphics to be effective.
Figure 7-1. A simple diagram is sometimes all that is needed to provide insight.
In some cases, a mere row of sticky notes on a wall may be all that’s required—for instance, in a small startup where you’re working closely together informally. Other times, such as if you’re presenting to ...
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I wanted to learn C and C++, but it didn't click for me until I picked up an O'Reilly book. When I went on the O’Reilly platform, I was astonished to find all the books there, plus live events and sandboxes so you could play around with the technology.Addison B.
I’ve been on the O’Reilly platform for more than eight years. I use a couple of learning platforms, but I'm on O'Reilly more than anybody else. When you're there, you start learning. I'm never disappointed.Amir M.
I'm always learning. So when I got on to O'Reilly, I was like a kid in a candy store. There are playlists. There are answers. There's on-demand training. It's worth its weight in gold, in terms of what it allows me to do.