This document provides an overview of the steps to create a customer experience map. It begins with conducting user interviews to understand customer needs, tasks, pain points and emotions at each stage of their journey. The identified needs and tasks are then arranged into a sequential flow with phases and levels. Key signature moments and pain points are identified. Features and content ideas are then brainstormed to address customer needs. The map is then prioritized to identify the most important tasks and features for the customer. Tips are provided on involving stakeholders, making refinements, allowing time for discussion, and using the right language. The overall process aims to create a strategic document that helps manage requirements and identify opportunities to improve the customer experience.

1. Planning the perfect user experience
Chui Chui Tan
陈璀璀
@ChuiSquared
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2. Find 4 people in a group
Decide a name for the team
Introduce yourself within the group
10 minutes
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3. All our stakeholders have different ideas?
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4. All our stakeholders have different ideas?
We keep copying competitors instead of being original?
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5. All our stakeholders have different ideas?
We keep copying competitors instead of being original?
How do we prioritise features and content?
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6. All our stakeholders have different ideas?
We keep copying competitors instead of being original?
How do we prioritise features and content?
How to we uncover unknown needs?
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7. All our stakeholders have different ideas?
We keep copying competitors instead of being original?
How do we prioritise features and content?
How to we uncover unknown needs?
How do we design multi-channel experiences?
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8. Think about examples of problems you’ve in your company.
Choose 3 big strategic problems
15 minutes
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10. 6

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13. 7

14. What is a customer experience map?
A single strategic document which could help you:
• Manage requirements
• See the big picture
• Prioritise what should be done and what can wait
• Identify hidden needs or spot gaps in the service
• Create narratives

15. 9

16. Tasks
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17. Tasks
9

18. Tasks
9

19. Tasks
9

20. Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
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21. Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
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22. Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
10

23. Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
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24. Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
12

25. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
13

26. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
13

27. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
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29. Experience Cheat Sheet
Name of product / service
Practical: it makes
Simpler
Emotional: it makes me feel
Values: What it says about me
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30. Experience CHeat Sheet
Name of product / service Photojojo
Buying Photo
Practical: it makes
supplies
Simpler
Emotional: it makes me feel Playful
Values: What it says about me i’m Creative
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32. 19

33. 20

34. 20

35. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
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36. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
Web
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37. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
Web
Call centre
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38. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
Web
Call centre
Competitor
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39. Emotion
Choosing
Specifying
Financing
Buying
Tasks
What
users do
Web
Call centre
Competitor
Phase 2
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41. 23

42. Exercise
Go back to your group (4 in a group)
Think of a brand that you’re familiar with which:
- Sell shoes
- Sell hotel rooms
- Sell cars
5 minutes
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43. Exercise
Within the group, divide into two groups of two:
Group A
Group B
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44. Think about the brand you’ve chosen
Group A
Fill in the experience cheat sheet for this brand
Experience Cheat Sheet
Name of product / service
Practical: it makes
Simpler
Emotional: it makes me feel
Values: What it says about me
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45. Come out with a list of interview questions
Group B
You can use the guide below as the reference
To gather context and collect details
Ask about sequence
Ask about quantity
Ask for specific examples
Ask for the complete list
Ask for relationships
Ask about organisational structure
To probe what’s unsaid
Ask for clarification
Ask about code words/native languages
Ask about emotional cues
Ask why
Probe delicately
Probe without presuming
Explain to an outsider
Teach another
Questions that create contrasts to uncover frameworks and mental models
Compare processes
Compare to others
Compare across time
Steve Portigal - http://www.portigal.com/blog/seventeen-types-of-interviewing-questions/
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46. Interview users and gather tasks / needs 25 minutes
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47. Interview users and gather tasks / needs 25 minutes
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0
0
0
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0
0
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Researchers: Ask the buyers to describe
0
their purchase.
Listen for their needs ‘I needed to...’
Listen for tasks ‘I did this...’
0
0
0
Write down one need or task per Post-Its
Don’t worry about what medium or
channel they used.
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48. Buying shoes
The research asks the buyer to describe their purchase.
Begin when they first started thinking about buying the shoes or even before that. Go
back as far as possible.
Finish after they’d bought the shoes and taken delivery - often they’ll have had some
contact with the vendor after purchase such as returns.
Listen for their needs and tasks. Don’t worry about what medium or channel they
used.
Write down one need or task per post-it.
Tips
Ask about the other people they spoke to (for advice, customer service, inspiration, or
because they would be wearing the clothes!).
When they needed to make a decision or trade-off, what was important to them?
If you have time, get them to go back over their story. You may find they revise what
they did.
Listen for words that described how they felt. Especially: were they anxious or
surprised at any point. Why was this?
Think about the four contexts (physical, social, temporal, task).
Which one(s) influenced their behaviour at each stage?
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49. Booking a hotel
The research asks the buyer to describe their booking.
Begin when they first started thinking about finding a hotel for themselves to stay in
(that’s important) - this is probably a while before the trip. Go back as far as possible.
Finish after they’d returned from the trip - often they’ll have had some contact with the
vendor after purchase.
Listen for their needs and tasks. Don’t worry about what medium or channel they used.
Write down one need or task per post-it.
Tips
Ask about the other people they spoke to (for advice, customer service, inspiration, or
because they would be wearing the clothes!).
When they needed to make a decision or trade-off, what was important to them?
If you have time, get them to go back over their story. You may find they revise what they
did.
Listen for words that described how they felt. Especially: were they anxious or surprised at
any point. Why was this?
Think about the four contexts (physical, social, temporal, task).
Which one(s) influenced their behaviour at each stage?
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50. Mobile car configurator
The researcher asks the buyer to describe their purchase.
Begin when they first started thinking about buying a new car - this is probably a long time
before the actual purchase. Go back as far as possible.
Finish after they’d bought the car and experienced it - often they’ll have had some contact
with the vendor after purchase.
Listen for their needs and tasks. Don’t worry about what medium or channel they used.
Write down one need or task per post-it.
Tips
Ask about the other people they spoke to (for advice, customer service, inspiration, or
because they would use the car, too).
When they needed to make a decision or trade-off, what was important to them?
If you have time, get them to go back over their story. You may find they revise what they
did.
Listen for words that described how they felt. Especially: were they anxious or surprised at
any point. Why was this?
Think about the four contexts (physical, social, temporal, task).
Which one(s) influenced their behaviour at each stage?
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51. 32

52. Arrange tasks / needs into sequence, create levels & phases 20 minutes
Phase 1
0
task 1
Phase 2
0
task 2
0
task 3
0
task 4
Phase 3
0
task 5
0
0
0
0
0
0
task 6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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53. Arrange tasks / needs into sequence, create levels & phases 20 minutes
Phase 1
0
task 1
Phase 2
0
task 2
0
task 3
0
task 4
Phase 3
0
task 5
0
0
0
0
task 6
0
0Combine your findings with the other
0
0
groups at your table
Get rid of duplicates
0
0
0
0Get the language right, no channel specific
0
0
Is everything at the same ‘level’?
Break big tasks into sub-tasks or group
small tasks to super-tasks
Break them into phases
Arrange them from start to finish
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54. Identify pain-points & emotions 20 minutes
Emotion
Phase 1
task
1
0
Phase 2
task
2
0
task
3
0
task
4
0
Phase 3
task
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
task 6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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55. Identify pain-points & emotions 20 minutes
Something
else to do
AHHHHH
So much to
think about
Phase 1
task
1
0
Too many choices
Phase 2
task
2
0
task
3
0
task
4
0
Phase 3
task
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
task 6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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56. Identify pain-points & emotions 20 minutes
Something
else to do
AHHHHH
So much to
think about
Phase 1
task
1
0
Too many choices
Phase 2
task
2
0
task
3
0
0
0
0
task
4
0
Phase 3
task
5
0
0
task 6
0
Think about the emotions people have for
each task.
0
0
0
Get more input from the ‘buyers’ if
necessary.
0
0
0
Find a way to document these0
emotions.
0
0
Identify the FIVE main pain points.
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57. Identify potential signature moments 20 minutes
Emotion
Phase
1
task
1
0
Phase
2
task
2
0
task
3
0
task
4
0
Phase
3
task
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
task 6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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58. Identify potential signature moments 20 minutes
Emotion
Phase
1
task
1
0
Phase
2
task
2
0
task
3
0
task
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Phase
3
task
5
0
0
task 6
0
Refer back to your brand cheat sheet.
0
0
0
Identify FIVE tasks which are particularly
relevant to your brand.
Replace them with another colour
0
0
0
See if any of them match up with the pain
points you identified earlier
(NOTE: They don’t always have to)
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59. Brainstorm content / features 20 minutes
Emotion
Phase 1
0
task 1
Phase 2
0
Phase 3
0
task 3
0
task 4
0
task 5
0
task 2
0
0
0
0
0
task 6
0
our
site
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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60. Brainstorm content / features 20 minutes
Emotion
Phase 1
0
task 1
Phase 2
0
task 2
0
0
0
0
task 3
0
0
0
task 4
Phase 3
0
task 5
0
task 6
0
Brainstorm the features and content that
0
0
you think will be important to the uses
under each column.
0
Write the name of the feature / content
0
and the0
need it meets.
e.g. ‘Photo tour: Lets user see the hotel’
our
site
0
0
0
0
Sometimes you’ll think of a second or third
0
feature 0 achieves the same thing.
that
e.g. ‘Video tour: Lets user see the hotel’
0
0
Try to come up with features for every
0
column.
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61. Prioritsing 20 minutes
Emotion
Phase 1
0
task 1
Phase 2
0
task 2
0
task 3
0
task 4
Phase 3
0
task 5
0
0
task 6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
our
site
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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62. Prioritsing 20 minutes
Emotion
Phase 1
0
task 1
Phase 2
0
task 2
0
task 3
0
task 4
Phase 3
0
task 5
0
0
0
0
task 6
0
0
0
0
Take 3 stickers each.
0
0
0
0
Choose the most important tasks for the
0
user. 0
Do you agree? Do you see any patterns?
our
site
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Take 3 stickers each
0
Choose the features you like best
0
Do these match up with the users’ needs?
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63. 39

64. 40

65. 41

66. 42

67. 43

68. Customer Experience Map Tips
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69. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
44

70. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
44

71. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
44

72. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
4. Remember some tasks belong in two places on the Map.
44

73. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
4. Remember some tasks belong in two places on the Map.
5. Remember the map is not linear - users may move back and forth on the map as
they complete their task - but overall, it flows left to right.
44

74. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
4. Remember some tasks belong in two places on the Map.
5. Remember the map is not linear - users may move back and forth on the map as
they complete their task - but overall, it flows left to right.
6. Remember use the right language to describe each need or what users do (e.g. no
channel specific)
44

75. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
4. Remember some tasks belong in two places on the Map.
5. Remember the map is not linear - users may move back and forth on the map as
they complete their task - but overall, it flows left to right.
6. Remember use the right language to describe each need or what users do (e.g. no
channel specific)
7. When you’re choosing the most important features / content remember different
personas will have different needs. Do the exercise for each persona.
44

76. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
4. Remember some tasks belong in two places on the Map.
5. Remember the map is not linear - users may move back and forth on the map as
they complete their task - but overall, it flows left to right.
6. Remember use the right language to describe each need or what users do (e.g. no
channel specific)
7. When you’re choosing the most important features / content remember different
personas will have different needs. Do the exercise for each persona.
8. Be aware of hierarchy - you may want to run through the exercise with groups of
stakeholders and have a joint ‘wash up’ meeting.
44

77. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
4. Remember some tasks belong in two places on the Map.
5. Remember the map is not linear - users may move back and forth on the map as
they complete their task - but overall, it flows left to right.
6. Remember use the right language to describe each need or what users do (e.g. no
channel specific)
7. When you’re choosing the most important features / content remember different
personas will have different needs. Do the exercise for each persona.
8. Be aware of hierarchy - you may want to run through the exercise with groups of
stakeholders and have a joint ‘wash up’ meeting.
9. Some people will struggle to participate or contribute. Encourage them, but
remember not to push them.
44

78. Customer Experience Map Tips
1. Involve your stakeholders - let them watch user interviews and take notes.
2. Make a rough cut of the Customer Experience Map and then get stakeholders to
help refine it. This helps them get familiar with the map.
3. Discussing and agreeing tasks and groupings takes time - and is where much of
the value lies.
4. Remember some tasks belong in two places on the Map.
5. Remember the map is not linear - users may move back and forth on the map as
they complete their task - but overall, it flows left to right.
6. Remember use the right language to describe each need or what users do (e.g. no
channel specific)
7. When you’re choosing the most important features / content remember different
personas will have different needs. Do the exercise for each persona.
8. Be aware of hierarchy - you may want to run through the exercise with groups of
stakeholders and have a joint ‘wash up’ meeting.
9. Some people will struggle to participate or contribute. Encourage them, but
remember not to push them.
10.Acknowledge and thank everyone individually during the day. Remind people
how they contributed.
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79. Additional references
http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/the-anatomy-of-an-experience-map/
http://mappingexperiences.com/
http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2011/12/06/effective-user-researchtransforming-minds-of-clients/
http://www.servicedesigntools.org/tools/8
http://blogs.hbr.org/2010/11/using-customer-journey-maps-to/
http://quaero.csgi.com/writable/files/mapping_customer_journey.pdf
https://www.pinterest.com/ddeboard/ux-customer-experience-maps/
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80. See it on:
Five Simple Steps (Publisher)
Amazon
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81. Thank you!
Chui Chui Tan
@ChuiSquared