# Today's User Journey ## Overview It’s easy to map out what a process *should* look like. But it’s much more valuable to understand how people *actually* experience it. A journey map helps you visualise a real user's experience step by step—from their perspective, not the organisation’s. This tool helps teams break down what a person goes through when using a service, from start to finish. It’s not just about the steps, but also what the user is thinking, feeling, or struggling with at each point. That’s where the insights—and the opportunities to improve—often lie. {% embed url="" %} [Open in Google Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GVWi6MS2dI8PL73Ce-2y1ZmP1Q6Vo0ErPjPyRMiyyl8/edit?usp=sharing)\ [Open template in Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TCvMD9--lwYPib8QZziFohZ89EY9PkA5rRFdn5qWZRo/edit?gid=0#gid=0) {% endembed %} {% hint style="info" %} **⏱️ Time:** 45–60 minutes 👫 **Participants:** Team members who conducted interviews or observations 🛠️ **Materials:** Today’s Journey template, persona profiles, interview/observation notes {% endhint %} ## Input Before completing this canvas, ensure you have completed the following steps: {% content-ref url="/pages/25ercnBIWRf7oqQ2v9Zb" %} [User Observation](/publicservicebooster/design-steps/3-understand-what-is-happening-now-and-why/user-observation.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/gWC17DeoB6orXEmMZrYI" %} [Persona](/publicservicebooster/design-steps/3-understand-what-is-happening-now-and-why/persona.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/22vefPq0E1dWJwMsbjXn" %} [User Interview](/publicservicebooster/design-steps/3-understand-what-is-happening-now-and-why/user-interview.md) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Context Use this tool after conducting user interviews or observations. It helps you make sense of what users shared by turning their story into a visual experience. You can also co-create it with users directly, especially in workshops or interviews. Use one template per user (or per persona), and if you have 3–4 different user types, you’ll likely need 3–4 different maps. ## Recipe {% stepper %} {% step %} #### Choose a persona Select a real or representative user based on your research ([interviews](/publicservicebooster/design-steps/3-understand-what-is-happening-now-and-why/user-interview.md) and [observations](/publicservicebooster/design-steps/3-understand-what-is-happening-now-and-why/user-observation.md)). You can use the [Persona](/publicservicebooster/design-steps/3-understand-what-is-happening-now-and-why/persona.md) tool to guide this. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Clarify their goal What were they trying to do? What outcome were they hoping for? {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Map the journey Fill in the journey step-by-step: * **Start:** How did the user first engage with the service? * **Steps:** What did they do next? What forms, channels, or people were involved? * **End:** How did the experience conclude? {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Add user actions and insights For each step, describe what the user did, how they felt, and what stood out. Note any pain-points, workarounds, or emotional reactions. {% endstep %} {% step %} #### Define the challenge for the user during the journey What was hard about the experience? Where did things break down? {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ## Results * A clear, visual representation of how a user experiences the service from start to finish * Key pain-points, emotional highs and lows, and moments of confusion or frustration * Opportunities to improve specific steps, remove friction, or align better with user expectations * A shared reference for the team to build empathy and prioritise improvements ## Tips * **Stick to real experiences** – Build each map from actual interviews or observations, not assumptions. Try not just to guess what users felt—use their words. * **Keep it simple** – Don’t overcomplicate the map with too much technical detail. Focus on what matters to the user. * **Use visuals** – Arrows, icons, emojis, or colour-coding (e.g. red = frustration, green = satisfaction) can make patterns easier to spot. * **Compare across users** – Mapping multiple journeys side by side can reveal systemic issues or variations in experience. * **Don’t treat it as final** – Journey maps evolve. Revisit them as you learn more. *** ### [Share Your Experience](https://padlet.com/opsi/innovation-booster-collaboration-lmuadp5wornnbo86) We'd love to hear how you're using this tool! Please share your examples and feedback to inspire others and help improve the Booster. Submit your example today and be part of our community. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://oecd-public-service-innovation-b.gitbook.io/publicservicebooster/design-steps/3-understand-what-is-happening-now-and-why/todays-user-journey.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.