In its most basic form, journey mapping starts by compiling a series of user goals and actions into a timeline skeleton. Next, the skeleton is fleshed out with user thoughts and emotions in in order to create a narrative. Finally, that narrative is condensed into a visualization used to communicate insights that will inform design processes.
Journey mapping combines two powerful instruments: storytelling and visualization.
Storytelling and visualization are essential facets of journey mapping because they are effective mechanisms for conveying information in a way that is memorable, concise and that creates a shared vision. Fragmented understanding is chronic in organizations where KPIs are...
Maintaining a native app can be complicated not only for users, but also for developers (especially if they have to deal with multiple versions of the same information on different platforms): Changes have to be packaged in a new version and placed in the app store. On the other hand, maintaining a
If the file foo.txt was a text file and the application required a graphics file, this command would constitute an error on the semantic level of the dialogue even though it was syntactically correct. Therefore, the user would get some kind of error message ranging from "ILLEGAL FILE" to "The file
Percent-done progress indicators are the most informative type of wait-animation feedback. They show the current progress, how much has already been accomplished, and how much is left. They convey important information about (approximately) how long the wait time is. This information gives users
A 60-Second Trailer of the 60-Day Report on Cybersecurity
Finally, Hathaway sees this as a unique opportunity for the United States to work with countries around the world, and with organizations on an extremely local level. “We cannot succeed if our government works in isolation,” she added. It requires “leading from the top” from
Blockchain Scalability: Even If Most Transactions Are in Layer II We Still Need a Layer I
The ‘Master Workshop: Layer I Solutions’ event, in Amsterdam 17-18 November, will bring together those working on every corner of layer I scalability. From the DAG-based cryptocurrency framework, to the creation of secure, scalable decentralized ledgers via sharding, the workshop will be a
A Tale of Two Bubbles: Why Cryptocurrency Isn’t the Next Dot-Com
The international scope of this marketplace presents both unique challenges and an array of opportunities. Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, argues that blockchain offers particular value in parts of the world where people can’t yet trust their institutions — places such as Africa, India
Brand Is Experience in the Digital Age
In their definition of user experience, Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen claim that “the first requirement for an exemplary user experience is to meet the exact needs of the customer, without fuss or bother.” Brands that choose to address an unmet user need at the core of their business are
when and how to create customer journey maps
Accot-Zhai Steering Law: Implications for UI Design
On MacOS, moving the mouse cursor through a hierarchical menu involves a series of linear path-steering tasks separated by 90-degree turns. Within the main menu, submenus open on hover. Note that the second step in this L-shaped sequence (moving from Find to its child menu) involves the
Popups: 10 Problematic Trends and Alternatives
Rather than showing email popups early on, think of when users might be most comfortable sharing their email addresses with you. Are they browsing a category which has an applicable promotional code? Or maybe they’ve just read (or scanned) an entire blog post. These actions could be appropriate
Communicating Ecommerce Discounts and Promotions
On Macys.com, a user went directly to a designer’s page, hoping that it would include sale items from that designer. “If I go to a designer I like, I wonder if the things by that designer that are on sale will be there?” When she got to the page, she was pleased to see sale items listed. She
Modes in User Interfaces: When They Help and When They Hurt Users
However, even this simple interface also includes access to a mode. Normally, typing a letter in either of the views will highlight other items, based on their names. However, if you click on the text label once, after that item is already selected and highlighted, the name of the item flips into
Store Finders and Locators
Another noticeable change over our years of research is users’ increasing reliance on external mapping tools such as Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze to provide turn-by-turn directions. Companies have reacted to this new state of facts. In Study 4, only two of the 11 sites tested used an on-site
Naughty or Nice: Check Your Ecommerce Site Twice! .
Every year it can feel like the holidays sneak up on us. We assemble, we strategize, and we take the necessary precautions yet we frequently feel like we are scrambling. For ecommerce businesses, this time of year is crucial not only for generating revenue but for generating recurrent relationships
when and how to create customer journey maps
A Look Back at the 2018 WP Engine Summit
Next, WP Engine Founder and Chief Technical Officer Jason Cohen, provided insight into WordPress as a solution for a developer and marketers everyday woes as well as a solution for the growing needs of tomorrow’s digital landscape. Today, he said, WordPress powers nearly a third of the web, and
WordPress for Good: Relieving Fatigue .
In this segment, we highlight Untire, an application that helps cancer patients and survivors reduce cancer-related fatigue (CRF) symptoms and regain life. CRF is a common side-effect of cancer and related treatments; patients describe it as a paralyzing level of fatigue that leaves patients
Wizards: Definition and Design Recommendations
Mint.com: This wizard for determining the best credit card for a user blocked access to the credit score, available in a different area of the application. Luckily our study participant could remember her score without quitting the wizard. (A better design would have skipped this step entirely and
Long-Term Exposure to Flat Design: How the Trend Slowly Makes Users Less Efficient
You may ask: isn’t it a good thing if users are forced to pay more attention to language and placement of design elements on the screen? In our course on the foundations of HCI we teach that deep processing is better for memory than shallow processing (in other words, processing the meaning and
Cards: UI-Component Definition
A gaze plot of a user's eyetracking session on a card-based layout. The user was asked to find and read a story that looked interesting to her. The flexible-card layout does not clearly indicate a hierarchy of stories in order, so the user looks around back and forth in a semirandom pattern
The Evolution of Healthcare Data: 5 Little Known Facts
With more hospitals using EHR, HITECH and HIPAA were revised and expanded in 2013. Fixes included increased protection and control for patients over their own data. Today, hospitals must adhere to strict data security guidelines or face non-compliance consequences. HIPAA audits look at about 180
SEO DIY: Optimize Your Startup’s Website Yourself
Anyone who pays attention to the world of search engine optimization knows that maximizing your company’s search results on Google and other search engines is not something you can do with a quick pin here and a hasty status update there. It’s a full-time job. But if you’re
The Biggest Hacking Risk? Your Employees
Consider something as seemingly innocuous as your printers. These can be easily hijacked and sent print jobs, such as when a hacker named “Weev” was able to access public computers nationwide and print anti-Semitic literature. Kevin Pickhardt, CEO of enterprise print solutions provider Pharos
Despite What You Hear, You Don’t Need VC Funding
According to the most recent edition of PitchBook’s Venture Monitor, the first half of 2018 saw 94 investment deals surpassing the $100 million mark, continuing a trend in which late-stage successful startups and larger companies receive the lion’s share of VC funding allocations. That’s
when and how to create customer journey maps
Want to Set Your Small Business Up For Success? Do This.
Competition today is fierce and small businesses must try to differentiate themselves in whatever ways they can. When products are the same or similar, a consumer’s decision is based on what kind of company he or she wants to support. So take some time to think about the values that are important
A 60-Second Trailer of the 60-Day Report on Cybersecurity
She explained that the original design of the Internet was driven more by considerations of interoperability rather than security, and as a result we are now faced with almost insurmountable issues. Some examples include online criminals who steal our information, mass bandits who have the ability
When and How to Create Customer Journey Maps | The Same Link Twice on the Same Page: Do Duplicates Help or Hurt?
The Same Link Twice on the Same Page: Do Duplicates Help or Hurt?
It’s true that duplicating a link can increase overall traffic to a destination, but that’s simply because you are promoting that item more heavily than others and giving it more screen space. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture by focusing only on one metric: the extra traffic from one
Breaking Web Design Conventions = Breaking the User Experience
Design navigation that is always visible, with a level of depth and breadth that is appropriate for your content. Navigation helps users understand where they can move on the site, so make sure users can see it. In this way, you will increase findability and discoverability, so that visitors can
Login Walls Stop Users in Their Tracks
Login walls require a significant interaction cost: users must remember their credentials (if they have an account) or take the time to create a new account. Therefore, sites should use them only if users will benefit significantly from the presence of these walls. Applications that are highly
