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User journey template

Define the user experience to identify opportunities to improve

User journey

Use this collaborative template to gain a more complete understanding of your user's experience, from the phases they have to go through to the emotions that they experience at each stage. Through this exercise, you'll identify first the user’s pain points and then opportunities for improvements along the journey.

5 benefits of creating a user journey

  1. User journeys can help simplify complex processes.

  2. User journeys make it easier to see the "big picture" and understand how all the pieces fit together.

  3. User journeys can help you identify potential pain points and areas for improvement.

  4. User journeys foster creative thinking and help you craft a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.

  5. User journeys can help you better understand your users and their needs.

How to use the user journey template

Step 1: Detail each phase of the user journey

What are the phases of the process? For example, if the user is going to the market, the overarching phases of the trip are getting ready to leave, traveling to the market, shopping, and returning home.

Step 2: Map out the steps of each phase

What steps are involved in the above phases? For example, in order to get ready to leave, the user will likely collect any shopping bags that they have, prepare a list of items they want to buy, decide on a mode of transportation, etc.

Step 3: Add what each user should feel during every phase

What should the user feel as they move through the phases? For example, if the user is preparing to leave for the market, they might be thinking, 'what is it that I'd like to make for dinner this week?' How does what the user is feeling affect their journey?

Step 4: Outline any pain points for each phase

What are some issues that the user is likely to face as they move through each phase? In the market example, it's possible that they don't have enough shopping bags to carry all of the goods they would like to buy.

Step 5: List out the opportunities for improvement based on the steps, feelings, and pain points the user feels

What opportunities for improvement can you identify that would make the phases or the individual steps easier for the user? Using the above market example again, how could planning be facilitated, or transport addressed? What could be simplified or streamlined so that the user has a smoother and easier experience overall?

Build and improve user journeys easily and collaboratively

Features that make brainstorming, ideation, organization, and building next steps a snap.
Sticky notes & text

Sticky notes & text

Add ideas, action items, and more as a sticky note or text box — then change the colors and cluster to identify patterns and new solutions.

Real-time collaboration

Real-time collaboration

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Commenting

Commenting

Add comments and tag collaborators for smooth asynchronous communication.

Anonymous voting

Anonymous voting

Gain consensus and reach alignment quickly, either in real time or asynchronously.

Find & filter

Find & filter

Search and filter by color, last edited by, and more to unlock patterns and enhance visual collaboration.

Mapping and diagramming

Mapping and diagramming

Build quick and easy visualizations of flows, maps, processes, hierarchies, journeys, and more.

User journey template frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of creating user journeys?

What is the difference between user story and user journey?

What is user journey mapping?

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