JourneysFlows ~20 min · 7 steps

Scenarios

Listing features is a start, but thinking through a beginning, middle, and end shows how someone experiences them.

Overview

This is one of the most powerful ideation tools you can have. You don't need to be an expert at process mapping or drawing perfect screens. The basics are easy — just literal boxes, arrows, and some text.

People often think of new products or features but don't put time into thinking about how something flows. This is one of the most important parts of ideation, and one of the easiest.

What steps does someone take to use a feature? How do they start, maintain, and finish? Doing this exercise helps you think further ahead and more fully prepare an experience that's useful and delightful.

You do this every day in your own mind when you think about where to park at the grocery store, what's on your list, what aisles you'll go down, and whether you'll use self-checkout.

Consider the Peak-End Rule

The peak-end rule is a concept in psychology that suggests people judge their experiences based on the emotional intensity of the peak (the most intense moment) and the end of the experience.

This means the way an experience ends has a big impact on how people remember and evaluate it. So when designing an experience, consider not just the overall flow, but the emotional impact of specific moments and the way the experience ends.

The worksheet

Map three steps from start to desired result. Then capture two more scenarios for the same experience.

How to do it

Think about the experience or feature you're designing for. List the key events that happen and write them in the "Events" space.

Think about the ideal outcome of someone going through this and write it in the "Desired Result" space — submitting something, buying something, or just leaving better than when they started.

Next, consider the three most important steps to get to the desired result. Start with words at each step in the flow, then sketch a little version of what happens for each box and adjust your notes.

Now that you've captured one scenario, try two more unique ways this same experience could happen — or map two more key parts of the overall experience.

Thought Starter

If you're having trouble defining three steps, just imagine how someone starts it, one important thing they do in the middle, and how it ends for them.