A customer journey map is a stage-by-stage picture of the path a persona follows to reach a goal: what they do, which touchpoints they pass through, how they feel, what bothers them and where there is room to improve. The emotion curve shows the lowest moments, which are usually the most urgent. It helps different teams align on the same experience.
How to use
- Write the persona and the journey goal, or import the persona from the persona generator.
- Fill in 4 to 7 stages; with no stages, the result starts from the six suggested ones, with examples.
- For each stage, describe actions, touchpoints, pain and opportunity, and score the emotion from -2 to +2.
- Read the emotion curve and the critical moments flagged by the rules.
- Export as PNG, PDF, CSV or Markdown, or create a link to review it with the team.
What each field asks for
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Persona | Fictional name and role. You can import it from the persona generator. |
| Journey goal | What the persona wants to achieve from start to finish. |
| Product or service (optional) | E.g. shift scheduling app |
| Stage | E.g. discovery |
| Actions | What the persona does |
| Touchpoints | E.g. website, chat, shop |
| Emotion | From -2 (very negative) to +2 (very positive). |
| Pain | What bothers them here |
| Opportunity | What could improve |
Example
Leo, a store lead, wants to replace the spreadsheet with a scheduling app and publish the first rota. The journey has six stages, from discovery to recommendation. Emotion starts at -1 in discovery, rises to +2 in use, when the first rota is ready, and plunges to -2 in support, because the reply arrives only the next day, after the shop has opened. The tool flags support as the lowest point, use as the highest point and the 4-point drop between them as the stretch to investigate first.
When to use
- To understand the current experience before proposing improvements.
- To align product, marketing, sales and customer service on the same customer.
- To design the future journey for a new product and compare it with the current one.
- To choose where to invest: the lowest point on the curve is often the best place to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is a customer journey map?
It is a picture of the stages a persona goes through to reach a goal, with actions, touchpoints, emotions, pains and opportunities. It helps the team see the whole experience, not just the part each function controls.
What is the difference between a journey and a funnel?
A funnel measures how many people move from one stage to the next, from the company’s point of view. A journey describes what the person does and feels at each stage, from their point of view. They complement each other: the funnel shows where people drop off, the journey helps explain why.
How many stages should I use?
Four to seven is usually enough to cover the beginning, middle and end without losing detail. If one stage has too many actions, split it; if two are nearly the same, merge them.
How do I measure emotion at each stage?
Use a simple scale from -2 to +2 based on what you observed or heard in interviews, not on assumption. Satisfaction surveys per stage and support comments help calibrate it.
Should I map the current journey or the future one?
Start with the current one: it shows the real problems. Then design the future one with the opportunities applied and compare the two emotion curves.
How do I use the journey with the team?
Review the map together, mark what came from research and pick one critical moment to tackle. The CSV takes the table into the team’s spreadsheet and the link lets you review it without losing your work.