There is a customer journey mapping detail that no one seems to freely share\u2026 How in the world do you get the data from hundreds of sticky notes into an editable, digital document?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how I did it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
For the past 3 hours, you\u2019ve been successfully orchestrating a customer journey mapping workshop with a collection of subject matter experts representing multiple business areas. You’re furiously writing every thought onto a sticky note and reminding others to do the same.<\/p>\n
But now… everyone is gone.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just you and an enormous wall of Post-It notes. So now what?<\/p>\n
Next, translate your pile of Post-It notes into a digital file. There\u2019s no right way to do it. Every organization\u2019s journey map will be different. Once that\u2019s finished\u2026<\/p>\n
LOL! Have you read something like that online before, too?<\/p>\n
This is a\u00a0daunting challenge, not a single\u00a0step in a journey mapping tutorial. Where to even begin?<\/p>\n
Through a bit of trial-and-error, here\u2019s the approach I used to transform a pile of Post-Its into a vibrant, shareable digital journey map:<\/p>\n
Before you breathe a sigh of relief, quick photograph\u00a0everything<\/em>. Post-Its fall down. Post-Its get moved.<\/p>\n In this particular\u00a0case, I had conducted the journey map workshop on a giant whiteboard, so there was no way for me to transport it.<\/p>\n I photographed the sticky notes where they were stuck, then put them into semi-organized stacks and paperclipped them together. However, please know that I was working with a very manageable 50 or so notes for this particular project.<\/p>\n Photographing Tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n Just kidding.<\/p>\n Going straight from sticky notes to software program is pure torture. I tried it, and trust me, it\u2019s impossible to get the overall structure or canvas size right the first 50 times you try. Go ahead and close it out now.<\/p>\n Defeated by Visio and my inability to visualize the entire journey map in my head, here\u2019s what I did instead\u2014step-by-step\u2014to create a\u00a0digital rough draft.<\/p>\n First, I re-created the journey map near<\/em> my home office. (Note to self: next time\u00a0ensure home office has lots of wall space.)<\/p>\n I taped up several large sheets Kraft paper (from the Dollar Store), and then reconstructed the sticky note sequence from my iPhone images.<\/p>\n On another wall, I set aside space for a parking lot.<\/p>\n Set-Up Tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n Next, I cleaned up the duplicates and created new sticky notes when there was more than one idea on the same sticky.<\/p>\n I also started writing down my questions (or at least drew question marks) on the notes that I didn\u2019t understand or needed more information about.<\/p>\n This step might be too early for you, but for my project, the columns were set in stone \u2014 or so I thought at the time \u2014 so it was logical for me to do this next.<\/p>\n Your number will obviously vary, but next I drew 15 columns directly on the Kraft paper. Because my particular journey map included 13 milestones, I knew that I wanted 15 columns… One extra column for the \u201cbefore\u201d state of each row and another column\u00a0to label each row.<\/p>\n The original sticky notes had been categorized into columns and rows by my workshop attendees, but by now, it was clear that\u00a0the row categories were much<\/em> too broad.<\/p>\n When I started splitting apart the original categories of information, I realized that not everything was fitting neatly into my new 15-column framework. Some groups of stickies\u00a0had a specific sequence, other groups of activities were recurring or non-linear.<\/p>\n At this point, this is where having a large sketchbook, electronic scratchpad, or whiteboard comes in handy.<\/p>\n Once I (mostly) perfected my framework sketches on my son\u2019s Boogie board, I transferred my new diagrams to the Kraft paper wall and adjusted the stickies accordingly.<\/p>\n As of now, my journey map included 4 buckets of information:<\/p>\n As a side note, none of this work is\u00a0happening very quickly. Since I first put up the Kraft paper near my home office, about 10 hours have passed so far.<\/p>\n I labeled each row individually, breaking apart or combining rows of stickies as I went. Once each row was labeled, then I looked for larger themes among the rows, then grouped those.<\/p>\n At this point in my process, the questions are pouring out of me. To keep track of them all, I created a spreadsheet of questions, categorizing by topic or business function. I also started creating questions I wanted to ask my client’s customers directly.<\/p>\n Next, I photographed all of my work again. I opened up Visio, created the framework, and filled in the details. Because I worked out all of the kinks\u00a0on my wall, this step only took me a few hours.<\/p>\n Next, I printed the journey map as a 36″ x 48″ engineering print at Staples.<\/p>\n Once printed, I tacked my journey map poster\u00a0to a piece of blackcore foamboard, so that I could easily transport it to meetings.<\/p>\n With my digital\u00a0draft in hand, my next 2 steps are:<\/p>\n At the end of this process, the goal of the journey map isn’t a one-time “ta-da.”<\/p>\n Its goals are to create\u00a0awareness of the customer journey, build customer empathy<\/a> among internal business teams, and influence change. Close gaps. Minimize or eliminate pain points. Introduce new features.<\/p>\n I bring the journey map with me to client meetings \u2014 sharing the process I used, the insights I’ve gathered so far, and invite others to participate in the process with me.<\/p>\n For as much work as all of this was, it was only the beginning. The next phase of the journey mapping process was to conduct interviews with real users. The original workshop was only meant to build the\u00a0initial framework and establish hypotheses.<\/p>\n Next, my clients\u2019 customers will help me fill in the details and gaps.<\/p>\n Since starting this process, my digital journey map is now covered with 100+ new<\/em>\u00a0sticky notes.\u00a0Rinse and repeat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2) Open Up Your Favorite Diagramming\u00a0Program<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3) Set Up Your Physical Workspace<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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4) Clean\u00a0Up Stickies<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5) Draw Columns, Then Label Them<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6) Categorize Stickies<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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7) Label Rows<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8) Now, Create\u00a0the Digital Version<\/strong><\/h3>\n
My\u00a0Journey Mapping\u00a0Tools<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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My Next Steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1) Socialize the Customer\u00a0Journey Map<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2) Continue to Gather New Insights\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Related Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n