If user stories are the start of the conversations to define user requirements, Scrum teams can also use other tools to obtain a more precise definition of these requirements. In the article “When and How to Create Customer Journey Maps”, Kate Williamson presents the concept of customer journey map, the visualization of the process that a person goes through in order to accomplish a goal, and when and how to use them.
The article starts with a definition of customer journey maps. To help teams understand and address customer requirements, the journey maps combine two instruments: storytelling and visualization. Journey maps take different forms depending on context and business goals, but they usually start by compiling a series of user goals and actions into a timeline. User thoughts and emotions are added to this timeline to create a narrative. Finally, this narrative is condensed into a visualization used to communicate insights that will inform design processes.
After discussing the reason to use customer journey maps, Kate Williamson presents their key elements:
* Point of view: choose the actor of the story.
* Scenario: determine the specific experience to map.
* Actions, mindsets and emotions: what the user is doing, thinking, and feeling during the journey.
* Touchpoints and channels: the map aligns touchpoints (times when the actor in the map actually interacts with the company) and channels (methods of communication or service delivery, such as the website or physical store) with user goals and actions.
* Insights and ownership: uncover gaps in the user experience and take action to optimize the experience.
The end of the article covers the rules used for creating customer journey maps. It emphasizes the importance of trust, interaction and collaboration. Customer journey maps are a very valuable tool to help the Scrum team transform user stories in working software.
Read the complete article on https://www.nngroup.com/articles/customer-journey-mapping/