Experience Mapping

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Jenna Kellerman

Experience mapping is an excellent tool to improve an organizational policy, procedure or practice. It provides a visual example of what a person experiences while completing an activity.

By listing out every single step and experience the person has while completing the activity, it is often easier to identify cumbersome, duplicative, or unnecessary steps. The goal of the exercise is to create a more efficient and engaging process.

This could be a retention or recruitment tool. Perhaps you’ve heard that your online application process is challenging for job seekers. Does an older adult and a young adult experience your online application process the same way? What barriers may be in place for new Americans? Or applicants without access to the internet? Is the online application accessible on laptops, smart phones, and tablets?

Or maybe you are trying to simplify the new team member orientation process, or perhaps you want to map out an initiative that hasn’t launched yet to identify challenges prior to launch. These are all good opportunities to create an experience map to improve the stated process. By viewing through various lenses, you’ll learn to ensure a more inclusive process for all you seek to engage. 

Want to learn more? Check out this worksheet or this Journey Map to help you through an experience mapping process. Questions? Contact Jenna Kellerman at jkellerman@leadingagemn.org.