As I continue the exploration of all things User Experience, I'll once again turn to my beloved Oxnard Public Library (OPL) and creating Customer Journey Maps or, as I call them here, Patron Journey Maps (PJM).
For an overview of what a PJM is — what she calls Experience Maps — I defer to Silvana Churruca, the self-proclaimed UX Lady:
"Experience Map is an important design tool to understand our product/service interactions from users’ point of view. One experience map is basically a visual representation that illustrate users’ flow (within a product or service) their needs, wants, expectations and the overall experience for a particular goal" (2013).
Based on this, I've attempted to chart a particular service that the OPL currently offers through the eyes of a patron — using a computer to print a document. We'll call this patron "Bill." To help you visualize Bill as he goes through the process of printing his document, I've included a photo of a random "Bill" I found on Flickr. Hi, Bill.
To chart his journey, I included an internal dialogue that explains what Bill is doing and what he's thinking. Also, his mood is tracked on a chart beneath this narrative.
Keep in mind that the changes in Bill's moods are over-simplified. At the end of each step, Bill's mood can only increase or decrease by 1 point based on the overall positive or negative qualities of the process.
It's sort of like a video game, where Bill enters the game (in this case, the library) neutral and the goal is to get him back out in that same state or — preferably — happier.
Rules of the Game
It's worth a moment to explain how I approached creating these PJMs before I share them. Each consists of 8 steps in which Bill enters the library (having already read about the service on the OPL's website), completes his task, and leaves.To chart his journey, I included an internal dialogue that explains what Bill is doing and what he's thinking. Also, his mood is tracked on a chart beneath this narrative.
Keep in mind that the changes in Bill's moods are over-simplified. At the end of each step, Bill's mood can only increase or decrease by 1 point based on the overall positive or negative qualities of the process.
It's sort of like a video game, where Bill enters the game (in this case, the library) neutral and the goal is to get him back out in that same state or — preferably — happier.
Let's Get Moving
That all said, let's see how Bill does in the OPL as it is...The Realistic Journey
As you can see, Bill did not fair as he could have during this version of the Journey. He ended up leaving slightly disgruntled, and most his discontent stemmed from confusion as a result of poor — or nonexistent — signage.
Some of the negative touchpoints, such as the process of reserving a computer and having to retrieve prints from the back of the lab, are unavoidable; current systems and spaces are what they are.
On the upside, the positive experiences mostly stem from customer service interactions. The takeaway here, then, could be that a solid — and positive — culture of service is in place. This would be markedly more difficult to improve/change than what seems to be the real issue: signage.
The Improved Journey
Here signs have been place in areas where they were not — aiding Bill toward reaching his goal — and improved versions have replaced ones that were somewhat vague or did not include enough information.
As mentioned, some of the negative touchpoints are still unavoidable and continue to detract from the experience. However, Bill's overall lack of confusion in this version of the Journey keep his mood elevated enough to weather them.
Patrons' moods don't go up or down pegs as simply as Bill's did in these scenarios, nor does everyone experience the library in the same way. These Journeys are, as I mentioned, over-simplified.
Yet, they do have value in examining how someone (like Bill) might interact with the library and how they might feel about that experience. If it's possible for a Bill to feel a certain way, chances are other (more real) patrons do too.
As mentioned, some of the negative touchpoints are still unavoidable and continue to detract from the experience. However, Bill's overall lack of confusion in this version of the Journey keep his mood elevated enough to weather them.
It's All Hypothetical
While these two Journeys illuminate just how impact something simple — in this case, signage — can have a significant impact on User Experience, it is worth keeping in mind that these Journeys are, in fact, hypothetical.Patrons' moods don't go up or down pegs as simply as Bill's did in these scenarios, nor does everyone experience the library in the same way. These Journeys are, as I mentioned, over-simplified.
Yet, they do have value in examining how someone (like Bill) might interact with the library and how they might feel about that experience. If it's possible for a Bill to feel a certain way, chances are other (more real) patrons do too.
References
Churruca, S. (2013, March 7). Experience maps, user journeys and more…. UX Lady. Retrieved from http://www.ux-lady.com/experience-maps-user-journey-and-more-exp-map-layout/
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