Using Experience Maps to Improve Both Promise and Process

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EXPERIENCE   MAPS mStoner June 2015

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Strategy. Research. Branding. UserExperience. Content Strategy. Digital and Print Design. User Testing. Technical Execution. www.mstoner.com 773.305.0537 mallory.wood@mstoner.com @mStonerInc

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Voltaire Santos Miran CEOand Co-Founder @vsantosmiran

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1. Principles ofexperience mapping 2. Examples of experience maps 3. Six things to do before you draw 4. Tools for creating experience maps 5. Using the maps to improve process and promise

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1. Principles ofexperience mapping

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So... what’s an experiencemap?

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An experience mapis a visual diagram to “illuminate the holistic customer experience, demonstrating the highs and lows people feel while interacting with your product or service.” – Brandon Schauer,   Adaptive Path’s Guide to   Experience Mapping

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An experience mapis a visual representation of the formal research, informal conversations, and stories that you’ve gathered about your audiences.

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Experience mapping   isthe process you use   to create an experience map, including . . .

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augmenting the map usingthe map for content and process strategy drafting the experience map conducting interviews + research

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KEEP THESE THINGSIN MIND WHEN EXPERIENCE MAPPING: PURPOSE, PEOPLE, PROCESS, PROMISE

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Purpose

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Purpose: an experiencemap should visualize   a customer’s experience with a product or service   across locations, time, and channels. The focus is  your customer or audience, not your service or product.

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Purpose: on aweb project speciﬁcally, an experience map can be a powerful tool for relating web content to different parts of the customer journey … and to identifying areas for improvement that aren’t about your online presence.

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People

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People: an experiencemap should lead you to a better understanding of — and empathy with — your audiences.   We want to know not just the what, but the when and and how and why.

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People: experience mappingcan draw stakeholders together and give them a common point of reference — especially important in higher education, where people often work in silos.

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Process

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Process: experience mapsare a means of producing better, more effective interactions.

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“A good experiencemap feels like   a catalyst, not a conclusion.“ – Chris Risdon, Design Director @ Adaptive Path

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Promise

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Promise: experience mapscan keep you true to your brand.

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Close-knit community? High-techand high-touch?   Support to help you succeed? From here to your future?   How do individual experiences support those promises?

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2. Examples ofexperience maps

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Experience map example:  RailEurope by Adaptive Path

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Wait... what’s   RailEurope?

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It’s an onlinebooking system that uniﬁes 35 different railway travel systems that connect major cities throughout Europe.

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This experience mapshows the customer journey from research and planning through post-travel.

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• Identiﬁes stepsin customer journey, from travel research to post-travel. • Visualizes multiple methods / devices for investigation. • Focuses on customers’ feelings, thoughts, and actions. • Identiﬁes opportunities for improving the experience. Recap!

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Experience map example:  Broadbandprovider selection by EffectiveUI

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This experience mapexample was created for a broadband internet provider. Let’s take a look!

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• Experience mapbegins with a story and a person. • Combines thoughts and feelings into one category (they are connected!). • Identiﬁes service gaps — places where the customer may   experience emotional lows. • Finishes with opportunities for improving the experience. Recap!

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Experience map example:  Starbucksby Little Springs Design

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This experience mapexample   demonstrates what a person goes through during a purchase at a Starbucks location.

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• Each touchpointis described in detail. • Establishes customers’ baseline expectations. • Identiﬁes opportunities to improve the experience. • Identiﬁes places – in the same touchpoint – where some customers might have a bad experience. Recap!

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Experience map example:  GraduateSchool Selection Process by mStoner

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This experience mapexample   demonstrates the process of a   prospective graduate student   transitioning into a   current graduate student.

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Don’t make themthink. The process of exploring and applying should be clear and straightforward. Allow freedom of process. The experience of applying and deciding where to go for graduate school isn’t linear. Communicate the brand. Users should experience you as engaging, cosmopolitan, unpretentious, and enthusiastic. Think beyond the website. The website is one (but only one) of the major touchpoints in what can be a lengthy process. Stages NARROW CHOICES & APPLY DECIDE & ACCEPT TRANSITIONUNDERSTAND & EXPLORE Principles Thinking Feeling Opportunities • Why do I want to do this? • What programs are right for me? • How do my options compare financially? • What will my life be like? • What are my short list of options? • Who would I be working / studying with? • Should I visit campus? • How will I prepare for interviews? • How many schools should I apply to? • Is this the best fit for me in terms of goals? Lifestyle? Location? Finances? • If I get into multiple places and get similar offers, how do I choose? • How do I prepare for this transition? • What do I need to know about next steps? Doing • Excitement: this is the next big step in my career! • Frustration: comparing tuition costs is complicated. • Anticipation: this will be difficult, and may be fun. • Excitement: to work with <specific professor>. • Apprehension: I need to make sure I get my applications in on time. And I don’t like interviews. • Excitement: I am closing in on a choice. • Confidence: I’m making the right choice! • Doubt: Am I making the right choice? • Desire for reassurance: I want to know that I am making the right choice. • Relief: I’ve made it through an intense process and am ready for the next step. • Mixed feelings: there are big life changes ahead and I’m feeling complex emotions. • Anticipation: what may the future be like? Visiting .edu sites Reviewing rankings Performing Google searches, in-site searches Investigating jobs and pay ranges possible with specific degrees Talking to peers, family, and influencers Comparing of pros and cons of each option in detail Completing applications Reviewing financial aid possibilities Making deposit $ Accepting an offer for admission Talking to professors, admissions counselors, other graduates Getting in touch with incoming classmatesRegistering for classes Reviewing research and focus choices and requirements Likely destinations • Departments • Request info • Program pages • Faculty bios • Research/focus areas • Labs and facilities • Financial aid • Deadlines • Program requirements • Costs & tuition • Online application • Contact info • Student Services • Visit information • Check Application Status • Financial Aid • Office of the Dean • Register for classes • Living options • Incoming class info • Graduate Student Handbook Give them reasons to choose you. • Emphasize brand differentiators. • Data/infographics about outcomes and success. • Improve program pages / add program filter. Make transactions speedy. • Confirmation online and in person about acceptance, financial aid, deposit information. Make post-admission steps painless. • Provide a great post-application checklist. • Make living options available. • Facilitate interactions between incoming peers. • Review in-site search data relevant to programs. • Costs and financial aid should be intuitive. • Faculty bios should be current and complete. • Promote your location. Deciding if now is the right time for grad school Moving in investigating neighborhoods and housing Engaging in social Visiting campus

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• This mapdraws heavily from Adaptive Path’s railway model with variations to suit the application of the information. • Icons in the Doing section help visualize customer actions. • We connect each phase to likely destinations on the web to help make the strategy actionable. Recap! Don’t make them think. The process of exploring and applying should be clear and straightforward. Allow freedom of process. The experience of applying and deciding where to go for graduate school isn’t linear. Communicate the brand. Users should experience you as engaging, cosmopolitan, unpretentious, and enthusiastic. Think beyond the website. The website is one (but only one) of the major touchpoints in what can be a lengthy process. Stages NARROW CHOICES & APPLY DECIDE & ACCEPT TRANSITIONUNDERSTAND & EXPLORE Principles Thinking Feeling Opportunities • Why do I want to do this? • What programs are right for me? • How do my options compare financially? • What will my life be like? • What are my short list of options? • Who would I be working / studying with? • Should I visit campus? • How will I prepare for interviews? • How many schools should I apply to? • Is this the best fit for me in terms of goals? Lifestyle? Location? Finances? • If I get into multiple places and get similar offers, how do I choose? • How do I prepare for this transition? • What do I need to know about next steps? Doing • Excitement: this is the next big step in my career! • Frustration: comparing tuition costs is complicated. • Anticipation: this will be difficult, and may be fun. • Excitement: to work with <specific professor>. • Apprehension: I need to make sure I get my applications in on time. And I don’t like interviews. • Excitement: I am closing in on a choice. • Confidence: I’m making the right choice! • Doubt: Am I making the right choice? • Desire for reassurance: I want to know that I am making the right choice. • Relief: I’ve made it through an intense process and am ready for the next step. • Mixed feelings: there are big life changes ahead and I’m feeling complex emotions. • Anticipation: what may the future be like? Visiting .edu sites Reviewing rankings Performing Google searches, in-site searches Investigating jobs and pay ranges possible with specific degrees Talking to peers, family, and influencers Comparing of pros and cons of each option in detail Completing applications Reviewing financial aid possibilities Making deposit $ Accepting an offer for admission Talking to professors, admissions counselors, other graduates Getting in touch with incoming classmatesRegistering for classes Reviewing research and focus choices and requirements Likely destinations • Departments • Request info • Program pages • Faculty bios • Research/focus areas • Labs and facilities • Financial aid • Deadlines • Program requirements • Costs & tuition • Online application • Contact info • Student Services • Visit information • Check Application Status • Financial Aid • Office of the Dean • Register for classes • Living options • Incoming class info • Graduate Student Handbook Give them reasons to choose you. • Emphasize brand differentiators. • Data/infographics about outcomes and success. • Improve program pages / add program filter. Make transactions speedy. • Confirmation online and in person about acceptance, financial aid, deposit information. Make post-admission steps painless. • Provide a great post-application checklist. • Make living options available. • Facilitate interactions between incoming peers. • Review in-site search data relevant to programs. • Costs and financial aid should be intuitive. • Faculty bios should be current and complete. • Promote your location. Deciding if now is the right time for grad school Moving in investigating neighborhoods and housing Engaging in social Visiting campus

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3. Six thingsto do before you draw

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1Revisit the storiesand conversations that you know. Remember and review notes from one-on-ones that you’ve had with people from your target audiences or with people who work with your target audiences.

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2Review any brand,marketing studies or research your institution has performed with the audience group you’re mapping. Market research often has a shelf life of ﬁve to 10 years, depending on the methodology. Reviewing past market research may give you insight into how your audiences think.

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3Talk to thepeople who answer the phones and calls. Get anecdotal information from the people on the front lines — those who answer the phones and respond to emails from your constituents every day.

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4Talk to leadershipin different areas. Talk to subject matter experts in your institution.   For example, deans or department chairs might have a different point-of-view than leadership in admissions.

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5Review any relevantsite and microsite analytics. Site analytics and search logs give you insight into what your audiences ﬁnd valuable – and may help identify weak areas on your current site.

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6See what elseis out there. What are other leaders in education are saying about the audience (current students, prospective students, alumni) that you’re trying to reach? What external research on usability or user experience can you tap?

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7Plan some personas. Personawork makes doing experience maps easier. Experience maps are a kind of quick reference for what someone goes through, and personas are a quick reference for who goes through the process.

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Graduate  Student  Personas The Faculty FanCareer Climber Credential-Seeker Academic Rock Star Free Rider B+ Student Life Changer

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CAREER CLIMBER Mary Vazquez AttendedNortheastern University 29 years old Mary works full-time for a government agency in Boston. She was born and raised in Boston, and plans to stay. She would like to move into a manager- level position at her current agency or next job and she believes that a graduate degree will help her move to the next level. GOALS •Wants to be able to move to the next level of her career. •Wants to be recognized as an employee with potential for further advancement throughout her career. ATTITUDES •“I want to advance to the next level of my career, and a graduate degree will help me do that.” •“I work full-time, so I need a graduate program that will work with my schedule.” •“My agency will pay for part of my tuition, but I will be paying for the rest of it out of my salary, as I don’t have much savings.” DECISION FACTORS •Job and placement statistics •Convenience •Cost •Location CONCERNS •How long will this take me to complete, and how can I shorten the time without killing myself? •How will this degree be valuable to my current employer? •How have other graduates found this degree valuable? •How much are graduates being paid?  IN AN IDEAL EXPERIENCE, MARY WOULD ... •See videos of alumni who have been promoted as a result of getting their degree •See videos of happy employers •Easily ﬁnd and understand cost and ﬁnancial aid information •See course requirements and schedule information •Find campus information, such as parking, directions, and likely commute times INFLUENCERS •Alumni •Colleagues •Supervisor •Senior leadership at next potential job

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4. Tools forcreating experience maps

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Drawing tools

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How we pickedthese tools: 1) It has to be easy to create an experience map with the tool. 2) The tool has to be affordable. 3) The tool has to be vetted / widely accepted in the industry.

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Tool Platform Cost KeynoteOSX Free with all macs PowerPoint OSX or Windows $5 / month Sketch OSX $79 Illustrator OSX or Windows $19.99 / month with more robust plans

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Free icons

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Search “free icons”on  smashingmagazine.com. More than 2000 results – many are multi-icon sets. Sets are important because they usually contain multiple icons you can use.

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5. Using mapsto improve promise and process

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During content production:the experience map can   be a reference for using appropriate voice and tone, as well as  for creating editorial calendars.   The process of experience mapping   During design: the experience map can be a reference for how   to enable and empower the customer to complete tasks. During strategy, the experience map can inform information architecture and content models. During testing: the map can be a reference for  making sure a site delivers a premium experience. 

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?Questions?

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Voltaire Santos Miran CEOand Co-Founder @vsantosmiran Thanks!

Using Experience Maps to Improve Both Promise and Process

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