# User Journey Map Template

> **Formats:** Markdown (canonical) | DOCX | PDF | Miro/FigJam
> **Updated:** 2026-03-22
> **License:** CC BY 4.0 -- Kate Makrigiannis / k8mak.com

A fill-in-the-blank template for mapping a single user's experience across phases of a specific goal -- from first awareness through completion. Captures actions, touchpoints, thoughts, emotions, pain points, and opportunities.

## When to use this

You need to visualize how a specific user experiences your product or service across time. Journey maps turn research findings into a shared artifact the team can reference during design, prioritization, and story writing. Use this when you have interview data, analytics, or observational research and need to synthesize it into something the whole team can see.

---

## Template

Fill in one column per phase. Most journeys have 4-6 phases.

```
## Journey Map: (Goal or task name)

**Persona:** (Name and descriptor)
**Scope:** (Start point → End point)
**Map type:** Current state / Future state
**Date:** (YYYY-MM-DD)
**Data sources:** (Interviews, analytics, support tickets, etc.)
```

| Lane | Phase 1: (Name) | Phase 2: (Name) | Phase 3: (Name) | Phase 4: (Name) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **User goal** | (What are they trying to accomplish in this phase?) | | | |
| **Actions** | (What does the user do? Steps they take.) | | | |
| **Touchpoints** | (Where does the interaction happen? App screen, email, phone, in-person.) | | | |
| **Thoughts & Questions** | (What's on their mind? Use their words from research.) | | | |
| **Emotional state** | (Positive / Neutral / Negative + one-word descriptor) | | | |
| **Pain points** | (Friction, confusion, drop-off risks) | | | |
| **Opportunities** | (How to improve this phase) | | | |

---

## How to fill it in

1. **Start with phases.** Name each phase from the user's perspective. "Discover" not "Marketing awareness." "Try it out" not "Onboarding funnel."
2. **Fill actions and touchpoints first.** These are the facts. Get them down before interpreting emotions or opportunities.
3. **Add thoughts and emotions from research.** Use actual quotes or close paraphrases. Don't invent emotional states.
4. **Pain points come from evidence.** Drop-off analytics, support tickets, interview frustrations. Not your guesses.
5. **Opportunities are ideas, not commitments.** Capture them freely. Prioritize later with a 2x2 or RICE score.

---

## Worked example: New patient scheduling a first appointment

**Persona:** Maria, newly insured, first-time patient at a multi-location clinic
**Scope:** Deciding to find a doctor → Attending the first appointment

| Lane | Awareness | Research | Booking | Pre-Visit | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **User goal** | Find a doctor who takes my insurance | Compare options and pick one I trust | Schedule the appointment | Know what to expect and prepare | Get the care I came for |
| **Actions** | Googles "primary care near me," asks friends, checks insurance provider directory | Reads reviews, checks clinic website, looks at doctor bios and photos | Calls clinic or uses online booking, picks date/time | Fills out intake forms, gathers insurance card, sets reminder | Checks in, waits, meets doctor, discusses concerns |
| **Touchpoints** | Google search, insurance portal, word of mouth | Clinic website, Google reviews, Healthgrades | Phone call, online booking widget, confirmation email | Pre-visit email with forms, patient portal, text reminder | Front desk, waiting room, exam room |
| **Thoughts** | "I don't even know where to start." "Does this doctor take my plan?" | "These reviews are 2 years old. Is this still accurate?" "The website doesn't show availability." | "Why do I have to call? It's 2026." "The earliest available is 3 weeks out?" | "This intake form asks for my medical history -- I don't have records from my old doctor." | "I've been waiting 25 minutes past my appointment time." |
| **Emotional state** | Negative -- overwhelmed | Neutral -- cautious | Negative -- frustrated | Negative -- anxious | Mixed -- relieved to be here, annoyed by wait |
| **Pain points** | Insurance directory is outdated, shows doctors no longer accepting patients | No way to see real-time availability before calling | Online booking only available for existing patients; new patients must call | Intake forms are PDF -- can't fill on mobile; no way to upload insurance card photo | 25-minute wait with no explanation or update |
| **Opportunities** | Partner with insurance to keep directory current; add "accepting new patients" badge to profiles | Show real-time availability on clinic website | Enable online booking for new patients with insurance verification | Mobile-friendly intake forms with insurance card photo upload | Waiting room status updates ("Dr. Chen is running 15 minutes behind") |

---

## Facilitator tips

- **One persona, one goal.** Don't try to map multiple personas on one map. It gets confusing. Create separate maps for distinct user types.
- **Current state before future state.** Map what actually happens before designing what should happen. Teams that skip current state build future state on assumptions.
- **Emotions are data, not decoration.** The emotional arc across the journey reveals where users are most vulnerable to dropping off. A journey that starts positive and trends negative has a retention problem.
- **Opportunities are cheap. Prioritization is the real work.** A journey map with 20 opportunities and no prioritization is a wish list. Feed opportunities into a 2x2 or RICE exercise to decide what to act on.

---

## How did it go?

- [ ] Each phase is named from the user's perspective, not the business's
- [ ] Pain points are backed by research evidence (quotes, analytics, ticket data)
- [ ] Emotional states are specific (not just "happy" / "sad")
- [ ] Opportunities are captured but not treated as committed work
- [ ] The map is scannable in under 2 minutes

---

*Part of the [k8 Agent Toolkit](https://k8mak.com/agent-toolkit). Download other formats at k8mak.com/resources.*