Customer research
Map a customer journey from interview notes
Map one task from the first trigger to the finished result, using only steps that interviewees described. Record friction next to the note that supports it, mark where people did things differently, and list unknowns instead of filling gaps with plausible stages.
A text to start with
I interviewed [number] people about how they [one specific task]. My notes are below, labeled by participant: [notes]. Build a journey from the first trigger to the finished task. For each stage, give what the customer did, the friction they described, the participant note that supports it, and anything unknown. Mark any stage where participants differed. Do not add stages nobody mentioned.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Journey map worksheet
Task being mapped: [ ] Interviews included: [ ] Trigger that starts the task: [ ] Stage name: [ ] What the customer did: [ ] Friction described, in their words: [ ] Supporting note and participant: [ ] Did experiences differ between people? [ ] What is unknown here: [ ] Point where the task ends for the customer: [ ] Stages supported by only one person: [ ] Questions for the next conversations: [ ]
Stages nobody described
Check that every stage points to at least one participant note, and delete any stage that exists only because a typical process would include it. Mark places where one person skipped a step, used a workaround or took a different route, and keep those differences visible. Confirm that friction is described in the customer's terms, not as your own diagnosis. Check the edges: the real trigger may have happened before your first stage, and the task may not end where your map does.
Ask another agent to check the result
Compare each stage in this journey map with the interview notes. Remove or flag any stage that no participant described. Mark stages where participants differed and state the difference. Point out friction statements that reflect my interpretation instead of something a customer said.
Follow up on the gaps
Turn the unknown column into questions for the next conversations, and note which participants could answer each one. If an interviewee agrees, share the map and ask whether it matches what they remember. Record how many people support each stage, since a stage that rests on one person is a lead, not a pattern.