Our Mapping Philosophy

Journey mapping is a way for you to visualize the human experience that people have with your organization.  Using the information from this website, journey mapping can provide instant value to the experience and improve the bottom line.  This is because of the detailed focus (Energy) applied.  Also, when you are using Approach Avoid knowledge, this will increase the effectiveness of the map even more.  

Journey:  A map will show a journey that a person goes on within an experience.  This can be a whole experience or just a specific aspect of one.  For business mapping services, we have customers, patients, employees, students, citizens, and fans.  As an example, a customer journey map can include the whole experience a customer goes through with your organization or it can be specific area of the journey (ex. the ordering process, a time frame, etc.).  Another example can be a product launch and one or various touchpoints you need to focus on.

Touchpoints:  At Approach Avoid, we consider every input that a human brain receives through the 5 senses a touchpoint.  Since the amount of inputs to the human brain is staggering, we will focus on the major inputs.  Examples of touchpoints for a customer can include specific types of advertising, a website, employee interaction, a product display, an email, physical or digital checkout, waiting time, etc.  Touchpoints can be divided into both Physical Touchpoints and Digital Touchpoints.  Digital Touchpoints are those that we encounter online.

Lanes:  For a map, on the left side, there will be lanes.  For us here at ApproachAvoid.com, we consider the lanes what we want to measure to understand human approach-avoid behavior.  Since each organization is different with multiple needs, the types of lanes can vary by a wide range.  We will introduce (starting on the next page with the 7Starters) what we feel can and should be measured.  We will work with you on this to fit your specific needs/objectives.

Stages:  For a map, on the top, there will be phases that the person goes through on their journey.  For a customer map, some examples can include:

Awareness

Attention

Interest

Consideration

Evaluation

Purchase

Reaction/Feedback

Support

Loyalty

Advocacy

A map can be done for a particular person (ex., customer), a type of person (customer type), or it can be done for people in general (all customers).  

Since the human brain predicts based on past experiences, the more information you have on a person, the better the map will be.  That being said, by definition, any map done well will increase your opportunities for success.  This is because, with Approach Avoid, you are getting closer to the basic drives of human behavior.  As humans, we are:

- Driven to survive

- Limited on Energy

- Predicting and Interpreting the world through the 5 senses

This list will be updated periodically.  Feel free to suggest additions.

Journey Map > A visual representation of the steps a person takes when interacting with a product, service, or organization.

Persona > A fictional character representing a user or employee segment, based on research and data.

Touchpoint > Any interaction between the individual and the organization.

Channel > The medium through which a touchpoint occurs (e.g.,  phone, app, in-person).

Stage > A phase in the journey (e.g., Awareness, Consideration, Onboarding, Retention).

Timeline > The chronological order of events or stages in the journey.

Scenario > A specific situation or context in which a user interacts with a service.

Use Case > A description of how a user achieves a goal using a system or service.

Experience Flow > The sequence and structure of interactions across the   journey.

Service Blueprint > A detailed diagram that maps the service process, including frontstage and backstage actions.

Empathy Map > A tool to understand what users think, feel, say, and do.

Customer Lifecycle > The stages a customer goes through in their relationship with a company.

Employee Lifecycle > The stages of an employees journey (e.g., Recruitment,   Onboarding, Development, Exit).

Experience Archetype > A model representing common patterns of experience across users.

User Story > A short, simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the user.

Storyboard > A visual sequence of events that illustrates the user journey.

Experience Layer > A conceptual layer representing user interactions and   perceptions.

Micro-moment > An intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need.

Cross-channel Journey > A journey that spans multiple communication or   interaction channels.

Omnichannel Experience > A seamless and integrated experience across all channels and touchpoints.

Pain Point > A problem or frustration experienced during the journey.

Moment of Truth > A critical interaction that significantly impacts perception or decision-making.

Delight Point > A positive, memorable experience that exceeds expectations.

Emotional State > The feelings experienced at each stage.

Behavioral Trigger > An event or cue that prompts a specific action or decision.

Friction Point > An obstacle or difficulty that disrupts the user experience.

Cognitive Load > The amount of mental effort required to complete a task.

Anticipated Emotion > The emotion a person expects to feel as a result of an   action.

Emotional Journey > The emotional highs and lows experienced throughout the   journey.

Behavioral Intent > The likelihood or plan to perform a specific behavior.

Decision Point > A moment where a choice must be made.

Motivation Driver > A factor that compels a person to take action.

Inhibitor > A factor that prevents or discourages action.

Engagement Loop > A cycle of actions and rewards that sustains user   engagement.

Habit Loop > A pattern of cue, routine, and reward that forms a habit.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) > A measurable value that indicates how effectively objectives are being achieved.

NPS (Net Promoter Score) > A metric that measures customer or employee loyalty based on likelihood to recommend.

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) > A metric that measures satisfaction with a specific interaction or experience.

CES (Customer Effort Score) > A metric that measures how easy it was to complete a task or resolve an issue.

CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) > The total worth of a customer over the whole period of their relationship.

Churn Rate > The rate at which customers or employees leave over time.

Retention Rate > The percentage of customers or employees who remain over   a given period.

Conversion Rate > The percentage of users who take a desired action.

Attrition Rate > The rate at which employees leave an organization.

Engagement Score > A measure of how actively involved users or employees   are.

Sentiment Analysis > The process of identifying and categorizing emotions in   text data.

Voice of the Customer (VoC) > Feedback and insights gathered from customers.

Voice of the Employee (VoE) > Feedback and insights gathered from employees.

Feedback Loop > A system where outputs are used as inputs to improve future performance.

Real-time Analytics > Immediate analysis of data as it becomes available.

Expectation Gap > The difference between what users expect and what they experience.

Experience Gap > The gap between the intended and actual experience.

Trust Signal > An element that builds confidence in a product or service.

Reciprocity > The tendency to return a favor or respond in kind.

Social Proof > The influence of others' behavior on one's own decisions.

Anchoring > The cognitive bias of relying heavily on the first piece of information encountered.

Priming > The exposure to one stimulus influencing the response to another.

Framing Effect > The way information is presented affects decision-making.

Loss Aversion > The tendency to prefer avoiding losses over acquiring gains.

Confirmation Bias > The tendency to search for or interpret information in a   way that confirms one's beliefs.

Choice Overload > The difficulty in making a decision when faced with many   options.

Perceived Value > The worth a user assigns to a product or service.

Perceived Control > The belief that one has influence over events and   outcomes.

Psychological Safety > A belief that one can express themselves without fear of   negative consequences.

Flow State > A mental state of deep focus and immersion in an activity.

Customer-Centricity > A strategy that places the customer at the center of   business decisions.

Employee-Centricity > A strategy that prioritizes employee needs and   experiences.

Experience Strategy > A plan to deliver meaningful and effective user or   employee experiences.

Journey Orchestration > Coordinating touchpoints and channels to deliver a   seamless experience.

Experience Governance > The policies and processes that ensure consistent   experience delivery.

Service Design > The activity of planning and organizing people, infrastructure, and communication to improve service quality.

Human-Centered Design > A design approach that focuses on the needs and behaviors of people.

Design Thinking > A problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy,   ideation, and experimentation.

Agile Experience Design > An iterative approach to designing experiences using   agile principles.

Continuous Improvement > An ongoing effort to enhance products, services, or   processes.

Change Management > A structured approach to transitioning individuals,   teams, and organizations to a desired future state.

Culture of Feedback > An environment where feedback is regularly given and   received to foster growth.

Experience Ownership > The accountability for delivering and improving user or employee experiences.

Stakeholder Mapping > Identifying and analyzing individuals or groups that   affect or are affected by a project.

Internal Alignment > Ensuring all departments and teams are working toward shared goals.

Heatmap > A data visualization tool that shows user interaction intensity on a webpage.

Clickstream Analysis > Tracking and analyzing the sequence of clicks made by   users.

Funnel Analysis > A method to visualize and analyze the steps users take toward a goal.

A/B Testing > A method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app to   determine which performs better.

Usability Testing > Evaluating a product by testing it with real users.

Mystery Shopping > A method of evaluating service quality by posing as a   customer.

Ethnographic Research > A qualitative research method that studies people in   their natural environment.

Diary Study > A research method where participants record their experiences over time.

Shadowing > Observing users as they interact with a product or service.

Focus Group > A moderated discussion with a group of participants to gather opinions.

Journey Analytics > The analysis of data related to user or employee journeys.

CRM Integration > Connecting customer relationship management systems with   other tools.

Experience Dashboard > A visual interface displaying key experience metrics.

Touchpoint Inventory > A comprehensive list of all interactions between users and the organization.

Interaction Log > A record of user interactions with a system or service.

Service Recovery Plan > A strategy for addressing and resolving service failures.

Escalation Path > A predefined route for handling issues that require higher-level attention.

Root Cause Analysis > A method of identifying the underlying cause of a   problem.

Journey Hypothesis > An assumption about how users experience a journey, to be tested.

Experience Prototype > A preliminary model used to test and refine experience   concepts.