Customer journey map
A customer journey map is a visual diagram that depicts a customer's interactions with a product or service over time, including their actions, thoughts, emotions, and pain points at each stage.
In depth
Customer journey maps move beyond pure process diagrams by adding the human dimension. Most CJMs have rows for actions, thoughts, emotions, opportunities, and pain points; columns are stages of the journey (Awareness → Consideration → Purchase → Onboarding → Retention → Advocacy).
Variants include service blueprints (which add backstage operations), as-is vs. to-be journeys, and persona-specific journeys. The artifact is most useful when it surfaces moments of truth where small UX changes have outsized impact.
OpenCharts ships customer journey templates on the whiteboard and supports AI generation from a product description and persona.
Also known as
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User flow
A user flow is a diagram that maps the steps a user takes through a product or service to accomplish a specific goal, including screens, actions, and decision points.
Persona
A persona is a fictional but research-grounded archetype of a target user, used in product design and marketing to align teams on who they're building for and why.
Swimlane diagram
A swimlane diagram is a flowchart that organizes activities into horizontal or vertical lanes, with each lane representing a different actor, role, or department responsible for those activities.