Journey Mapping

In this first step, facilitators will need to reflect on exactly what they hope to achieve using a journey mapping exercise. Some points to think through include:

• Which activity, experience, or event will be investigated?
• Online facilitation, interviews, workshops, or focus groups?
• Change agents, beneficiaries, or staff?
• Individual or group activity?

Collect and prepare the materials for the journey map. This can be an A3 canvas or large brown poster paper. There are also canvases available online on platforms such as Miro or Mural. If the process will be conducted in person, prepare markers and post-it notes. We recommended testing any tools with a variety of participants before starting. Add visuals and translate as required. Laminate cards or templates if they will be used frequently.

At the appropriate time during the interview, workshop or focus groups follow these sub-steps:

1. Introduce the topic of a journey map. What are you trying to explore?
2. Starting in the middle of the canvas, with the central event, have participants label each box with the different snapshots or scenes that lead from and to the event. Have participants draw or write notes within each box. Facilitators can support participants and encourage brainstorming. Asking participants to select a key verb (action word) for each box can simplify the process. The process can take some time. There is no need to fill in all the boxes but should include at least the main activities.
3. Request that participants mark each box with either a smile ?  or frown ?  as a point of enjoyment or a point of displeasure.
4. Request that participants identify other people they interacted with along the journey.
5. If in an appropriate group setting, allow participants to share their journeys with the wider group for discussion.
6. During the activity, make a note of important aspects that are useful for analysis: age, status gender, role, religion, ethnicity, experiences. Write down observations and probe participant(s) to explain their decisions. If applicable and with consent, take photos of the canvases for your records.

The final step is to analyse journey mapping responses to identify key themes to share with relevant stakeholders.

• Compile maps. We recommend creating a spreadsheet, drawing software or Word document to summarise the differences between different types of people (gender, age, role). Use all relevant ‘data’ including text, drawings, and observations. Create composite journey maps representing the main types of people who participated.
• Conduct thematic analysis. Drawing on the compiled journey maps, search for patterns and themes within the data. Explore differences by age, gender, ethnicity, or other aspects. This may take a different shape if the analysis is longitudinal or comparative.
• Generate insights. Bringing together the compiled journey maps and thematic analyses to create a set of insights from the data.
• Sensemaking workshop. In a workshop setting, explore the data with a group of key-stakeholders.

While journey mapping is best done in person, it can also be completed remotely using participatory methods.

Keeping in mind differences in access and literacy, think about different ways to facilitate and plan the activity.

See an example of participatory activities using Google Slide.

Learn more on the digital tools page.