Choosing maps for product development

Different product development stages require different mapping approaches:

• Discovery: Current-state maps reveal how users actually interact with your product today. They uncover real behaviors, pain points, and workarounds that inform design decisions. Customer journey maps during early research expose emotional highs and lows throughout the user experience.
• Planning and strategy: Customer experience maps excel when exploring new markets or expanding to multiple channels. They show all touchpoints across your ecosystem, revealing gaps and opportunities. Future-state maps align teams on product vision and help prioritize features based on desired outcomes.
• Implementation and operations: Service blueprints become essential when coordinating complex services across multiple teams. They connect frontend experiences to backend processes, showing dependencies and handoffs. Use them when designing multi-channel services or improving operational efficiency.