Mapping Approaches

There are apparently many different types of mapping, but in class we touched on about 5 in class, and all of these were basically exist to map out different experiences of the user.

I am going to briefly touch on a few of them, but I am going to focus on the Customer Journey map, since that was the one we did in class and in Methods Madness.

This method is a design method in its nature, because it helps lay out the problem in a nice way for the designer to look at it and gain insights off it. The context for this method is if you want a nice way to look at the data for examining it or showing it to somebody else, this is a great way to do it.

Description of the Method
Basic description

The reason we map is to figure out what the user is doing, highlight problems, chart behavior, etc. It mainly depends on the mapping you are doing.

Mind mapping

"When a topic or a problem has many moving parts, mind mapping provides a method of visually organizing a problem space in order to better understand it." - Martin and Hanington, Universal Methods of design

This is when you use a spider diagram to lay out the problem space so designers can understand it easier. Just like any spider diagram, you start from the middle, and work out, making connections where ever possible. This makes it easy for the designer to see what to focus on, as well as follow the user research that was done for this project.

Slide says there is software that does this for you, but why do that, drawing them out is way the way better option. They look cooler and are fun to make.

Customer Journey Map

This was the map we made in class and in method madness, and it seemed pretty interesting. It was basically to track certain things as the customer interacts with the artifact as hand. You will be listing out "touch points" for this interaction, and this helps to find pain points or pleasure points in the interaction with said thing. You can use many different variables when doing this, to try to get as much information as possible. Looking through one of these graphs can find many different opportunity spaces for the objects you are mapping.

Actually Doing the method

For customer journey map, you have to think of what exactly you are going to be mapping out, and find a graph that can support that thing, as well as what kind of variables you will be using to map it out.

Afterwards, start thinking through a normal session with that thing, from before using it, while using it, and after using it, and start mapping it out through that. Think about touch points, and look for areas that cause good or bad reactions from the user, as well as opportunity spaces.

Positives and negatives
Positives
 * Is a good way lay out ideas
 * These kinds of graphs are awesome, give graphs a good name.
 * Gives an interesting way of looking at things
 * Good way to show off your ideas to other people

Negatives
 * Its sometimes brings up no results
 * Can take awhile to map it out

Tips and Tricks

 * Think about many different aspects of what you are drawing out
 * Make sure your doing the right kind of mapping for the job
 * If one type of graph is not turning out anything good, try a different graph, or changing up the variables you used.

Project Class/Methods Madness we used it for
Since we were so busy with our methods projects, this was the first method we did not have time to devote a whole project for. Which I surprisingly miss, this was the first method I did not feel at least somewhat attached too. While the body storming one was a interesting enough of a session that I still remember it and it kind of feels like we did a project, for this one, I kind of barely remember doing it. I remember it was on the made boyfriend video, and we tracked the emotions on that, but I don't remember making any insights from it.

Not that I think its a bad method, I just wish we had more time with it. That's why I'm glad I went to methods madness that week, so I got to do it again. This one I liked a little better, because I felt like we had more time, and since it was mapping out something everyone in the group was used too, going to a restaurant. This ended up being fun and interesting, though we probably could have done it better with some sub graphs, to show different scenarios that could happen while in the restaurant.

Hughes's Corner
I like this method, I think it is a great way to show exactly what is happening in a cool way. Do not really have that much more to say about it. Well I guess I could mention I always loved spider diagrams, and I am happy that one of the methods includes them, one of the reason I mentioned it in this page. And that was one of the geekiest things Ive ever said, that I love spider diagrams, don't know why I included that. But Honestly, I may do Mind Mapping, that sounds really cool.