B2B – Product Journey Map & User Network
B2B Design Thinking: Product Innovation when the User is a Network
Why do I need this?
When B2B companies talk about user experience, they are really considering the aggregated needs of multiple people and roles in a large ecosystem. These objectives can differ vastly for every individual. Because every person who uses machines, raw materials, technology, or even furniture and office supplies to get work done has a unique idea of how the experience should be like to meet their individual needs as well as the demands of the business.
Often though in B2B environments a product reaches less of the level of awareness and preference from users compared to B2C, even though it is widely used and relied on to support a comfortable environment. This is why we believe the user experience does matter also in B2B.
What is it?
To tackle this complex challenge we have developed two tools: the “Product Journey Map” and the “User Network Ideation Board”. They can help you to:
map known and unknown users along the journey of a product.
develop ideas in relation to their values typically embraced in the context of an organisation.
How do I use it? – The Product Journey Map
The goal of the Product Journey Map is to identify every person and their roles that come in touch with the product throughout its lifecycle. It distinguishes between the front-stage and back-stage to illustrate which roles work with the product and which work directly on the product or system.
Step 1 – Compose the product lifecycle with the elements most relevant to your case only. Have a bigger picture with main steps from the user’s perspective of the lifecycle on the top and a more detailed one with the internal process steps on the bottom.
Step 2 – Now define users that are relevant and come in touch with the product throughout the defined steps. Look for users that work with the product. These should be place towards the frontstage. Then look for users that work on the product or system and place them onto the backstage.
Step 3 – You might colour code the users for clustering and better overview, e.g. by involved organizations.
Step 4 – Select the most promising users you want to create value for.
How do I use it? – User Network Ideation Board
The goal of the User Network Ideation Board is to build network empathy by assigning elements of value (comparable to what needs are for an individual user) to its members and guide ideation. The “Elements of Value” (developed by Almquist et.al, 2018) are in our view a very useful concept because it blends organisational and individual (career) goals into a single framework.
Step 1 – Copy the prioritized users from the Product Journey Map onto the User Ideation Network Board.
Step 2 – Review the list of elements of value.
Step 3 – Identify and assign at least three elements of value for each user. Come up with first assumptions in a workshop or use data from user interviews.
Step 4 – Build upon these insights. Verify your assumptions or use them as springboard to guide your further ideation process.
This template was created by Nils Schekorr.
Get started with this template right now.
Service Blueprint Template
Works best for:
Desk Research, Operations, Market Research
The Service Blueprint template is a visual tool for designing and optimizing service experiences. It provides a structured framework for mapping customer journeys, identifying touchpoints, and aligning internal processes. This template enables teams to visualize the entire service ecosystem, uncover pain points, and innovate solutions to enhance customer satisfaction. By promoting customer-centricity and collaboration, the Service Blueprint empowers organizations to deliver exceptional service experiences and drive sustainable growth.
Product Strategy Canvas
Works best for:
Product Management, Planning
The Product Strategy Canvas template aids product managers in defining strategic direction and priorities. By outlining key components, such as target markets, value propositions, and differentiation strategies, this template clarifies product vision and positioning. With sections for analyzing market trends and competitive landscapes, it facilitates informed decision-making in product strategy development. This template serves as a strategic blueprint for driving product success and achieving business objectives.
Remote Design Sprint Template
Works best for:
Design, Desk Research, Sprint Planning
A design sprint is an intensive process of designing, iterating, and testing a prototype over a 4 or 5 day period. Design sprints are conducted to break out of stal, work processes, find a fresh perspective, identify problems in a unique way, and rapidly develop solutions. Developed by Google, design sprints were created to enable teams to align on a specific problem, generate multiple solutions, create and test prototypes, and get feedback from users in a short period of time. This template was originally created by JustMad, a business-driven design consultancy, and has been leveraged by distributed teams worldwide.
Product Canvas Template
Works best for:
Desk Research, UX Design
Product canvases are a concise yet content-rich tool that conveys what your product is and how it is strategically positioned. Combining Agile and UX, a project canvas complements user stories with personas, storyboards, scenarios, design sketches, and other UX artefacts. Product canvases are useful because they help product managers define a prototype. Creating a product canvas is an important first step in deciding who potential users may be, the problem to be solved, basic product functionality, advanced functionalities worth exploring, competitive advantage, and customers’ potential gain from the product.
Product Market Fit Board
Works best for:
Product Management, Planning
The Product Market Fit Board template helps product teams assess and validate product-market fit. By capturing user feedback, analyzing market trends, and tracking key metrics, this template enables teams to evaluate product-market alignment objectively. With sections for defining target segments, identifying pain points, and prioritizing features, it guides teams through the process of optimizing product-market fit. This template serves as a tool for iteratively refining products to meet customer needs and drive market success.
HEART Framework Template
Works best for:
Desk Research, Project Management, User Experience
Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, and Task Success. Those are the pillars of user experience — which is why they serve as the key metrics in the HEART framework. Developed by the research team at Google, this framework gives larger companies an accurate way to measure user experience at scale, which you can then reference throughout the product development lifecycle. While the HEART framework uses five metrics, you might not need all five for every project — choose the ones that will be most useful for your company and project.