Creating Unified Design Thinking Through Experience Mapping

When design meets anthropology, user research uncovers the discrepancies between designers’ intended use of products and the everyday practices of cultures and societies. While ethnography has become a powerful observational and data collection tool, designers and researchers often find it challenging to transform instances into behavioral patterns and analytical frameworks so that research findings can live on as actionable design thinking. This article contends that when done collaboratively, experience mapping - a holistic visualization of user experience across time and space - facilitates analysis, and more importantly, helps create a unified front among team members in their understanding of human behaviors and design aspirations.