Turn gaps into opportunities

A common artifact in user experience design is a customer journey map.

These maps focus on a customer going through a series of actions during a specific timeframe to accomplish a goal.

Think of it as a cartoon strip. But for business.

The reason these maps are so valuable is because they can uncover gaps in the current experience

Here’s an example.

👕📉 A local thrift store is noticing a significant decrease in donations.

🗺 Their team creates a journey map focusing on the donation experience today.

🔍 During their research, they discover the following gaps:

🚫 Lack of clear signage to the donation drop-off
🚫 Customers aren’t able to identify volunteers who could help them
🚫 Even regular thrift store visitors confessed they forgot about donating once they got home

To optimize this experience, the thrift store team might experiment with the following:

✅ Large, outdoor wayfinding signs
✅ Uniform vests or branded outerwear for volunteers
✅ Postcards or small printed reminders to put in bags after purchases

Remember, journey mapping can help shine a spotlight on gaps today so you can focus on creating the RIGHT opportunities for your customers in the future.