The USER JOURNEY is a design tool that enables the visual and participatory mapping of people’s real experiences within a living space. By mapping flows, and identifying pain points, user needs, and opportunities for improvement, this part of the training programme helps learners understand how a space is actually used, what obstacles it may present, and what possibilities it holds.
The activity begins with a floor plan and unfolds through the use of squared paper, directional-ruled rolls, coloured post-its, and A3/A4 templates, which can be completed individually or collaboratively. Observations are guided by a structured format that clearly visualizes behaviors, pathways, and user experiences, generating insights that are essential for informed spatial redesign.
The approach is practical, collaborative, and observational. Rather tan focusing on aesthetics, it prioritises perceived functionality and the potential to improve the environment based on the real needs of its users.
This module is particularly effective in residential contexts as well as educational, healthcare, or public settings, where analyzing flows and needs supports for the creation of spaces that are more accessible, fluid, and responsive to the everyday requirements of the people who inhabit them.
How the tool works
Working with the USER JOURNEY tool involves observing and representing real or potential spatial experiences. Facilitators and learners are invited to work on two main supports:
- A squared floor plan of the environment under analysis;
- The USER JOURNEY sheet (A3) or its reprodution on a large grid paper where flows are traced and key moments of daily life are recorded.
Using coloured post-its, markers, and a pre-printed A3 user sheet, each participant can:
- Represent movements, gestures, and daily routines within the space;
- Highlight pain points, user needs, desires, and design opportunities;
- Annotate emotions, perceptual or practical limits, and desired changes.
The activity can be conducted individually or in groups, adapting to the profile of the participants (children, adults, older adults, etc.).
Each element is represented visually using colours and symbols, which facilitates interpretation and supports subsequent design analysis.
No drawing skills or technical knowledge are required: the goal is to make the real user experience visible, revealing challenges and potentials that often remain implicit.
The completed sheet becomes a meaningful map, useful for architects, designers, and educators in planning interventions that are more targeted, empathetic, and aligned with the way people actually use the space.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
