Method: Mapping
By: Etienne Gernez
Tags: Onsite, Mapping, UX, Field Study, Course

Maps are efficient ways to represent a lot of information in a limited space, so they are very useful in the field study process, for example when you need to communicate field insights to a part of the team that has not been with you on the field.

When we work with the study of workplaces and user experiences, we use three main types of mapping, depending on what information we are working with, and how we structure the information:

Layout mapping: a spatial description of a workplace. For example: the position of all the systems present in a work station.

System mapping: the components of a system, and the relations between the components, organised in the form of a network.

Timeline mapping: a sequence of events structured along a timeline. For example: scenario mapping, journey mapping.

In the next paragraphs, we describe the different mapping techniques we use. We have compiled a list of references for further reading at the end of the chapter.

Layout mapping

This is a spatial form of mapping, where the locations of users or systems are represented on a map that indicates their position. This type of mapping is useful when you are familiarising yourself with a new context. We use it as reference map when we want to document visually a space: we take photos of the whole space, of all its details, and then we can index each photo in relation to the map.

Example of Layout mapping on a ship bridge (in Norwegian).

Giga-mapping and ZIP analysis

The technique of Giga-mapping was developed by Birger Sevaldson in Norway through his work on Systems Oriented Design. At the Ocean Industries Concept Lab, we use Giga-mapping to explore how systems work, find out what we know and don’t know about the inner workings of the system, and what parts of the systems would benefit from a design intervention.

Giga-mapping is used together with the ZIP analysis technique, which helps isolating specific parts of the map you are building:

Z = Zoom. Used to identify areas or points where you need to do more research.

I = Innovation/intervention. Used to identify ideas or solutions to a problem.

P = Potential. Used to identify areas with potential for improvement.

Example of GIGA Mapping and ZIP analysis with the use of coloured post-its. The pink post-it indicates that the map itself is a zoom on a specific aspect of a larger problem, yellow post-its indicate potential for improvements, and green post-its gather ideas for design interventions to develop.

Journey mapping

This type of mapping is used to represent the experience of a user, from the perspective of the user. It shows what a user does during a specific moment in time, and it is usually structured along a timeline. User journey (or customer journey) mapping is used extensively in service design to switch between how a service is designed, and how it is experienced by its user(s).

We use journey mapping when we focus on the experience of one or several users. I personally like to use it when I plan a field study. I usually start with an interview to map the experience of the user(s) I am dealing with, and I document the interview with a journey map. This type of mapping helps me find out what data from the field might be useful to collect. For example if my map shows the information flow surrounding the user, I can assess quickly what information does the user work with, how it is created/accessed, and what other type of information, or source of information would be useful to collect.

Journey mappings can also combine the “journeys” of several users at the same time. We refer to this type of mapping as “scenario mapping”, and we often use a specific form of scenario mapping that we call “layered-scenario mapping”.

Scenario mapping

We use scenario mapping to describe how an operation takes place. The different phases of an operation are placed along a timeline, and each phase is described using text and visuals. Because we work with a human-centred perspective, the scenario mapping will usually be represented from the perspective of the different users involved in the scenario. The scenario map is used as a basis to document and explore the experiences of these users: what tasks they engage with, what systems they use, how different users work together to execute different tasks, and how it all leads to the execution of the operation.

This type of information is useful when developing new concepts, because it provides a context in which concepts can be tested. When we come back from field studies, our lab walls are usually covered with scenario maps with concept ideas positioned at different steps of the scenario.