User Journey: What is a user journey?
Définition
A user journey is the visual mapping of all the steps, actions and emotions a user goes through when interacting with a digital product to achieve a specific goal.What is a user journey?
A user journey is a visual, chronological representation of all the interactions a user has with a digital product to achieve a given goal. It extends beyond the interface itself: it covers the complete experience from the first touchpoint (a Google search, an advert, a recommendation) through to the final action (a purchase, a sign-up, a contact request) and even beyond (loyalty, support).
The user journey is typically presented as a diagram or map (journey map) that details, for each stage, the user's actions, touchpoints, emotions, questions raised and improvement opportunities. At Kern-IT, within the KERNWEB division, mapping user journeys is a fundamental step in every project. It precedes wireframing and guides the page structure developed on Wagtail CMS.
Why user journeys matter
Mapping user journeys shifts the focus from a feature-centred view to an experience-centred one. This perspective reveals problems and opportunities that are otherwise invisible.
- Friction point identification: mapping highlights the steps where users hesitate, drop off or express frustration. These friction points are all opportunities for improvement.
- Holistic view: the user journey connects different channels and touchpoints (SEO, social media, email, website) into a coherent experience, rather than treating them in silos.
- Effort prioritisation: by identifying the critical stages in the journey (those where users are most likely to abandon), the team can focus optimisation efforts where impact will be greatest.
- Empathy and understanding: the emotional dimension of the user journey (emotion curve) helps the entire team understand what users feel at each stage, not just what they do.
How it works
User journey creation relies on the personas defined upstream and on data collected during user research. At Kern-IT, we follow a structured methodology spanning several phases.
The first phase involves defining the scenario: which persona, what goal, what context. For example: "Sophie, HR manager, is looking for a project management training course for her five-person team, from her desktop computer, during her lunch break."
The second phase is stage mapping. The journey is broken down into key stages (awareness, consideration, decision, action, post-action) and for each stage the team documents user actions, touchpoints, questions and emotions.
The third phase is opportunity identification. For each friction point, concrete solutions are identified. For each positive moment, the team considers how to amplify it.
The user journey is materialised in a visual document (typically created in Figma) combining a chronological diagram, an emotion curve and detailed annotations. This document is shared with the entire team and the client.
Concrete example
Kern-IT is designing the website for a Brussels dental clinic. The primary user journey is that of a patient searching for a dentist and booking an appointment online.
The journey reveals six stages: Google search, site discovery, browsing the treatments page, reading patient reviews, accessing the appointment booking form and confirmation. The map highlights a major friction point between stages 4 and 5: patients read reviews on a separate page and cannot easily find the booking button afterwards.
The solution is twofold: add a floating booking button visible on all pages and integrate patient reviews directly on the relevant treatment page. The emotion curve also shows a confidence dip on the form page: the form asks for too much medical information at this stage. The chosen solution is to simplify the online form and defer medical questions to the confirmation call.
These decisions are implemented in the wireframes and then in the final site developed on Wagtail CMS with Tailwind CSS. After launch, the appointment form completion rate increases by 40 %.
Implementation steps
- Select the persona and goal: choose the primary persona and define the main goal of the journey to be mapped.
- List the stages: break the journey into five to eight key stages, from awareness to final action.
- Document each stage: for each stage, note the user's actions, touchpoints, emotions, questions and expectations.
- Plot the emotion curve: assess the level of satisfaction or frustration at each stage and plot the corresponding curve.
- Identify friction points: spot stages where emotion is negative or where drop-off rates are high.
- Propose solutions: for each friction point, define concrete improvements to incorporate into wireframes and design.
- Validate and share: present the user journey to stakeholders and use it as a reference throughout the project.
Related technologies and tools
- Figma: used by Kern-IT to create visual, collaborative user journey maps that are easily shared with clients.
- Google Analytics: a source of quantitative data for identifying real visitor journeys (behaviour flows, conversion funnels, exit pages).
- Wagtail CMS: the Django-based CMS whose page structure and StreamField blocks are organised to reflect identified user journeys.
- Hotjar: a heatmap and session recording tool for observing real user behaviours and validating defined journeys.
Conclusion
The user journey is the tool that connects strategy, design and technology in a digital project. By mapping the complete user experience, it reveals improvement opportunities invisible to the naked eye and enables data-driven design decisions. At Kern-IT, the KERNWEB division systematically uses user journeys to structure its Wagtail projects, ensuring that every page, every component and every interaction contributes to a smooth experience aligned with the client's objectives.
Start with the journey that generates the most revenue or leads. At Kern-IT, we always map the primary conversion journey first, as its optimisation has the most immediate business impact. Secondary journeys are addressed subsequently.