It’s really easy to get excited about new product ideas and start mocking up really cool UI and screens and make something feel real.
But... that approach can become an expensive distraction that hurts your team in so many ways down the road.
We’ve been designing and building products for over a decade and have found that staying focused on lo-fidelity design through an app mapping process can save you a lot of headaches. This process is powerful for all team members on a project because it helps everyone focus on data and structure over aesthetics (too soon).
Let’s explore how app mapping benefits designers, product owners, and developers, and how you can implement it in your workflow.
App Mapping presentation and demonstration
This article is a compact version of what I share in this video presentation below. I also walk through an example of putting this approach into practice leveraging our Figma template.
Customer Journey and App Mapping Template in Figma
This template file has been updated over the years as you can see from my previous video on customer journey mapping.
What is App Mapping?
App mapping is the process of systematically designing a product’s flow, prioritizing data relationships and structural clarity over visual design.
It's a foundational tool for teams to:
- Align on vision and goals early in the process.
- Iterate quickly and efficiently.
- Avoid costly rework during later stages of development.
App mapping can be used for entire products or specific features, making it versatile for teams of any size or scope.
How is App Mapping different from Customer Journey Mapping?
Let’s clear this up so there’e no confusion.
App mapping is a blueprint for building the app, while customer journey mapping is for understanding the experience users need and desires from the product. Customer journey map data will inform decision-making with the app mapping process.
Focus
App Mapping
The structure, data flow, and functional design ****of a digital product. It is used to define how different components of an application (like screens, actions, and data) interact and flow together. It emphasizes technical clarity and the relationships between system components.
Customer Journey Mapping
The end-to-end experience of the user or customer as they interact with a product, service, or brand. It visualizes the steps, touchpoints, and emotions a customer experiences from the beginning to the end of their interaction.
Purpose
App Mapping
- Helps product teams align on the internal structure and flow of the app.
- Improves iteration speed by focusing on data and structural clarity.
- Guides technical development and design decisions.
Customer Journey Mapping
- Identifies pain points and opportunities in the customer's overall experience.
- Ensures alignment between customer needs and business goals.
- Helps create strategies to improve satisfaction, loyalty, and engagement.
Output
App Mapping
Produces a technical blueprint that guides app development and design. It highlights flows, actions, and structural details.
Customer Journey Mapping
Produces a visual journey map that identifies customer pain points, emotional states, and opportunities for improvement.
Benefits of App Mapping for different roles
For every role, App Mapping helps create imporved prioritization. Exercises like the MoSCoW Method are great tools to assist you and your team in App Mapping process.
Learn more about the MoSCoW Method to udnerstand how these tags work within our template.
For Designers
Faster Iteration
Create and refine flows within minutes, enhancing collaboration and reducing bottlenecks.
Deeper System Understanding
By focusing on data and structure, designers can have more meaningful conversations with developers about system functionality.
Clear Roadmap
The process provides a clear roadmap for visual design, creating alignment across the team.
Less Rework
Reduce the chances of a dreaded redesign after UI has already been polished just to squeeze in “one more thing.”
For Product Owners
More Accurate Estimates
App mapping increases the accuracy of estimates by involving development teams early in the process.
Stakeholder Alignment
Visualizing complex flows helps stakeholders understand the scope and complexity of requested features.
Vision Clarity
By identifying and addressing ambiguities early, product owners can align teams on priorities and objectives.
For Developers
Early Input
Developers contribute to the design process early, reducing the risk of misaligned expectations.
Data Foundations
App mapping integrates seamlessly with object-oriented UX, enabling developers to understand data relationships and backend requirements.
Smoother Development
Clear flows and defined actions minimize rework and accelerate development.
Common challenges App Mapping can prevent
Lack of clarity for every role
Vague product briefs can derail a project from the start. Assuming everyone understands the expectations of the product and what they are responsible for is what causes bigger issues later on.
App mapping brings clarity by:
- Defining objectives and assumptions early
- Highlighting gaps in understanding
- Creating a shared language for teams
Visual focus too soon (don’t fall into this trap)
Diving into high-fidelity designs prematurely can lead to wasted time and effort. It is very tempting to start making concepts look and feel more real before you have all the details figured out. Moodboards and “concepts” are great, but don’t let those become your working files before app flows have been clearly defined across the entire product experience.
App mapping keeps teams focused on:
- Structural integrity
- Data organization
- Functional flows
Late feedback
Structural changes late in development can be costly in a lot of different ways. Unnecessary stress, unexpected delays, and add hours to a project.
How app mapping helps:
- Feedback is incorporated early
- Teams iterate at a low fidelity
- Development is aligned with design from the start
How to Implement App Mapping
1. Start with a brief
Define the objectives and scope of the feature or product. Break down the brief into actionable goals and questions. Leverage any existing customer journey maps for this step.
2. Use tools and templates
Leverage tools like FigJam or Miro, and consider using a dedicated app mapping kit to streamline the process. Grab our free app mapping user flow template for Figma.
3. Collaborate across teams
Involve product owners, designers, developers, and stakeholders in the mapping process. This ensures diverse perspectives and early buy-in.
4. Iterate quickly
Use app mapping to explore multiple iterations of a flow. Focus on data and structure rather than visuals.
5. Validate and refine
Share the map with stakeholders for feedback. Incorporate their input to refine the roadmap before moving to high-fidelity designs.
Do what you can to put it into practice
Every team has a slightly different process and approach, and that’s okay. Take what I shared with you here and see what seems to benefit your team the most.
Whether you’re working on a startup’s MVP or a complex enterprise product, app mapping can improve your approach to design and development. Start incorporating it into your workflows and see how it can help your team.
