User Experience
User Journey Emoji
Participants use emojis to visually share a recent user experience journey. This helps teams consider emotional highs and lows. The activity makes user emotions tangible and easy to discuss, revealing patterns in how people experience products and services. Emojis lower participation barriers and encourage creative expression.
Duration
15 mins
Group Size
4-20
Category
User Experience
Energy
High
Objectives
Build empathy for user emotions throughout experiences Practice thinking about user journeys in emotional terms Create energy and engagement around user-centered thinking Help team members share perspectives and get comfortable with each other
Outcomes
Team members understand each other's UX perspectives. A shared vocabulary emerges for emotional user experiences. The group is energized and ready for user research. Real user journey emotions provide useful reference points.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Facilitator Tips
Encourage thinking beyond "happy" and "sad" emojis. Modeling vulnerability by sharing your own journey first can help. Keep the pace lively; avoid overthinking. Connect patterns to the team's work. It's good to have backup emojis ready.
Variations
Digital version: Use emoji reactions in tools like Miro or Mural. Physical version: Use printed emoji cards or draw emojis on sticky notes. Theme-specific: Focus on journeys related to the current design challenge. Reverse version: Start with the end result.
Pre-Session Briefing
Analytics
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