Emotions & Pain Points

A journey map is more than a list of steps — it shows how the user feels and why those feelings matter. This lesson focuses on turning impressions into evidence.

Emotions: track changes, not absolutes

• Capture the baseline emotion before the flow, then show how it changes across phases
• Use emojis or short descriptors (frustrated, relieved, hopeful) to keep visuals clean

Pain points vs symptoms

• Symptom: slow page load
• Pain point: user can’t checkout, loses momentum, abandons cart

Research link

Use quotes and support ticket evidence from your research. Link each pain point to evidence so stakeholders understand the magnitude of the issue.