User Journey Diagrams

Learn how to craft user journey diagrams in Mermaid to visualize user experiences, interactions, and workflows for applications or systems.

What are User Journey Diagrams?

Mermaid's User Journey Diagrams are a visual representation of the steps users take to complete a task within a system, application, or website. These diagrams illustrate the current ("as-is") user workflow, helping identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement in the future ("to-be") workflow.

Mermaid provides the ability to render User Journey Diagrams using simple text-based syntax. These diagrams are useful for analyzing and improving user experience.

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Creating Your First User Journey Diagram

1. Launch DinoAI: From Code IDE, access DinoAI to start creating diagrams.

2. Use a Simple Prompt: Tell DinoAI what kind of User Journey Diagram you want to create. For example:

- "Create a mermaid user journey showing how analysts interact with our data platform"

- "Generate a mermaid user journey for data consumers accessing reports and dashboards"

- "Build a mermaind user journey showing the data request and fulfillment process"

1. Get Your Diagram: DinoAI will generate a complete .mmd file with proper Mermaid syntax.

2. Preview Your Work: Click the eye icon (👁️) to preview your diagram in real-time as you edit.

3. Iterate and Refine: Modify the generated .mmd file directly, or ask DinoAI to make specific changes.

Example:

Reusable Sequence Diagram prompts for you and your team

You can create custom, standardized .dinoprompts for Mermaid's Sequence Diagram that ensure consistency across your data team. See step-by-step guide.

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Diagram Syntax Guide

Basic Structure

A User Journey Diagram consists of the following components:

• Title: Describes the overall user journey.

• Sections: Break down the journey into major steps or phases.

• Tasks: Individual actions within a section.

The basic syntax is as follows:

Defining Tasks

Each task is defined with:

• Task Name: A descriptive label for the task.

• Score: A number from 1 (negative experience) to 5 (positive experience).

• Actors: The individuals or entities involved in the task, separated by commas.

Example:

Defining Sections

Sections group related tasks together and are defined using the section keyword followed by the section title.

Example:

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Examples

E-Commerce Purchase Journey

Software Installation Journey

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Best Practices

1. Keep it Simple: Use clear task names and group related tasks into sections.

2. Use Scores Effectively: Assign scores based on user experience (1 = poor, 5 = excellent).

3. Include Relevant Actors: Specify all participants involved in each task.

4. Iterate: Refine the diagram as new insights are gained about the user journey.

5. Focus on the User: Highlight pain points and positive moments in the journey.

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Additional Resources

For more syntax options and advanced features, visit the official Mermaid documentation.