User experience (UX) artifacts are really important when it comes to designing products and experiences and aligning with others who will execute on that design. Think of them like recipes that help us figure out what people want and how they use stuff. They help designers and people who study users make sense of a lot of information, see the trends, and share their findings in a way that's easy to understand. In this article, we're going to look closely at what these UX artifact types are all about, how they're used, what goes into making one, and how they help turn research into something we can actually use.

Using UX artifacts in your work

UX artifacts are conceptual frameworks that help designers and researchers organize and make sense of the vast amount of data collected during the research process. While an individual data point may be impactful, the story that these artifacts can tell carries and links multiple insights together to emphasize a need for change. They provide a visual representation of key concepts, relationships, and interactions within the user experience ecosystem, allowing stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of user behaviors and motivations.

UX artifacts come in various forms, ranging from simple diagrams to comprehensive blueprints, each tailored to address specific research questions or objectives. You may have heard of and seen personas and journey maps in your work. These are two of the most common types of UX artifact types in use. But, there's a whole host of other types that can be used to supplement your design work and help you tell your story. We talk about 4 in this article: stakeholder maps, information flow maps, service blueprints, and ecosystem maps.

UX artifacts and UX Research: Make research insights tangible

One of the primary benefits of user experience artifacts is their ability to connect disparate data points and make tangible research insights that are discovered during the research process. By visualizing key concepts and relationships within the user experience ecosystem, visualization artifacts help researchers identify patterns, draw connections, and uncover insights that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

For example, using journey maps, researchers can highlight recurring themes or pain points that users encounter at various stages of their journey. These insights can then be used to inform design decisions, prioritize feature development, or identify areas for optimization. These may be the make-or-break points where a user will stop using a service when they get frustrated enough.

UX visualization artifacts will connect and contextualize your research insights, provide a framework for understanding the complexities of the user experience, and drive meaningful change. By incorporating these artifacts into your research process, you can create more impactful and meaningful outcomes for users and stakeholders alike.

Four new UX artifact types to add to your arsenal

Let's consider 4 UX artifact types you might not know much about. These come from the world of service design. I'll review what they are, when they're useful, what info you need to make them, and how to share them with others. They give you the ability to communicate your research in additional ways and new perspectives that you may not have uncovered previously.

One of the fundamental aspects of any user experience project is identifying and understanding the various stakeholders involved. A stakeholder map provides a visual representation of these stakeholders and their relationships within the project ecosystem. This type is particularly useful in large-scale projects where multiple individuals or groups have a vested interest in the outcome.

The origins of stakeholder maps in UX design aren't entirely clear, but their development aligns with the rise of stakeholder management theory in the 1980s. This theory emphasizes considering all parties with a stake in a project, beyond just direct stakeholders. As UX design embraced collaboration and diverse perspectives, stakeholder maps emerged as a tool to visualize user research data. This map coincides with the emergence of service design and was formalized in a paper by Fanny Giordano, Nicola Morelli, Amalia De Götzen, and Judith Hunziker in 2018.

To build a stakeholder map, researchers need to gather data on the different stakeholders involved in the project, including their roles, responsibilities, and influence levels. This data can be collected through interviews, surveys, and stakeholder analysis workshops. Typically stakeholders are mapped from direct users to indirect stakeholders who are affected by use. You can also utilize the circumference of the circle to map journeys through the product lifecycle.

Stakeholder maps are most helpful in communicating the complexity of the project landscape and identifying key influencers and decision-makers as well as users who may be affected by decisions users make. By visualizing these relationships, researchers can better understand the dynamics at play and tailor their research and design efforts accordingly. Additionally, stakeholder maps can be used to facilitate communication and collaboration among team members, ensuring everyone is aligned on project goals and objectives.

In today's digital age, users interact with a multitude of touchpoints and channels when engaging with a product or service. An information flow map helps researchers visualize the flow of information and interactions across these touchpoints, providing valuable insights into user journeys and behaviors.

Flow artifact types in UX design stem from two sources. Contextual Design uses flows to map user workflows drawing from the work of Hugh Beyer and Karen Holtzblatt from the late 1990s. Also, Information Flow Models visualize data flow within systems which owe their origin to Unified Modeling Language often associated with Object-Oriented Programming from James Rumbaugh in the early 1990s.

To build an information flow map, researchers need to collect data on the various touchpoints and channels users interact with during their journey. This data can include website visits, app interactions, social media engagement, customer service interactions, and more. By mapping out these touchpoints and tracing the flow of information between them, researchers can identify pain points, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement. In addition to the nature of the touchpoints, researchers also need to establish the nature of information being transmitted across these channels.

Additional information can convey relationships between stakeholders in this information flow, the effectiveness of the information flow, breakdowns in the flow of information, as well as process/order requirements such as when people or information will be needed.

Information flow maps are most helpful in understanding the end-to-end user experience and identifying areas where friction may occur. By visualizing the user journey in this way, researchers can pinpoint areas for optimization and enhancement, ultimately leading to a more seamless and

intuitive experience for users.

Service blueprints, which you are most likely to have heard about on this list, are comprehensive artifacts that map out the entire service experience, from initial contact to post-service interactions. Unlike traditional journey maps, which focus primarily on the user's perspective, service design blueprints take a holistic view of the service ecosystem, encompassing both front-stage and back-stage processes.

While the specific origin of this type might be debated, the concept emerged within the field of service design itself in the early 1980s. Pioneered by Lynn Shostack, a banking executive, it aimed to bridge the gap between frontline service delivery and the underlying business processes. The concept was extended and helped spur the Service Design Movement by Mary Jo Bitner, Amy L. Ostrom, and Felicia N. Morgan in the mid-2000s.

To build a service blueprint, researchers need to gather data on all aspects of the service experience, including customer interactions, employee workflows, physical environments, digital touchpoints, and supporting infrastructure. This data can be collected through observations, interviews, and process mapping exercises. Once collected, the data is synthesized and organized into a visual blueprint that illustrates the end-to-end service journey.

Service blueprints are most helpful in identifying pain points and inefficiencies within the service experience. By mapping out the entire service ecosystem, researchers can uncover hidden opportunities for improvement and innovation. Additionally, service design blueprints can be used to facilitate cross-functional collaboration and alignment, ensuring all stakeholders are working towards a common goal of delivering exceptional service experiences.

In today's interconnected world, products and services often exist within larger ecosystems comprising various interconnected elements. An ecosystem map helps researchers visualize these relationships and understand how different elements within the ecosystem interact and influence each other.

While there isn't a singular origin for ecosystem maps in UX design, their emergence seems tied to the growing recognition of interconnectedness in consumer experiences. The concept of an ecosystem map in UX could be argued to have come from several places in our field, but I and some of my colleagues (myself, Erik Stotlerman, Heekyoung Jung, Martin Siegel, Tonya Thompson, and William Hazlewood) seem to have created one of the earliest studies of it through our exploration of Device Ecologies in 2009.

To build an ecosystem map, researchers need to collect data on the various elements within the ecosystem, including products, services, stakeholders, technologies, regulations, and market dynamics. This data can be collected through market research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder interviews. Once collected, the data is synthesized and organized into a visual map that illustrates the interconnectedness of the ecosystem.

Ecosystem maps are most helpful in understanding the broader context in which a product or service operates. By visualizing the relationships between different elements within the ecosystem, researchers can identify dependencies, opportunities, and threats that may impact the success of the product or service. Additionally, ecosystem maps can be used to inform strategic decision-making and guide the development of new products and services that better align with market needs and trends.

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UX artifacts offer invaluable visualization tools for researchers and designers to plan, synthesize, and communicate their findings effectively. By leveraging types such as stakeholder maps, information flow maps, service design blueprints, and ecosystem maps researchers can gain deeper insights into user behavior and convince stakeholders through compelling design storytelling. Whether it's understanding the project landscape, tracing user interactions, mapping the service experience, visualizing interconnected systems, or identifying skills and capabilities, UX artifacts provide a helpful lens for navigating the complexities of user experience research and design.

By incorporating these lesser-known UX artifact types into their research process, designers and researchers can create a more cohesive and connected approach to user experience design, ultimately leading to more impactful and meaningful outcomes for users and stakeholders alike. So, the next time stakeholders aren't giving your research insights their due, consider employing these UX artifact types to make the connection and tell a compelling design story that resonates with them.

Consider Xperius: a pre-release tool to build UX artfiacts and connect them to underlying research insights. This tool will empower you to build aritfacts such as those listed here and several others building more compelling stories collaboratively and sharing these with other stakeholders. Join our community below to stay abreast of our ongoing project development.

Happy visualizing!