An emotion map plots the emotional highs and lows of a user's experience across time or across the stages of a journey, revealing where experience peaks and where it falls painfully short. While journey maps capture actions and touchpoints, emotion maps foreground the felt quality of the experience, which is often the dimension most directly correlated with satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. Emotion mapping makes the case for design investment in a language that resonates deeply with both design teams and business stakeholders.
Emotion Map
Plotting the emotional highs and lows of an experience
A
Designers Academy
15 July 2026 · 4 min read
UXMethods
In brief
An emotion map visualises the emotional highs and lows of a user's experience across time or journey stages, revealing where the experience excels or falls short to guide design investment.
