EXPECTATION
MAPPING
Jonathan Steingiesser
Lead UX Researcher

The goal for today’s workshop is to dive into the
expectation mapping UX technique. We will look at
an example and then try it out for ourselves.
AGENDA
RESTAURANT
EXAMPLE
WHAT IS
EXPECTATION
MAPPING?
MAPPING
YOUR
EXPECTATIONS
EXTENDING
THE MAP
THE 5 E’s

WHAT IS
EXPECTATION
MAPPING?
EXPECTATION MAPPING

WHAT IS EXPECTATION MAPPING?
Expectation mapping is a way of visualising customer
journey emotions.
It is a way of focusing toward the dynamically changing and
ever-evolving expectations of what a quality experience
should feel like.

WHAT IS AN EXPECTATION MAP?
An Expectation Map is a neat way
for you to think about and express
the best experience you can
imagine.
It’s split into 4 areas – See, Hear, Say
& Do and Think & Feel

HOW CAN EXPECTATION MAPPING HELP UX?
It can help:
- Go beyond the basic goals & needs of customers (delight)
- Interpret the irrationality of customer decisions
- Better visualise emotions in the journey map
- Frame the canvas for creative localisation

EXPECTATION MAP EXAMPLE
‣ I want you to think about what would be the best experience in helping
you arrive and stay at a hotel or Airbnb for a personal or couple/family
vacation and the services they should provide. Think about the things
that would make that experience amazing.
‣ Don’t think about what actually happened when you last stayed at a
hotel or Airbnb, rather use it as a reference point to think about what
would make it the best experience ever – from arriving at the location
and the experience of your first day/night etc.
‣ But let’s go through an example to explain what I mean…

EXAMPLE
EXPECTATION MAPPING

EXAMPLE Step 1
‣ Imagine the very best restaurant experience you can think of. This is the
ultimate experience! It may consist of some great experiences you’ve
had in the past and some experiences you’d love to have.
‣ Step 1 - What would you like to see?
Lighting
Subdued, not too
bright, not too dim
Menu
Easy to read and understand,
a broad range of meals to
appeal to a range of tastes
Staff
Plenty of waiters so
I don’t have to wait
for service
I’d like to see my
favourite table
reserved for me
(away from the door)
Fresh water served
throughout the meal
I’d like to see how clean
the restaurant looks

EXAMPLE Step 2 - What would you like to hear?
Lighting
Subdued, not too
bright, not too dim
Menu
Easy to read and understand, a
broad range of meals to appeal to
a range of tastes
Staff
Plenty of waiters
so I don’t have to
wait for service
I’d like to see my favourite
table reserved for me
(away from the door)
Fresh water served
throughout the meal
I’d like to see
how clean the
restaurant looks
Recognition
I’d like to hear my
name being used as I
come here often
Acoustics
I don’t want the restaurant
to be loud so I can chat
with my friends
Music
Music that’s not too
loud something chilled
and relaxing
I’d like to hear the
waiter tell me the
specials
I’d like to hear that
my favourite wine is
available
I’d like to hear “let
me take your coat
for you”

Lighting
Subdued, not too
bright, not too dim
Menu
Easy to read and understand, a
broad range of meals to appeal to
a range of tastes
Staff
Plenty of waiters
so I don’t have to
wait for service
I’d like to see my favourite
table reserved for me
(away from the door)
Fresh water served
throughout the meal
I’d like to see
how clean the
restaurant looks
Recognition
I’d like to hear my name
being used as I come
here often
EXAMPLE Step 3 - What would you say and do? Like said or done?
Acoustics
I don’t want the restaurant to be
loud so I can chat with my
friendsMusic
Music that’s not too loud
something chilled and
relaxing
I’d like to hear the waiter tell
me the specialsI’d like to hear that my
favourite wine is available
I’d like to hear “let me
take your coat for you”
I’d like to
receive table
service
I’d tell the
owner how
great my
meal was
I’d write an
online review
about the
great food
I’d leave a tip
because the
service and food
were so good
I’d
compliment
the chef and
waiter
I’d like the chef to
come to my table
and explain the
menu to me
I’d recommend
this restaurant to
all my friends

Lighting
Subdued, not too bright, not
too dim
Menu
Easy to read and understand, a broad range
of meals to appeal to a range of tastes
Staff
Plenty of waiters so I
don’t have to wait for
service
I’d like to see my favourite table
reserved for me (away from the
door)
Fresh water served throughout
the meal
I’d like to see how
clean the restaurant
looks
Recognition
I’d like to hear my name being
used as I come here often
EXAMPLE Step 4 - What would you think and feel?
Acoustics
I don’t want the restaurant to be loud so I
can chat with my friends
Music
Music that’s not too loud
something chilled and relaxing
I’d like to hear the waiter tell me
the specials
I’d like to hear that my favourite
wine is available
I’d like to hear “let me take
your coat for you”
I’d like to receive
table service
I’d tell the owner how
great my meal was
I’d write an online
review about the
great food
I’d leave a tip because the
service and food were so good
I’d compliment
the chef and
waiter
I’d like the chef to come
to my table and explain
the menu to me
I’d recommend this
restaurant to all my friends
Special
I’d like to feel recognised
as a regular diner
I’m happy to pay
more because the
food and service are
fantastic here
I’d think – “it smells
great in here!”
I’d like to feel
looked after
I like to feel like
I’ve just eaten one
a fantastic meal
I’d like to feel
listened to and
understood
I’d think “I’ll be back
here again soon!”

INSTRUCTIONS
EXPECTATION MAPPING
1 2 3

INSTRUCTIONS
Think about the ideal experience for helping you arrive and stay at a
hotel or Airbnb for a personal or couple/family vacation
1. Think about each quarter - start with the “See” and write your best experience
thoughts down
3. Please headline each thought
4. Aim for the right level of detail…
- 1 word doesn’t tell us enough
- 50 words tells us too much
5. Please write clearly
6. Work through each quadrant
Guided
Guiding
Documentation
I’d like to see a
guide that
outlines what
information I
need
I want someone to guide me
through each stage of the process
so I can identify key benefits. This
is crucially important for me so I
can work out if taking this is a
good decision. If I don’t
understand each step then I can’t
make an informed decision. I need
to know what I need to record for
tax purposes and how. I also need
to understand which leasing is
option is best for me.

1. Use the expectation
map template provided
2. Think of what would
make your recent
interaction with a hotel or
Airbnb your best
experience ever!
3. Work through each
quadrant
4. Three min per quadrant
What do you Think or Feel?
(What matters?)
What do you See?
(environment, friends,
solutions in the market)
What do you Say? What would
you like said to you? (tell others,
talk about it)
What do you want Done?
(appearance, activities,
behaviours)
What are the Pain points you
want to avoid? (fears,
frustrations, obstacles)
What are the Goals you are
trying to achieve? (wants,
needs, desires)
INSTRUCTIONS

WHEN TO DO EXPECTATION MAPPING?
During the discovery phase:
‣ As a homework exercise for the participant before
conducting a contextual inquiry
‣ When running a stakeholder or customer workshop as a
group exercise that is done individually
‣ When evaluating an existing experience
‣ At an inception to align the team

5 E’s
EXPECTATION MAPPING
ENTICE
ENTER
ENGAGEEXIT
EXTEND

EXTENDING THE EXPECTATION MAP TO THE FIVE E’S
‣ I want you to extend your thinking about what would be the best
experience by thinking of what would help you book and stay at the
hotel or Airbnb, what happens during your stay and what happens after
you leave and the services they provide. Think about your decision
process and the things that would make that experience amazing.
‣ 1 thought per post-it
‣ 3 min per quadrant
‣ Write your first name & the number corresponding to the stage in the
journey

1. Entice
How are you attracted to, informed of the hotel or Airbnb?
2. Enter
How do you enter into interacting with the product / service
/ offer / experience?
What do you engage with throughout the entire experience?
3. Engage
5 E’s

4. Exit
What do you leave with? What happens next?
5. Extend
How did the hotel or Airbnb follow up with you?
5 E’s

Q&A
EXPECTATION MAPPING