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4 Visualization Maps to Help You Start a New Digital Project

Charlotte Secheresse

Charlotte Secheresse

July 7, 2025

Starting a role in a new organization or on a new project can be overwhelming. We receive a lot of information and meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. 

That’s why I often use visualization maps to make sense of the information I learn when starting a new project. It helps me gain clarity and get a better picture of the context of what I’ll be working on. 

There are four main types of visualization maps I use to do this. Let’s go through all four.

1. Team map 

A semicircle with three internal rings, each showing different team members names and titles.

When we start a new role, we’re often given an organizational chart. These charts are great at showing the hierarchical order of an organization or project, but they don’t show exactly how much each person is contributing to a particular project and who needs to be involved. 

The purpose of this map

How to create this map:

  1. Decide on the focus of your team map. For example, it could be focused on the people with whom you'll collaborate to varying degrees. Or, it could be focused on the project and who is core to delivering it, versus who is supporting it. In the example below, we’ll focus on the latter.
  2. Create an inside ring with people who are core to the project. These are the people who are responsible and accountable for it. They are doing the bulk of the work.
  3. Create a middle ring with people who are contributors to the project. These are people you might consult for feedback.
  4. Create an outside ring with people who engage less frequently with the project. These are people you will keep informed. 

Taking it a step further:

Tips: 

More resources: 

2. Role map 

Roles, like UX designer, connected by lines and descriptions.

When starting in a new organization or on a new project, it can be difficult to understand different roles and how they connect. This is where a role map can be helpful.

The purpose of this map: 

How to create this map:

  1. List all the roles in an organization or project (i.e., product owner, product manager, developer, designer, researcher, etc.)
  2. Trace an arrow to mark the connection between the roles.
  3. Write the type of exchange that exists between the roles (i.e., providing feedback, providing mockups, consultation, etc.) 

Taking it a step further:

Tips:

More resources:

3. High-level journey map or blueprint

A blueprint showing every step in the customer journey of an end user visiting a restaurant.

When starting on a new project, I’ll try to gather information about the service and how it works. Drafting a high-level journey map helps me to visualize the information I learned. 

Purpose of this map: 

How to create this map:

  1. Start by defining a user group that is experiencing the service.
  2. Write the three big phases of the service: before (a user enters the service), during (a user uses the service) and after (post-service).
  3. Add sub-phases: these are stages like signing up, onboarding, etc.
  4. Add each step a user takes.
  5. Add the people and objects that a user interacts with (for example: a brochure, a kiosk, a website).
  6. Add any backstage interaction, the actions taken by staff or the system that are not visible to the user. 

Taking it a step further:

Tips:

More resources:

4. Ecosystem map 

A diagram showing how different departments, like executive or service delivery, interact.

This is my favourite type of map to make — it helps me understand all the people that gravitate around a service, inside and outside of an organization. 

Purpose of this map: 

How to create this map:

  1. Identify all the people, organizations and important components of a service.
  2. Trace links to visualize relationships and connections.

Taking it a step further:

More resources:

General tips for making visualization maps 

Here is some general advice when making visualization maps:

And perhaps most important of all: Share your maps with other people on your team! Doing so is a powerful way to test your assumptions and better your understanding of the project. It also helps ensure you're staying aligned with the team on how to make sense of and understand the problems and opportunities of your project.

Ready to test it out?

Creating visualization maps can be a rewarding and enjoyable way to understand the different elements of a new role or project.

Looking for more resources and advice for creating cross-functional digital teams? Get in touch to find out how Code for Canada can help.