Often mistaken for customer journeys, user flows are an essential element of a successful digital product strategy.
They are instrumental in helping you understand how users interact with your website or apps. But that’s not where their benefits end.
In this blog post, we’ll take a deep dive into user flows, and here’s what we'll cover:
Let’s get started.
A user flow is a roadmap that outlines the steps a user takes to achieve a specific goal within a website or app. Think of it as creating a detailed itinerary for a traveler to follow, ensuring they visit all the important landmarks and have a smooth journey from start to finish.
Why would you design this roadmap then?
User flows serve a crucial purpose in product development. They're about understanding what users do, but also why they take certain paths. This insight lets product teams design experiences that have a more appealing look and feel.
When a user can effortlessly complete their task — whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or finding a piece of information — they're more likely to enjoy the experience and return for more.
To understand how user flows work, let's break them down into their building blocks. These components are the key ingredients that, when combined, paint a detailed picture of how users flow through your website or app:
By charting out these components, product teams can gain a clearer picture of how users navigate their creations.
The ideal time to create a user flow is early in the design process, ideally right after conducting user research. This early-bird approach lets you spot and fix potential issues before you get too far into the design weeds.
However, user flows aren't just for new products — they're valuable tools throughout a product's entire lifecycle.
Here are some key scenarios when creating a user flow can make a real difference:
Crafting a user flow might seem daunting, but by following these steps, you'll be well on your way to mapping out smooth and effective experiences.
Before you start drawing lines and boxes, you need to know who you're designing for. Create detailed user personas that represent your target audience. What are their goals? What motivates them? What frustrates them?
You should also develop experience maps that outline every interaction users have with your company, from the first time they hear about your product to becoming loyal customers. This big-picture view will help you pinpoint key moments and pain points in the user experience.
Clearly outline the task the user flow will cover in advance. This could be anything from signing up for an account to making a purchase or completing a specific task within your app. By clearly defining the task, you'll be able to create a flow that is focused and efficient.
Use flowchart tools like Figma, Miro, or LucidChart to create a visual representation. Start with the entry point, outline each step the user takes, every decision they encounter, and all possible exit points.
Use shapes like ovals (start/end), rectangles (actions), diamonds (decisions), and arrows to connect them. Don’t forget to consider alternative paths users might take to complete the task.
Enrich your user flow with key details. Include the content on each page or screen, navigation options, interactive elements, and the actions users need to take.
Take the time to highlight any potential obstacles or areas where users might get stuck (e.g., unclear instructions, or too many form fields).
The final step is to present your user flow to team members and stakeholders. Gather feedback and use it to refine your design. Identify bottlenecks, points of confusion, or opportunities for simplification. Iterate on the flow until it's as smooth and intuitive as possible.
Let's take a look at a few real-world scenarios where user flows are put into action.
These are just a few simplified examples, but they reveal the core idea of a user flow: A visual representation of the steps a user takes to complete a task within a digital product.
While user flows, task flows, and user journeys all contribute to understanding user behavior, they each serve a distinct purpose and offer different levels of detail. Let's break down their differences:
Think of a user flow as a map for a specific journey within a digital product. It outlines the steps a user takes to complete a single task, like making a purchase or signing up for an account. It shows the various paths users can take, including decision points and potential exits.
Task flows zoom in even further. They focus on a single, linear path a user follows to complete a specific action, such as filling out a form.
Unlike user flows, task flows don't typically branch out or include decision points. They help understand the nitty-gritty details of how users interact with specific elements within your product.
User journeys, also known as customer journeys, take the broadest view. They encompass the entire experience a user has with a product or company, from initial awareness to ongoing engagement.
User journeys often include touchpoints outside the product itself, such as marketing emails and customer support interactions. They help visualize the emotional highs and lows users experience throughout their relationship with your brand.
Creating a user flow is just the beginning. The journey towards an optimal user experience is ongoing, requiring constant refinement. Here's how to ensure your user flows continue to meet the needs of your users:
Now that you understand the importance of user flows and how to create them, let's explore how a tool like Eppo can transform your approach to optimizing user experiences.
A common challenge organizations face is deciphering the why behind user drop-offs — those frustrating "leaks" in their carefully crafted user flows. These leaks can leave teams scratching their heads, unsure of what's causing users to abandon their journey.
That's where an experimentation and feature management platform like Eppo steps in.
Eppo's sophisticated A/B testing capabilities empower you to experiment with different variations of your user flow, ensuring that your changes have a real, measurable impact on user behavior.
With Eppo, you can confidently test new ideas, validate hypotheses, and continuously improve your user flows based on solid data.
Here's how Eppo goes beyond basic A/B testing to unlock the full potential of your user flows:
Ready to discover how Eppo can help you make the most out of your user flow data? Book a demo and explore Eppo.
Learn what user flows are and how they can improve your product's UX. Discover examples, creation steps, and optimization tips.