## 🔁 Mapping how users get things done Workflows are step-by-step representations of how your users accomplish a specific task or goal—inside or outside your product. In Forge, workflows serve as a bridge between your users’ real-world problems and the product experiences you’re building to solve them. Workflows help teams move from abstract strategy to tangible execution by showing how value is delivered to users, moment by moment. ### 🎯 Why workflows matter Workflows help you build the right thing in the right order. When grounded in [[User Research]] and tied to [[Personas]], workflows reveal not just _what_ users do, but _why_ they do it. They give your team a shared understanding of: - What your users are actually trying to achieve - Where friction, confusion, or inefficiency occurs - What part of the experience your product should support or improve - How to prioritize features based on user intent and flow ### 🧱 Making a useful workflow You can think of a workflow as a blueprint for value delivery—it shows the actual path from user intent to outcome. A good workflow: - Focuses on **one specific user goal** - Includes **each step** the user takes, including those outside your product - Identifies **decision points**, **pain points**, and **opportunities** - Can be visual (flowchart) or written as a narrative list - Is mapped to a [[Personas|Persona]] and linked to related [[Wireframes]], [[Work#📋 Stories|Stories]], and [[Projects]] ### ✅ Example: “Submit First User Feedback” **Persona:** Startup PM Sarah **Goal:** Share early product feedback without friction **Trigger:** User sees prompt after using a feature for the first time **Steps:** 1. Clicks on in-app prompt 2. Fills out short feedback form 3. Submits feedback 4. Sees confirmation and optional follow-up CTA **Pain Points:** Form is too long, unclear where feedback goes **Opportunities:** Add character counter, auto-save, or tag categories --- ### Further Reading **_Mapping Experiences_** by Jim Kalbach A guide to mapping workflows, journeys, and value delivery through user experience design. **_Jobs to be Done Playbook_** by Jim Kalbach Helps frame workflows around the deeper motivations and outcomes users seek.