From behavior to breakthroughs: Mapping journeys with science

Coffee chat with John Gusiff, CXO and Managing Partner at Customer Centric Solutions LLC

Most journey maps tell you what people do. Behavioral journey mapping explains why.

In this coffee chat, John Gusiff—a certified Make It Toolkit Behavioral Strategist—showed how layering behavioral science onto journey work turns maps into tools for action. “Our role as designers of products and services is really oriented around helping people make progress,” he said.

With 15+ years of CX, Jobs-to-be-Done, and behavioral design experience, John has helped organizations move beyond describing journeys to actually shaping outcomes. By shifting from descriptive maps to outcome-oriented design, you can spot the barriers that block progress—and design interventions that drive real change.

Here’s what else he covered:

Progress over touchpoints

Most maps stop at steps and emotions. John reframed journeys around customer progress: the goals people chase, the contexts they’re in, and the outcomes they hope for. “People are always seeking to make progress in their lives,” Gusiff said. That’s why he believes the real job of design isn’t just documenting steps. It’s removing what blocks progress and amplifying what moves people forward. 

Barriers are blueprints

Instead of treating friction as failure, behavioral maps see barriers as design clues. Fear, decision fatigue, sunk-cost bias — each one signals where you can intervene. “Each barrier is an opportunity,” Gusiff explained. “When you find what’s blocking behavior, you’ve also found where you can unlock progress.” 

The laws of behavior

At the core of behavioral journey mapping are five simple but powerful rules:

1. Behavior = Person + Environment. Context is everything.

2. System 1 vs. System 2. Some tasks need instinct, others need analysis.

3. A→B→C. Every action is triggered by an activator and shaped by consequences.

4. MAP (Motivation, Ability, Prompt). Without all three, nothing happens.

5. Motivation spectrum. Intrinsic vs. extrinsic—pick the right lever.

Behavioral science provides laws, not guesses. When you apply them consistently, journey maps stop being descriptive documents and start becoming tools to design outcomes.

Prompts power behavior

No behavior happens on its own. It’s always prompted. But the real story isn’t just the external nudges (notifications, reminders, ads). Internal prompts, like fear, hope, or a desire for relief, often matter more. “From a behavioral standpoint, oftentimes the internal prompts are more critical than the external prompts,” Gusiff explained. If you don’t map those, you’ll miss what truly drives action.

Consequences matter

Positive or negative, consequences shape what happens next. Add the right reinforcement, remove the wrong deterrents, and you can steer behaviors over time. Gusiff showed how mapping both outcomes and emotions, such as panic, relief, and reassurance, creates a blueprint for smarter interventions. 

Right-to-left design

Instead of starting at the first step, John starts at the end: define the target behavior, then work backward. In a healthcare example, that meant designing around patients’ long-term treatment adherence, not just their first appointment. “If we’re trying to drive behavioral change, it’s critical to understand the target behavior we’re seeking to drive,” Gusiff said.

Behavioral hypotheses

Good interventions don’t stop at ideas. They’re framed as testable hypotheses: If we do [treatment] for [segment], then [outcome] will happen because [reason + tactic].

Framing interventions this way makes them measurable. You can prototype, test, and see if the intervention actually changes behavior.

Prioritize what matters

When multiple barriers surface, Gusiff recommends prioritizing with RICE (Reach × Impact × Confidence ÷ Effort). “I think it’s probably the best prioritization method out there,” he said. It balances ambition with evidence, helping teams choose interventions that will move the most people with the least wasted effort.

From blockers to blueprints

At the end of the day, behavioral journey mapping is about turning friction into fuel. By mapping prompts, consequences, and barriers, you create a design agenda that’s both human-centered and outcome-driven. “We’re literally using this as a tool for design and change management,” Gusiff said.

To-go cup

• Traditional maps describe. Behavioral maps explain and intervene.

• Prompts → behavior → consequences is the engine; design at all three points.

• Barriers aren’t blockers—they’re blueprints for change.

• Test your bets with behavioral hypotheses.

• Prioritize interventions with RICE.

• Start from the end behavior and work right-to-left.

The moment your maps describe more than they drive, it’s time to bring in behavioral science.

Watch the full session replay below and download the slides here.

Keep learning with John

As part of our community, you can claim $150 off John’s AI-powered Behavioral Design Sprint.

If you want to go deeper, you can still grab your spot. The course shows you how to apply behavioral science to product and service design using GenAI, with hands-on tools, real-world case studies, and expert guidance.