For example, here is a high-fidelity journey map where the finding, worried about being able to afford a new software, has the option to view an overlay, where stakeholders can view a quote taken from a user interview.

Interactive maps are also great for showing multiple UX maps together, since you can offer the option to hide specific data to make it easier to consume.

An example might be if you want to show two different user journeys side by side.

Now, adding interactions to every UX map is not worth it, but they can be a great way to expose stakeholders to actual user thoughts, feelings, and actions, to help them empathize and connect with users.

High-fidelity UX maps work best when the stakes of your map are high, particularly if you need buy-in from important stakeholders.

If a lot of people are seeing the map, the content of it should be easy to understand without requiring significant explanation.

And if the map will be public-facing and you have direct user quotes, photos, or videos, you need to make sure you have user consent to share, aren't breaching confidentiality, and are handling sensitive user data with care.

Let's take a moment to explore a few pros and cons of using UI design software for adding interactions.

Pro number one is the potential to improve comprehension of your map.

When done effectively, interactions can make a large, complex map easier to understand and search.

For example, designing interactive filters can allow stakeholders to maneuver through specific pain points or highlights without being bombarded with searching the whole map.

A second pro is that UI design software lets you easily add photos, and most will let you integrate video into your designs.

Utilizing interactions will let you progressively reveal photos and videos without leaving the design file.

One way to do this is by using buttons to reveal overlays.

Now let's look at two downsides.

The first con is that they can be time-consuming to build, especially if you haven't built one before.

It's important to consider project scope, budget, and timeline before adding interactions.

If you already have a polished map that's non-interactive, don't feel like you need to put in extra time to add interactions if the current version works perfectly fine without them.

Another downside is that they can be hard to create, especially if you don't have a template or aren't familiar with UI design software.

Depending on the interactions you want to include, you might need to use more advanced prototyping techniques to get them working effectively.

If you end up creating hard-to-use interactions, your final deliverable might be more frustrating for stakeholders than you want.

Overall, interactive UX maps can be a great way to get stakeholders engaging with your user research, but they aren't always a necessary step when creating a high-fidelity map for distribution.

If your stakeholders have trouble relating back to your users or seeing the importance of user research, think about making an interactive UX map to encourage connections with your users.

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