T68 Dec 24, 2025 3 min read

User journey

An end-to-end path a user takes through a system, from intent to outcome. Good requirements describe journeys, not just screens.

Definition

A user journey is an end-to-end flow from a user’s intent to a completed outcome.

In system design, journeys are the best way to ground functional requirements.

How to write a journey

Write it like a story, but keep it concrete:

  1. User intent.
  2. Request and response.
  3. State changes.
  4. Failure cases that matter.