Strategy
Stakeholder Mapping
A practical UX and product strategy method for understanding who has influence, interest, or responsibility so teams can align more effectively.
How to use stakeholder mapping to identify who matters, understand competing priorities, and improve alignment across teams and organisations.
Quick take
If you want to understand who influences a product or service, map your stakeholders.
Related Services
What it is
glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term mapping is a UX and product method used to identify and organise the people, teams, and organisations that influence or are impacted by a product or glossaryServiceA service is a component or function that performs a specific task within a system.Open glossary term.
It focuses on understanding who has interest, influence, or responsibility across the experience.
glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term can include internal teams, leadership, partners, regulators, and customers.
They are often mapped based on factors like influence, interest, power, or impact.
The goal is to understand relationships, priorities, and potential conflicts so you can manage them effectively.
Stakeholder mapping is most useful when project success depends as much on alignment and influence as it does on the quality of the solution itself.
When to use it
Use this method when glossaryAlignmentAlignment is the shared understanding and agreement between teams, stakeholders, and objectives.Open glossary term and influence matter.
It is most useful when:
It is less useful when:
Stakeholder mapping is often used early in projects alongside discovery work.
Key takeaway
Use stakeholder mapping when the challenge is not just what should be built, but how to navigate the people and priorities that shape the work.
How to run it
Set up properly.
Before you start, be clear on the scope of the project or glossaryServiceA service is a component or function that performs a specific task within a system.Open glossary term, what decisions need to be made, and what teams or organisations are involved.
Include both obvious and less visible glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term.
Run the method.
glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term mapping is structured and collaborative.
Identify all relevant glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term. Group them by role or type. Assess their level of influence and interest. Map relationships and glossaryDependencyA dependency is a component or system that another part of the system relies on to function.Open glossary term. Highlight potential conflicts or glossaryAlignmentAlignment is the shared understanding and agreement between teams, stakeholders, and objectives.Open glossary term.
Focus on reality, not assumptions.
Capture and make sense of it.
The value comes from glossaryClarityClarity is how easily users can understand what is happening and what they need to do.Open glossary term and glossaryAlignmentAlignment is the shared understanding and agreement between teams, stakeholders, and objectives.Open glossary term.
Look across the map to identify key decision-makers and influencers, glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term with conflicting priorities, gaps in glossaryEngagementEngagement refers to how users interact with a product, content, or experience, including actions like clicks, time spent, and interactions.Open glossary term or communication, and opportunities to improve glossaryAlignmentAlignment is the shared understanding and agreement between teams, stakeholders, and objectives.Open glossary term.
Use this to guide communication and planning.
What to look for
Focus on:
Where it goes wrong
Most issues come from:
If you ignore glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term, they won’t ignore you.
What you get from it
Done properly, this method gives you:
Key takeaway
It helps you navigate complexity and get things done.
Get in touch
If this sounds like something you need, we can help you identify and align your glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term so projects run smoother and decisions are clearer.
No guesswork. No assumptions. Just glossaryClarityClarity is how easily users can understand what is happening and what they need to do.Open glossary term on who matters.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this method.
What is stakeholder mapping in UX?
It is a method used to identify and organise glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term.
When should you use stakeholder mapping?
Use it when managing complex projects or multiple teams.
How do you map stakeholders?
By identifying them and assessing influence and interest.
What does a stakeholder map include?
glossaryStakeholderA stakeholder is any individual or group with an interest in a product, project, or outcome, including internal teams and external parties.Open glossary term, relationships, influence, and priorities.
Does stakeholder mapping improve UX?
Yes. It helps align teams and reduce glossaryFrictionFriction refers to anything that slows users down or makes it harder for them to complete a task. It can be caused by poor design, unnecessary steps, unclear messaging, or technical issues.Open glossary term in glossaryDeliveryDelivery is the process of building, testing, and releasing a product or feature.Open glossary term.