Ecosystem Map
An Ecosystem Map is a diagram of all the people, organisations and systems that influence a user and a service, with the user in the centre, the other actors placed by importance and lines showing what they exchange with each other. It is a standard service design tool; Service Design Tools refers to Jodi Forlizzi's work on the product-service ecology (2013), and closely related formats are known as system maps or value network maps. Drawing who gives what to whom makes gaps, weak links and possible partnerships visible that a list of stakeholders does not show.
Facilitation script
- 1
Explain the purpose, agree the perspective at the centre and the scope of the service. Form subgroups of three to five if needed.
10 min - 2
Silent writing: list all actors on sticky notes, including indirect and backstage ones. Remove duplicates.
10 min - 3
Place the central actor and arrange the others by importance around it.
10 min - 4
Agree a legend for the flow types, then draw the exchanges between actors as give and receive.
20 min - 5
Step back, note missing actors and connections, and mark pain points and opportunities.
10 min - 6
Subgroups present their maps; the group compares differences and merges them into one version.
20 min - 7
Agree which gaps to research, which opportunities to pursue and who cleans up the map.
10 min
Tips
Decide the centre before anyone writes a note, because a map drawn from the customer's position looks very different from one drawn from the organisation's.
Ask of every line what flows back; relationships in which one side only gives are where services tend to break.
The differences between subgroup maps tell you where departments hold different pictures of the same service, so discuss them before merging.
Accept a messy first draft and tidy it after the session.
Common pitfalls
Putting the organisation in the centre by habit, which produces an org-chart view and hides what the user depends on
Listing only the obvious customer-facing actors, so suppliers, regulators and internal systems that cause most failures stay off the map
Drawing unlabelled lines, which shows that actors are connected but not what they exchange, so no gap can be read from it
Trying to capture every detail in one drawing until the map is unreadable; set a scope and zoom into subsets instead
Treating the workshop draft as fact when it reflects the assumptions of the people in the room, and building decisions on links nobody has checked
Variations
A first draft takes one to two hours; a full system mapping with research data, several perspectives and scenario walk-throughs can fill half a day or a day. A System Map or value network map puts less emphasis on the central user and more on the flows of material, information and money between all actors. To test the map, walk a concrete scenario through it and see which connections it uses and where it gets stuck. Remotely, use a digital whiteboard with concentric circles and a legend for line colours. Follow up with a Stakeholder Map if you then need to plan how to engage the actors you found.
Where it fits
When to use it
A project is starting and the team does not yet share a picture of everyone who takes part in or influences the service
The service depends on partners, suppliers or public bodies and you need to see what each contributes and receives
Departments each understand their own part of delivery and nobody sees the whole
You are looking for new partnerships or for actors who could take on a role that is currently missing
A change in one part of the service keeps causing problems elsewhere and the connections need to be made visible
When not to use it
You need to decide how to engage or manage stakeholders in a project; a Stakeholder Map with power and interest is the right tool
You want to see informal collaboration and trust between individuals inside one organisation; use Social Network Mapping
You need the sequence of steps and the front- and backstage activities of one service; build a Service Blueprint or a User Journey Map
The situation is messy and emotional and people first need to express how they see it; start with Rich Pictures
Nobody in the room knows the backstage actors; the map will then stop at the visible surface, so do interviews first
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Ecosystem Map?▾
An Ecosystem Map is a diagram that shows all the actors who influence a user and a service and what they exchange with one another. The user sits in the centre, other actors are placed by importance, and lines of different styles show flows such as money, information or goods. Teams use it to find gaps, dependencies and partnership opportunities. It is also known as an actors map or ecology map.
What is the difference between an ecosystem map and a stakeholder map?▾
A stakeholder map sorts people and groups by attributes such as power and interest so that a project can plan how to engage them. An ecosystem map is centred on the user and shows the value exchanged between actors, including non-human ones such as systems and channels. Use the first to manage a project and the second to understand how a service works.
What is the difference between an ecosystem map and a system map?▾
The terms overlap and are often used for the same drawing. Where a distinction is made, the ecosystem map stresses the user at the centre and the importance of each actor to them, while the system map stresses the flows of material, information and money between all actors in service delivery.
How long does ecosystem mapping take?▾
A useful first draft takes 60 to 120 minutes with a group that knows the service. A thorough mapping that draws on research, compares several perspectives and plays scenarios through the map can take half a day or longer.
Who should take part in an ecosystem mapping session?▾
A mixed group of four to twenty people from the functions that deliver the service, including some who know what happens behind the scenes. Above five or six people, work in subgroups and merge the maps, since the comparison shows where views of the service differ.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Service Design Tools, citing Jodi Forlizzi, 'The Product Service Ecology' (2013).