Flow Mapping

Overview

Connect multiple analyzed screenshots into coherent interaction flows by systematically inventorying screens, mapping navigation elements, identifying transitions, and assembling user journeys. Every screen must have defined entry and exit points, every gap must be explicitly noted, and every flow must be organized around user goals.

When to Use

• Multiple screenshots of an app or site have been analyzed and need connecting into flows

• Building a navigation architecture from visual references

• Identifying how users move between screens in an existing product

• Documenting user journeys from screenshot evidence

• Auditing an existing flow for dead ends, orphaned screens, or missing states

• Preparing interaction specifications for implementation

When NOT to Use

• Only a single screenshot is available (use humaninloop:analysis-screenshot instead)

• Designing flows from scratch without reference screenshots

• Working from wireframes or Figma prototypes where flows are already documented

• The task is purely visual design without navigation concerns

Prerequisites

Each screenshot entering the flow mapping process should already have a completed analysis from humaninloop:analysis-screenshot . If screenshots have not been analyzed, complete that step first.

REQUIRED: Run humaninloop:analysis-screenshot on each screenshot before beginning flow mapping.

Step 1: Screen Inventory

Catalog every available screenshot before mapping any connections.

Process

• List every screenshot -- Assign each a short identifier (e.g., S01-home , S02-profile , S03-settings ).

• Classify each screen -- Determine what state or view it represents.

• Identify screen type -- Categorize by function.

• Note platform -- Confirm the navigation paradigm (mobile, web, desktop).

Screen Type Classification

Type Description Examples

Landing Entry point, first impression Splash, onboarding, login

Hub Navigation center, many exit points Home, dashboard, main tab

Task Focused on completing an action Checkout, compose, form

Detail Displays information about an entity Profile, product page, article

Utility Settings, preferences, auxiliary Settings, help, about

Overlay Appears above another screen Modal, bottom sheet, dialog

Transitional Brief state between actions Loading, success confirmation

Output Format

SCREEN INVENTORY: Total screenshots: [N] Platform: [mobile-ios / mobile-android / web-desktop / web-responsive / desktop-app] Navigation paradigm: [tab-bar / sidebar / hamburger / breadcrumb / URL-based / mixed]

IDENTIFIED GAPS:

• No screenshot for [expected screen, e.g., "registration flow"]
• Missing [state type, e.g., "empty state for home feed"]
• No screenshot showing [transition, e.g., "search results"]

Always document gaps. A complete inventory includes explicit acknowledgment of what is missing.

Step 2: Navigation Mapping

For each screen, identify every interactive element that causes navigation.

Process

• Scan each screen -- Identify all tappable, clickable, or swipeable elements.

• Classify the navigation element -- Tab, button, link, gesture, menu item, breadcrumb, back arrow.

• Determine destination -- Where does each element lead? Map to a screen ID from the inventory. If the destination is not in the inventory, mark it as UNKNOWN-[description] .

• Note element location -- Top bar, bottom bar, inline, floating.

Platform-Specific Navigation Elements

Platform Common Elements

Mobile (iOS) Tab bar, navigation bar back button, swipe gestures, pull-to-refresh, floating action button, bottom sheet trigger

Mobile (Android) Bottom navigation, navigation drawer/hamburger, FAB, top app bar, system back button

Web Top nav links, sidebar menu, breadcrumbs, URL routing, footer links, logo-home link

Desktop Menu bar, sidebar tree, toolbar buttons, keyboard shortcuts, context menus

Output Format

NAVIGATION MAP:

Screen: S01-home

Screen: S02-profile

Step 3: Transition Identification

Document how users move between screens, what triggers each transition, and what data carries across.

Transition Properties

For each connection between screens, capture:

Property Description

Trigger What action initiates the transition (tap, swipe, submit, timer)

Animation type Push (slide), modal (rise), fade, tab switch, replace, none

Direction Forward (deeper), backward (return), lateral (sibling), overlay

Data carried What information passes to the next screen (user ID, search query, selected item)

Reversibility Can the user return? How? (back button, swipe back, close button, system back)

Conditions Any prerequisites (authentication, completed form, network availability)

Output Format

TRANSITIONS:

FROM → TO | Trigger | Type | Direction | Data Carried ------ → ------ | ------- | ---- | --------- | ----------- S01-home → S02-profile | Tap avatar | Push | Forward | user_id S02-profile → S01-home | Back arrow | Pop | Backward | none S01-home → S03-settings | Tap gear icon | Push | Forward | none S01-home → UNKNOWN-compose | Tap FAB | Modal | Overlay | none S03-settings → UNKNOWN-theme | Tap "Theme" | Push | Forward | current_theme

CONDITIONAL TRANSITIONS: S03-login → S01-home: Requires successful authentication UNKNOWN-compose → S01-home: Requires post submission (or cancel)

Step 4: User Journey Construction

Assemble screens into named journeys organized around user goals.

Process

• Identify user goals -- What does a user come to this app to accomplish? (browse content, make a purchase, update profile, onboard).

• Trace the path -- For each goal, trace the screen sequence from entry to completion.

• Name the journey -- Use goal-oriented naming (not screen-oriented).

• Mark start and end -- Every journey has a clear beginning and defined completion state.

• Note decision points -- Where does the user choose between paths?

• Note failure paths -- What happens if the user fails at a step? (wrong password, network error, validation failure).

Output Format

USER JOURNEYS:

Journey: First-Time Onboarding Goal: New user creates account and reaches home feed Start: S03-login End: S01-home Path: S03-login → UNKNOWN-register → UNKNOWN-onboarding → S01-home Decision points: - S03-login: choose login vs. register - UNKNOWN-register: choose email vs. social signup Failure paths: - S03-login: invalid credentials → error state (NOT CAPTURED) - UNKNOWN-register: duplicate email → error state (NOT CAPTURED) Missing screenshots: register, onboarding, error states Completeness: PARTIAL — 1 of 4 screens captured

Journey: Profile Viewing Goal: View another user's profile from the feed Start: S01-home End: S02-profile Path: S01-home → S02-profile Decision points: none Failure paths: none visible Missing screenshots: none for this journey Completeness: COMPLETE

Completeness Rating

Rating Meaning

COMPLETE All screens in the journey are captured

PARTIAL Some screens are captured, gaps identified

SKELETAL Only entry or exit point captured, most screens missing

INFERRED Journey is hypothesized from navigation elements but no screens exist

Step 5: Entry and Exit Point Mapping

For every screen in the inventory, document all ways a user can arrive and all ways a user can leave.

Output Format

ENTRY/EXIT MAP:

Screen: S01-home Entry points: - App launch (direct) - Back from S02-profile (pop) - Back from S03-settings (pop) - Tab bar from any screen (tab switch) - Post-login redirect from S03-login (replace) Exit points: - S02-profile via avatar tap (push) - S03-settings via gear icon (push) - UNKNOWN-search via search tab (tab switch) - UNKNOWN-compose via FAB (modal) - UNKNOWN-post-detail via feed item (push) Entry count: 5 Exit count: 5

Screen: S03-login Entry points: - App launch when unauthenticated (direct) - Logout from S03-settings (replace) Exit points: - S01-home via successful login (replace) - UNKNOWN-register via signup link (push) - UNKNOWN-forgot-password via link (push) Entry count: 2 Exit count: 3

Step 6: Flow Validation

Audit the assembled flow for structural problems.

Validation Checks

Check What to Look For Severity

Dead ends Screens with no exit points Critical

Orphaned screens Screens with no entry points Critical

Circular traps Loops with no escape (A -> B -> A with no other exits) High

Missing error states Task screens without visible error handling Medium

Missing empty states List/feed screens without empty state Medium

Missing loading states Data-dependent screens without loading indicator Medium

Unreachable actions Key actions requiring too many taps/clicks Medium

Single entry point Important screens reachable only one way Low

Missing confirmation Destructive actions without confirmation step High

No back navigation Screens where return path is unclear High

Output Format

FLOW VALIDATION:

CRITICAL ISSUES:

• S04-checkout: DEAD END — no exit after payment confirmation
• UNKNOWN-archive: ORPHANED — no navigation element leads here

HIGH ISSUES:

• S01-home ↔ S02-profile: CIRCULAR — only two screens link to each other with no other exits from S02-profile
• UNKNOWN-delete-account: no confirmation dialog captured

MEDIUM ISSUES:

• S01-home: no empty state screenshot (what if feed is empty?)
• S02-profile: no loading state (profile data is async)
• S03-settings: no error state (what if save fails?)

LOW ISSUES:

• S02-profile: reachable only from S01-home feed item tap

SUMMARY: Total screens: [N] Screens with issues: [N] Critical: [N] | High: [N] | Medium: [N] | Low: [N]

Step 7: Flow Documentation

Produce the final flow map combining all previous steps into a deliverable document.

Final Document Structure

FLOW MAP: [App/Product Name] Date: [date] Platform: [platform] Screenshots analyzed: [N]

1. SCREEN INVENTORY [From Step 1]

2. NAVIGATION ARCHITECTURE [Synthesized from Step 2 — overall navigation paradigm, primary vs secondary navigation, global vs local nav]

3. TRANSITION CATALOG [From Step 3]

4. USER JOURNEYS [From Step 4 — ordered by priority/frequency]

5. ENTRY/EXIT MATRIX [From Step 5 — summarized as a matrix]

   Screen	Entry Count	Exit Count	Balance
   S01	5	5	Balanced
   S02	2	1	Exit-limited
   S03	3	3	Balanced

6. VALIDATION RESULTS [From Step 6]

7. GAPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Missing screenshots needed:

   • [screen]: needed for [journey] completion
   • [state]: needed for [validation check]

   Recommended next steps:

   • Capture [specific screenshots] to complete [journey]
   • Design [missing state] for [screen]
   • Resolve [critical issue] by [recommendation]

Entry/Exit Balance

The entry/exit matrix reveals flow structure:

Pattern Meaning Action

High entry, high exit Hub screen Expected for home/dashboard

High entry, low exit Funnel endpoint Check for dead ends

Low entry, high exit Decision point Verify entry paths are discoverable

Low entry, low exit Leaf screen Normal for detail/utility screens

Zero entry Orphaned Critical: screen is unreachable

Zero exit Dead end Critical: user is trapped

Common Mistakes

Mistake Fix

Mapping navigation before inventorying all screens Complete the full inventory first; premature mapping misses connections

Assuming navigation is bidirectional Verify return paths explicitly; many transitions are one-directional

Ignoring platform navigation conventions Check for system back button (Android), swipe-to-go-back (iOS), browser back (web)

Treating overlays as separate screens Overlays share context with their parent screen; track the parent relationship

Organizing flows by screen adjacency instead of user goals Name journeys after goals ("Purchase Flow"), not screens ("Screen A to Screen B")

Skipping gap documentation Every missing screen and state must be explicitly called out

Forgetting conditional transitions Authentication gates, permission checks, and feature flags create conditional paths

Mapping only the happy path Document error, empty, and loading states; these are part of the flow

Quality Checklist

Before delivering any flow map:

Completeness:

• Every screenshot has a screen ID and type classification

• Every screen has defined entry points

• Every screen has defined exit points

• Gaps are explicitly documented with specific missing screens named

• Platform navigation paradigm is identified and applied

Navigation:

• Every interactive element is mapped to a destination

• Unknown destinations are labeled UNKNOWN-[description]

• Transition types (push, modal, tab switch) are specified

• Return paths are verified, not assumed

Journeys:

• At least one user journey is defined

• Every journey has a named goal, start point, and end point

• Decision points are documented

• Failure paths are noted (even if screenshots are missing)

• Completeness rating is assigned to each journey

Validation:

• Dead end check completed

• Orphaned screen check completed

• Missing states (error, empty, loading) noted

• Circular navigation check completed

• Entry/exit balance reviewed