Stakeholder Map

discoverylowerBeginner

TL;DR

Identifies and classifies key actors based on their influence and interest in the project.

What is it

The Stakeholder Map is a visual tool that identifies, classifies, and prioritizes all relevant project actors along two axes: their level of influence (decision power) and their level of interest (involvement). It helps define differentiated communication strategies.

What it is for

✓Identify who influences design decisions
✓Define differentiated communication strategies per stakeholder
✓Anticipate resistance and allies for UX changes
✓Plan research results presentation

Research methods that feed it

Stakeholder interviewsOrganizational mappingTeam dynamics observation

When to use it

✓When starting a new project in an organization
✓Before presenting research results
✓When you need buy-in to implement UX changes
✓When planning research culture adoption

When NOT to use it

✗In very small teams where everyone knows their role
✗If the project doesn't involve multiple areas or decision-makers
✗When you already have an updated map (< 6 months)

How to create it step by step

1List all actors: Identify all people who can influence or be impacted by the project.
2Classify in 4 quadrants: High power + High interest (manage closely), High power + Low interest (keep satisfied), Low power + High interest (keep informed), Low power + Low interest (monitor).
3Define strategy per group: What to communicate, how often, in what format to each group.
4Identify allies and resistance: Mark who are natural UX allies and who may resist changes.
5Update regularly: Stakeholders change position as the project progresses.

Tips for small teams

Do it in 15-20 minutes with your immediate team
Focus on the 8-10 most relevant stakeholders
Update it quarterly or at the start of each major project

Common mistakes

✗Not updating the map when dynamics change
✗Ignoring low-power stakeholders who can escalate
✗Not defining concrete actions for each quadrant
✗Doing it once and forgetting it

Contextualized example

Context: Redesign of an internal platform for a retail company.

High power + High interest: VP of Product — UX ally, wants data to justify investment. Strategy: monthly reports with impact metrics.

High power + Low interest: CTO — cares about technical stability, not UX. Strategy: present improvements in terms of support ticket reduction.

Phase

discovery

Audience

product-teamstakeholders

Complexity

lower

Experience level

Beginner

Related deliverables

Free tool by UXR — UX Research Consulting in Chile