User Flow

User Flow refers to the path a user takes to complete a specific task or goal within an interface. It includes every step, action, and decision point in the process, from entry to completion. Mapping user flows helps designers identify bottlenecks, optimize processes, and ensure that tasks are easy to complete with minimal effort.

User flows are the design artifact that bridges product strategy and UI execution — they define what the experience should accomplish before anyone opens a design tool. For complex features like payment flows, multi-step onboarding, or permission management, mapping the user flow first prevents the common mistake of designing individual screens beautifully while creating a confusing or incomplete end-to-end experience. Reviewing user flows with engineers before design saves significant rework.

Stripe obsessively maps user flows for their checkout products — every edge case (card declined, 3D Secure challenge, network error) has a documented flow with explicit recovery paths. This completeness is a significant reason Stripe payments feel reliable to both developers implementing them and users experiencing them.