Proto-persona: Jennifer is a shy, anxious person with insecurities about physical appearance. To quell her anxiety and insecurities, she picks at her skin. She also uses anxiety medication that helps to reduce the urge to pick her skin. Her goal is to have healthy looking skin but skin-picking prevents her goals and only adds to her insecurities. She picks mostly in private, routinely, and when she is under a lot of stress. They are very driven to succeed and perform well but this stresses them out.
Map 1 – 24 hour map
Map 2 – Lifetime map
Explanation: Most of the people with skin-picking disorder are women and people with anxiety disorders. The reasons for picking include “searching for perfect skin” to satisfy insecurities about physical appearance and a quick emotional release when one gets overwhelmed. The behavior primarily either begins innocuously in adolescence as scab picking or it begins during puberty when issues of self-image and insecurity arise. I used two maps because this common pattern for emergence seemed noteworthy. I also used the 24 hour map because skin-picking usually occurs in private spaces, when hands are unoccupied, and/or when the user is bored or stressed.
See Journey Maps and Timelines below:
