By name: service-blueprint description: Use when mapping how a service actually works — frontstage/backstage/support lanes from code, docs, and operational knowledge
Service Blueprint
Core principle: A blueprint connects what users experience to what the organization produces. Touchpoints are commitments, not screens.
Build the Skeleton from Code
Read routes, controllers, models, mailers, and jobs to extract the operational backbone: customer actions, frontstage responses, backstage processes, support systems. Code reveals what happens; it cannot reveal what it feels like or why the org chose this shape. Ask targeted questions for those layers. Accept docs, transcripts, and URLs as supplementary sources — ingest them, don't summarize them.
Set Boundaries First
Pick one scenario and one actor. Define start and end conditions from the actor's POV. Combine three lenses to find the right boundary:
| Lens | What it prevents |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle sequencing (pre/during/post) | Optimizing one moment while degrading the surrounding system |
| Context of use (environment, stakes, frequency) | Designing for a user who doesn't exist |
| JTBD forces (functional, social, emotional) | Reducing the service to task completion |
The Three Lines
| Line | What it reveals |
|---|---|
| Interaction | Where the user touches the org — every crossing is a moment of truth |
| Visibility | What's hidden vs. shown — a design choice, not just operational fact |
| Internal interaction | Where bottlenecks and systemic failures hide |
Confidence Discipline
Tag every claim: [confirmed] (verified in code or docs), [hypothesis] (inferred from patterns), or [gap] (unknown). Separate observation from inference. For each hypothesis, note what would confirm it — a stakeholder interview, a log query, a support ticket search.
Output
Write to docs/service-design/<slice>/blueprint.md using the template at service-design/templates/blueprint.md. Populate the Service Slice table, Blueprint Lanes, Moments of Truth, and Failure Modes sections.
Related Artifacts
service-design:empathy-analysis produces the emotional/informational layer this blueprint references. service-design:journey-map sequences the same service across time and channels. Use all three for a complete picture.