FigJam

Explore new horizons with a hero’s journey template

As a big-picture structure, the hero’s journey has three major story structures:

First, there’s the departure. In the beginning, the hero is no hero at all; they live a regular life in an ordinary world and can be a multitude of character archetypes. Soon, however, that world changes forever when they answer the call to adventure.

The second act is the initiation. These are the trials and tribulations the hero ventures through and must face—the tests of strength, the daring battles, the unknown territory, and, finally, the reward.

Finally, there’s the return. The hero heads for home—but not before one final test that symbolizes rebirth. Finally, the hero returns to their original world, though they are far from the person they were in the beginning.

These three “acts” are divided into 12 steps.

The hero’s journey steps are as follows:

1. The ordinary world

2. The call to adventure

3. The initial refusal of the call

4. Meeting the mentor

5. Crossing the threshold

6. Tests, allies, and enemies

7. Approaching the inevitable

8. The supreme ordeal

9. The reward

10. The road home

11. The resurrection

12. The return with the elixir

To create your own hero’s journey, start with a customizable FigJam template. Once you have your blank canvas, begin by briefly describing the hero. From there, all you have to do is fill out each step of the journey by thinking about which action or obstacle the hero takes throughout the “story.”

Remember that you can apply the hero’s journey outline to any scenario. Although the framework was initially developed to show similarities between fictional stories, it can also be used to explore how a user interacts with a product, website, virtual experience, and beyond.