# Choosing UX artifacts and prototype fidelity

*Platform User Experience Designer Study Guide · UX Fundamentals · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer/ux-fundamentals/choosing-ux-artifacts-and-prototype-fidelity*

Which UX artifact answers which question (journey map, service blueprint, ecosystem map, empathy map, mental model, storyboard), what a design brief and a Jobs to Be Done statement settle first, and how to pick prototype fidelity from the question you need answered.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform User Experience Designer
- Exam section: UX Fundamentals
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, identify which UX method should be used to define a user experience.

## What the exam expects

- Given a scenario, pick the map-type artifact that answers it: journey map, service blueprint, ecosystem map, empathy map, mental model or storyboard.
- Settle the design brief (personas, Jobs to Be Done, constraints) with stakeholders before anyone sketches.
- Write a Jobs to Be Done statement and tell it apart from a user story, a persona description and a system requirement.
- Pick the prototype format from the question the prototype must answer (ideation, exploration, validation), and know when a screen area is ready for high fidelity.

Key terms: **UX artifact** (a craft-based deliverable of the design process; two categories, mapping and screens); **design brief** (living document holding the critical information and plan for the work); **Jobs to Be Done** (framework that defines success from the customer's perspective); **fidelity** (how closely a prototype conveys the intended experience of the final product).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Two artifact categories | Mapping and screens | [Create UX Artifacts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/create-ux-artifacts) |
| Empathy map | Four equal quadrants: Say, Think, Feel, Do; one per persona | [Create UX Artifacts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/create-ux-artifacts) |
| Service blueprint | Journey map plus before and after states and digital-physical links | [Create UX Artifacts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/create-ux-artifacts) |
| High-fidelity screens | Made last, pixel perfect, delivered to engineering | [Create UX Artifacts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/create-ux-artifacts) |
| Design brief timing | Agree it before sketching or prototyping | [Define Project Scope and Requirements](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/define-project-scope-and-requirements) |
| JTBD statement | When [situation], I want to [motivation] so I can [expected outcome] | [Define Project Scope and Requirements](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/define-project-scope-and-requirements) |
| Three constraint types | Technical, business, design | [Define Project Scope and Requirements](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/define-project-scope-and-requirements) |
| Three prototype uses | Ideation, exploration, validation | [Explore Key Prototyping Considerations](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/explore-key-prototyping-considerations) |
| First prototyping question | What are you trying to learn? | [Explore Key Prototyping Considerations](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/explore-key-prototyping-considerations) |
| Mockups answer | Desirability, clarity, tone, resonance | [Get to Know Different Kinds of Prototyping](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/get-to-know-different-kinds-of-prototyping) |

## Check yourself

- Why does a service blueprint go beyond a journey map?
- When should a designer create a high-fidelity screen?
- Why choose wireframes over mockups for a layout review?
- Which artifact maps the buyer, seller, finance office and three interdependent applications around one contract?
- What should a designer settle before choosing a prototype format?

## Sources

- [Create UX Artifacts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/create-ux-artifacts)
- [Define Project Scope and Requirements](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/ux-basics/define-project-scope-and-requirements)
- [Explore Key Prototyping Considerations](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/explore-key-prototyping-considerations)
- [Get to Know Different Kinds of Prototyping](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/design-strategy-prototyping/get-to-know-different-kinds-of-prototyping)
- [Add Journey Mapping to Your Solution Toolbox](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/journey-mapping/add-journey-mapping-to-your-solution-toolbox)
- [Learn About User Stories](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/user-story-creation/learn-about-user-stories)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 14 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform User Experience Designer pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams