Ecosystem Maps are tools that designers create to understand the relationships and dependencies between the various actors and parts that contribute to creating customer experiences. The Ecosystem Map is a synthetic representation capturing all the key roles that have an influence on the user, organization and service environment. An ecosystem is these actors, parts and dynamics. The maps reveal areas to optimize in services to deliver the best customer experiences.

The idea of boundary objects, first introduced by Susan Leigh Star and James Griesemer in 1989, is a very useful theoretical tool that has been adopted by many disciplines. Looking at complex situations through the lens of boundary objects can help us to understand how the various actors involved can cooperate on a project, despite having different and oftentimes conflicting interests. However, it is important to consider context carefully in order to make proper use of this tool.