Set the focus before naming actors
Start from a mission or outcome, then name the specific users, partners and outside organizations involved. Very broad actor labels can hide the group you need to discuss.
Danish Design Center methodEditable template
Ecosystem Map Template
Download an empty project ecosystem map as SVG, plus a CSV with headings for actors and relationships. The diagram has placeholders, not example organizations. This is not a person or family ecomap, and the files are not native Canva or Office templates.
Workspace
Download a clean starting structure
Put one mission, service or outcome at the center. You can download the empty files immediately, or add actors and exchanges below; this browser keeps the draft locally.
Start with a blank project ecosystem
The starter has no example organizations. Download it now, or add actors and exchanges below. When browser storage is available, your edits stay on this device; export a file to keep a separate copy.
Blank scaffold: the “Actor” boxes are empty placeholders, not sample organizations.
Actors
0/16Relationships and exchanges
Method
From research to a decision
- 1
Set one focus, then list the users, teams, organizations and outside groups that shape it.
- 2
Group actors by a useful role or capability. Describe what each connection exchanges, rather than drawing an unlabeled line.
- 3
Record a source and checked date, then ask people involved which actors or exchanges are missing.
Example to adapt
For a planned marketplace workshop, you might consider buyer and seller roles, payment services and support. These are prompts to investigate, not prefilled records or verified connections.
Make the first draft useful
Describe the exchange
A useful connection says what passes between actors: information, referrals, funding or services. The data starter keeps role, exchange, source and checked-date fields together.
Service Design ToolsTreat gaps as questions
A workshop draft can reveal who has not been consulted. It cannot, on its own, establish a missing relationship or validate an opportunity.
Nielsen Norman GroupChoose by the question
Which map do you need?
| Map type | Choose it when… | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Blank project template | You need a clean SVG or CSV before collecting actors and exchanges. | Download blank files |
| Ecosystem map maker | You have actor names and want a populated editable diagram. | Open the maker |
| Personal or family ecomap | You need to describe an individual’s social support and environmental ties. | See the different definition |
Common question
Is this the same as a family ecomap?
No. This template maps actors and value exchanges around a project or service. A personal ecomap centers an individual or family and their social environment.
Keep exploring
Related workflows
Ecosystem Map Maker
Build a service ecosystem map by adding actors and labeling their exchanges. Review what is missing, then download an SVG draft from the free workspace.
Business Network Mapping Software
Visualize organizations and relationships in a business network, with an editable diagram.
Ecosystem Mapping: Build an Actor-and-Flow Map
Learn how to scope a service ecosystem, record actors and exchanges with source notes, then draw and export a free editable map. Includes map-type guidance.
Relationship Mapping Tool
Draw a small relationship map for one account or initiative. Label actors and ties, note evidence, and export an SVG or CSV draft. Manual; no CRM sync.