Mapping the Journey: Exploring Youth Purpose Using a Visual Qualitative Method

Youth purpose is a critical developmental asset linked to well-being, academic engagement, and vocational success. However, traditional assessments often fail to capture its complexity. This study introduces an innovative qualitative approach that combines semi-structured interviews with visual mapping to help adolescent participants articulate their journey toward purpose development. Thirty-eight diverse high school students participated in creating visual maps to illustrate their personal paths toward finding purpose. Results revealed three salient themes: (1) chronology, with the road map serving as a way to depict purpose development across time, (2) the common shapes of purpose paths, revealing insights into the developmental experience of purpose, and (3) complementary enhancements, with the visual maps enriching the interviews. This approach offers a rich understanding of how meaningful relationships and formative experiences shape adolescents’ purpose development and highlights the potential of visual methods to capture these complex processes. We discuss practical applications for educational and counseling interventions aimed at cultivating youth purpose.