What is User Story Mapping?

by Chris Daily

User story mapping is a technique often used by a product owner that helps to organize and plan complex software projects by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

This involves creating a user story map or graphic representation of the user stories that outlines the key actors, scenes, actions, and user stories involved.

Creating a user story map takes into account the customer journey and creates a shared understanding of what is desired from the user's perspective.

This stems from the Agile development methodology, which places a strong emphasis on collaboration between developers, designers, and end users. As part of the user story mapping process, teams will typically gather in a room together and brainstorm different ideas about what a product should be able to do. Story mapping helps development teams come to a common understanding of the goals of the product.

They then explore these ideas in greater detail by breaking them down into smaller pieces, with each piece being represented as a "user story." Through this iterative process, teams can get a more detailed understanding of their users' needs and develop solutions that address those needs effectively.

By visualizing all the different elements involved in a project, user story mapping can help to identify potential areas of conflict or confusion, increase to a greater level of detail, and highlight which user stories should be prioritized for the minimum viable product.

Additionally, this technique can be particularly useful for teams with members who are distributed across different time zones and locations, as mapping user stories helps to bring everyone together to collaborate and make decisions much more easily. In these cases, a physical story map is not feasible.

Originally, user story mapping was an in-person event where a big wall was used with post it notes. A number of relatively new tools, including virtual whiteboards, encourage digital user story mapping.

Overall, user story mapping is an extremely effective way to improve communication within software teams and ensure that complex projects stay on track.

What is a user story?

The concept of a user story originated from the world of software development, where story mapping is an important technique for quickly gathering and organizing user requirements.

A user story is a short, simple description of a feature from the perspective of the user. User stories are a key tool for Agile planning, helping to prioritize features and drive development. User stories are often written using the user story format:

As a [type of user or user persona],

I want [some functionality]

so that [I can achieve some user value or goal].

The user story format is a form of structured language and helps to ensure that user stories are focused on delivering value to the user. User stories typically originate from business stakeholders, who identify a need or opportunity for improvement. However, they can also come from users themselves or from Agile teams during sprint planning.

Once a user story has been identified, it is further fleshed out with supporting details such as conditions of satisfaction and acceptance criteria. When writing user stories, it is important to keep them small and manageable, so that they can be completed quickly and delivered to the customer in an iterative fashion.

Ultimately, the concept of the user story has become widely adopted within many different fields as a powerful tool for helping teams work towards shared goals in an collaborative way.

Create a user story map

When trying to achieve a specific goal or set of objectives, it is often helpful to use a user story map. A user story map is a visual representation where the story map begins by outlining the specific steps or actions that are needed in order to reach a certain outcome.

The key to creating an effective user story map is to think about your users and the various needs they may have along the way, as well as any roadblocks or challenges that may come up.

One effective strategy for user story mapping is to break the customer journey down into different workflow steps, stages or phases. Each stage should represent a clear step towards achieving your overall goal.

Then, within each stage, you can further divide the tasks into smaller user stories, prioritizing those user stories that will have the biggest impact on achieving your end goal.

Using user story mapping will help you create a user story map with user stories that are focused, streamlined, and easy to follow.

Tips for using user story mapping effectively

User story mapping is a powerful tool for software development, but it only works if you use it correctly. Here are some tips for getting the most out of user story mapping:

1. Make sure everyone on the development team understands user story mapping. User story mapping takes a group of stakeholders to make it work. Take the time to explain how it works and why it's important. If possible, provide a user story mapping example from your current environment for reference.

2. Use a user story map to capture the user journey and the associated user stories, not just requirements. User stories should be brief descriptions of what the user activities and what the user wants to achieve, not a detailed specification of how the software should work. User stories should also come from a user's perspective and incorporating user feedback.

3. Visually mapping a user story map can prioritize stories and the identification of a minimum viable product by arranging user stories in a sequence that takes into account the user's perspective.

4. Use a user story map to track progress, not just to plan features. A user story map should take into account the user's journey in a living document that is reviewed and updated as the project progresses. This way, everyone on the team can see what's been done, what's been learned so are, and what still needs to be done.

5. Keep a user story map simple. Don't try to cram too much information into one map. It's better to have several smaller user story maps that are easy to understand and use than one giant user story map that no one can make sense of.

6. Get feedback on a user story map from users and stakeholders. Ask them if the user story map makes sense and captures their requirements accurately. Use their feedback to improve the user story map accordingly.

Examples of how user story maps can be used in different contexts

User story mapping is a popular tool for managing software development projects, but they can also be used in a variety of other contexts. For instance, a user story map can be used to plan marketing campaigns, product launches, or even personal goals.

In each case, the user stories as part of the user story map provides a visual representation of the different user stories steps that need to be taken in order to achieve the desired outcome. Provide a user story mapping example from your current environment for the participants to connect the theory with a practical example.

This can be helpful in terms of both planning and execution, as user story mapping allows everyone involved to see the big picture and understand how their individual tasks fit into the plan. As such, a user story map is are a versatile tool that can be used in a wide range of different contexts.

The pros and cons of using user story mapping

User story mapping is a popular technique for developing user stories. The basic idea is to create a story map that shows how the user story progresses from start to finish. This can be helpful for visualizing the user story, identifying gaps, and understanding how the user story fits into the overall product.

However, there are also some potential drawbacks to using user story maps.

First, the process of a user story mapping exercise can be time-consuming to create useful user story maps. A user story mapping session can take one to several days. In today's work environment, it can be difficult for users to participate for an entire day.

Second, user story maps only provide a high-level view of the user stories; it can be difficult to understand all the details of a story map without have the smaller user stories themselves. After the user story mapping exercise is complete, product owners and business analysts can write user stories that are more detailed.

Finally, the user story mapping session and the resulting outcome, user story maps, can be confusing for team members who are not familiar with the technique. Extra care should be given to make sure that participants understand the structure of user story maps and why it is important to map user stories.

Overall, user story mapping can be a valuable tool for product development , but user story mapping should be used with caution.

If you are looking for a simple and effective way to create user stories and effectively manage your project goals, then try using story mapping. A user story map provides a visual representation of what is required to achieve a goal. Story maps take into into account the user's perspective. With the right planning and execution, you can be sure to achieve great results. And with continued practice and refinement over time, you can refine your user story mapping skills and become a user story mapping expert in no time!

Want to learn more about User Story Mapping?  Check out our Agile Meridian course "The Product Mindset" at Agilemeridian.com.