User Story Mapping: Managing your backlog and Agile development needs

Overview:

Story mapping is a method to align the people who understand the customer problem with the ones who can develop the product or services that solve this problem. It facilitates the discussion, which results in an initial backlog of stories that are required to fulfill the user’s needs.

It paints a full picture of how a product is used, which is often lost in the “not seeing the forest for the trees” reality of the feature development. It can also identify holes in functionality or areas of focus since they can easily highlight gaps in the user experience. A story map can also be an excellent tool for prioritizing, both for an MVP and for subsequent releases.

The Procedure

Story mapping consists of ordering user stories along two independent dimensions. The “map” arranges user activities along the horizontal axis. Down the vertical axis, it represents increasing sophistication of the implementation in rough order of priority.

The result is the outcome of a successful discussion between people who understand the problem and those knowing what solution options are available.  

The Benefits

·   Ensure backlog priorities align with customer needs

·   Align the team with a common picture of what needs to be resolved

·   Allow for iterative development

·   Prioritize the cheapest way to get to your MVP and MMP