Revised and expanded talk on User Story Mapping. User Story Mapping is a simple yet powerful and flexible tool that combines the visualization of software systems and user needs. While not the only tool you need, it is a powerful one to learn and keep in your toolkit. Learn to go from user stories to better conversations while increasing shared understanding.

1. Body Level One
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@michaelcalleia
User Story
Mapping
INTRODUCTION TO
MICHAEL CALLEIA

2. Show of
Hands

3. Who’s created a
User Journey?

4. Who has not used
User Stories?

5. Who has used
User Story Mapping
in the past?

6. Who loves Post-Its?

7. Warning:
User story mapping is a versatile
tool. But it is only a single tool.
You will need to employ other tools
with it.

8. Two More Things

9. Thing 1:
What is a User Story?

10. A user story is a promise for
a conversation.
— Alistair Cockburn

11. As a <type of user>,
I want <some goal>
so that <some reason>.
User story example*
*There are other formats (that’s another presentation).

12. Provide a two-click way for
users to dial frequently used
numbers.
Another user story example*
*From Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change, Second Edition by Cynthia Andres; Kent Beck**
** The person that invented user stories

13. Thing 2:
What is a User Journey Map?

14. A user journey is … the experiences a
person has when utilizing/interacting
with something.
—Wikipedia

15. A user journey is … the experiences a
person has when utilizing/interacting
with something.
—Wikipedia
A user journey map
visualizes this.

16. This is Fluffy

17. Fluffy ate a bone.
In lots of splintery bits.
Photo: Ed Dunens. Source: https://flic.kr/p/nELUj8

18. Fluffy’s owner, Bob sees this.
And freaks out.
Photo: Albert Dobrin. Source: https://flic.kr/p/UkAfsk

19. Bob calls the veterinarian’s office.

20. Bob speaks with the receptionist.
Photo: Edward Sweed. Source: https://flic.kr/p/XSvFVB

21. They set a time for Bob to bring Fluffy in.
Right now!
Photo: Dafne Cholet. Source: https://flic.kr/p/9bUbH3

22. Bob drives Fluffy to the office.

23. The veterinarian saves Fluffy.
Photo: NAIT Animal Health Technology. Source: https://flic.kr/p/kH7yVT

24. User Journey Map of what happens
when Fluffy swallows a bone.

25. Back to Our Topic

26. What is User Story Mapping?

27. Jeff Patton
CREATED BY THIS PERSON
Image by visualpun.ch on Flickr

28. JEFF WROTE THIS BOOK

29. USER STORY MAPS LOOK LIKE THIS

30. OK, What is User Story Mapping?

31. Story mapping keeps us focused
on users and their experience, and
the result is a better conversation,
and ultimately a better product.
— Jeff Patton

32. Keeps focus on the user

33. Story mapping is a technique that
provides the big picture that a
pile of stories so often misses.
— Martin Fowler

34. Makes it visual
it = User journey, How stories connect, Opportunity

35. Jeff’s method of story mapping
makes sense to developers, and it
makes equal sense to designers.
Story mapping is the Rosetta
Stone for our digital age.
— Alan Cooper

36. Builds shared understanding

37. • Keeps focus on the user
• Makes a user journey visual
• Makes user story connections visual
• Makes opportunities visual
• Builds shared understanding
User Story
Mapping

38. Who is User Story Mapping for?

39. Business
User
Experience Engineering
Product Management

40. All four
Business
User
Experience Engineering
Product Management

41. Business: opportunity mapping
User Experience: journey mapping and task analysis
Engineering: visualization of connections
Product Manager: visualizing a roadmap and creating shared
understanding across teams
Uses

42. Anatomy

44. Backbone
User Journey
Time or order of tasks

45. Ribs
Stories
(details)
Criticality
Time or order of tasks
Backbone
User Journey
(Steps)

46. Follow on Twitter
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@michaelcalleia
Closer Look

47. Follow on Twitter
@humanistco
@michaelcalleia
Getting Ready
in the Morning

48. Get Up

49. Hygiene

50. Nourishment

51. Clothing

52. News

53. Get Up Hygiene Nourishment Clothing NewsEpics

54. Get Up Hygiene Nourishment Clothing News
Hit snooze
Stay in bed
15 min. more
Details
Turn off
alarm

55. Get Up Hygiene Nourishment Clothing News
Hit snooze
Take a
shower
Make
coffee
Pick
clothing
Check
Twitter
Stay in bed
15 min. more
Brush teeth Eat yogurt
Put on
clothing
Check News
Headlines
Make EggsShave
Stories
Turn off
alarm

56. But wait!
That’s not going to fit into our release plan!

57. Hit snooze
Get Up Hygiene Nourishment Clothing
Take a
shower
Make
coffee
Pick
clothing
Brush teeth Eat yogurt
Put on
clothing
Stories
Shave
News
Check
Twitter
Stay in bed
15 min. more
Check News
Headlines
Turn off
alarm
Focus

58. Get Up Hygiene Nourishment Clothing News
Take a
shower
Make
coffee
Pick
clothing
Check
Twitter
Brush teeth Eat yogurt
Put on
clothing
Check News
Headlines
Make Eggs
If you have
15 minutes
If you have
30 minutes
Hit snooze
Stay in bed
15 min.
more
Turn off
alarm
Shave
Iterations

59. Taking it Further

60. One tool.
Many* uses.
* Many != all

61. Time or order of tasks
Product Detail
(epics, user
stories, etc.)
Broken in swim
lanes by
Criticality (most
critical on top)
Meta
Information
(user, business,
etc.)
Mapping in Three Dimensions

62. Iteration 1
Swim
Lanes
Time
(delivery) Iteration 2
Iteration 3
Milestones

63. Ribs
User Pains & Gains,
Business
Opportunities

64. Feature to attract
users and features
that users will pay for

65. Birth School College Dating Mariage
First
Home
Pregnancy Parent Retire Death
User stages of life
Finding Opportunity
XO Group started off as the Knot.
Today they include the Nest and the Bump.
A user story map can be used to visual major life events
that represent opportunities to add user or business value
How might we____?
questions
representing
possible areas of
opportunity for
generating user or
business value.

66. Birth School College Dating Mariage
First
Home
Pregnancy Parent Retire Death
User stages of life
Zooming
Each major event
(or user task) may
have a user
journey subset (or
workflow)
Life
Journey
Epics
Event
Journey
User
Stories

67. Office Visit
Mapping Multiple Actors
On a project for the largest veterinary practice in the
United States, we used user story maps to visualize
multiple actors across multiple types of visits.
Tasks related to
the system
(sometime
occurring
outside of the
system)
Events within a visit
Pet
Owner
Veterinarian

68. Cardboardit.com
Storiesonboard.com
Featuremap.co
Craft.io
Online
Products

69. Follow on Twitter
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@michaelcalleia
Questions?

70. Thank You
& Rock On
Follow on Twitter
@humanistco
@michaelcalleia