Story Maps

Heidi Helminiak, Jeff Patton, and me at Etsy in Brooklyn, NY 2015

What is a Story Map?Why make them?How to make one?Do they really work?

What is a Story Map?

Invented by Jeff Patton

a collaborative discovery activity ...

Marty CAgen sez:

“Discovery is an active and ongoing collaboration between product, user experience design, and engineering.”

Product Team

$

smart personidea

business plan

The product team ...

Jen Yates, creater CakeWrecks.com

Illustration from “User Story Mapping” by Jeff Patton. Drawing credit to Luke Barrett.

pee

feed dog

Story map exercise

Turn off

alarm

Individually: all the activities you do to get ready for work.

get out of bed

pee

3 minutes - DON’T Talk

Story map exercise

Turn off

alarm

Work together and SILENTLY combine into one timeline

get out of bed pee

3 minutes

feed dog ... ...

Story map exercise

Turn off alarm

Work together and label related activities

get out of bed

pee feed dog

... ...

WakingBathroom stuff

Kitchen Stuff

Shave shower

Story map exercise

Turn off

alarm

Let’s say you wake up late ...

get out of bed pee

feed dog ...

grab food

Waking Bathroom stuff

Kitchen Stuff

Shave

shower

Get out in 15 min

That’s the basics ….

● Sticky notes are magical - use the magic● Shut up - don’t talk● Work in smallest team possible● Know your story

Story Map Rules*

*It’s about shared understanding, not model compliance.”

Building shared understanding through collaborative activities.

Design Studios

Personas

160%

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