User story mapping basics

User story mapping basics

User story mapping basics

Learn user story mapping step by step

Learn user story mapping step by step

Learn user story mapping
step by step

What is user story mapping?

User story mapping is a design method that creates a visual backlog that everybody understands. This method became popular after Jeff Patton's well-known book User Story Mapping. It’s also a simple way to understand user needs and create user-centric products.

Why is user story mapping so popular, and why is it said to be the "visual backlog that everybody understands"? It focuses on the user persona and its journey through the product — what does it do when using the product? We call user story mapping a user-centric method because it starts with collecting the persona's goals and all the steps the user takes using the product. Everything is arranged in the narrative flow from left to right - so it's easy to follow and understand, ultimately enhancing the user experience.

How to make a user story map
step by step?

User story mapping sessions can be organized on an office whiteboard using sticky notes to build the user journey and collect user stories. If your team is new to user story mapping, then try the following user story mapping exercise before jumping into the real work:

  • Map the morning routine: It is easy to collect the main goals (e.g., getting a morning coffee, etc.), and then you can break down the main activities into smaller steps.

  • Map a bit complex event, e.g., preparing for the holiday, dating, etc.

  • Map a well-known product the team uses (e.g., team chat, social media app).

Let’s see how user story mapping session goes in 6 simple steps.

Let’s see how user story mapping session goes in 6 simple steps.

Step 1: Define user personas

Let's start with the user persona. We recommend starting with one (the most typical) user persona and then moving to the next steps. Later, you can collect more user personas and go through the user story mapping process.


Describe the main users of your product or service in the following ways:

  • provide a short intro about the user

  • describe the user goals

  • collect pains, problems that should be solved

Example

Let's start with Marie who's planning the family holiday and wants to book a hotel room.

Story mapping step 1: create user personas
Story mapping step 1: create user personas
Story mapping step 1: create user personas

Step 2: Discover user goals

If we get the first user persona, we can break down the information we included in the user goals section into activities. User goals should be written into sticky notes or virtual cards. Focus on what the user wants to achieve (e.g., find a hotel), not on their steps (e.g., opening the website).


Example

Our solution for Marie is a website that helps her book a hotel room. To solve this goal, she wants to Find hotels or accommodation opportunities to choose from. Then - comparing possibilities, she wants to Choose a hotel and, finally, Book a room.

story mapping process step 2, discover project goals
story mapping process step 2, discover project goals

Step 3: Map the user journey (customer journey)

After collecting the goals, retell the user journey. What does the user do? Follow the natural narrative flow and identify the steps the user takes to fulfill her/his goal.


Place the sticky notes into the second line, step-by-step. If you discover missing steps, just put them into the middle of the journey. Try to keep the card titles short during the user story mapping session; if they are created collaboratively, everybody will know what those short titles mean.

Example

Let's collect steps for the goal 'Find hotels'. Using an online service, Marie should Visit the main page and then Open the search panel. On the search panel, the user should Filter search results by date and/or location.


After collecting the goals, retell the user journey. What does the user do? Follow the natural narrative flow and identify the steps the user takes to fulfill her/his goal.


Place the sticky notes into the second line, step-by-step. If you discover missing steps, just put them into the middle of the journey. Try to keep the card titles short during the user story mapping session; if they are created collaboratively, everybody will know what those short titles mean.

Example

Let's collect steps for the goal 'Find hotels'. Using an online service, Marie should Visit the main page and then Open the search panel. On the search panel, the user should Filter search results by date and/or location.

user story mapping process, step 3: map the user journey
user story mapping process, step 3: map the user journey

Step 4: Write user stories

The next step of the user story mapping session is to find solutions to achieve the user steps. Through this process, you create "user stories". Generally, you can use the standard user story format:

As a <user persona>, I want <goal>, that <benefit>.

To keep virtual or physical sticky notes short and easy to understand, we recommend shortening the user story format when writing the user story title by removing the repeating parts:


As an impulse shopper, I want to see the daily offers to get the best discounts. -> See daily offers


Try to collect as many stories as possible for each user's step, but don't stick to a single step—otherwise, the user story mapping session will become extremely long. The best and most important user stories will pop up first, and you can start another discovery session later on.


Example

Let's pick the step 'Apply filters'. If Marie has the idea of where to go and at what time, then it leads to the Filter by the time and Filter by location. Plus, Filter by price range is also helpful when having a budget.

 Story card from StoriesOnBoard
 Story card from StoriesOnBoard

Step 5: Prioritize your backlog

If the team was successful during the user story mapping session, the backlog should be full of great ideas! User stories have different priority levels. Identify the most common behavior or the basic solution to the problem.

Organize user stories by priority and place the most essential card at the top of the column. If you're working with external clients, discussing priorities with the customer is crucial, so be sure to stay connected with your partners.


Example

Focus on the first step — Visit main page. The brainstormed user stories are the following:

  • Basic website

  • Guides and other blogpost

  • Highlight promotions

  • Subscribe for the newsletter form

Consulting with the client, it was clear that the Basic website is a must, so this is the top priority. The service is brand new so building an email list is crucial — that's why the client decided to move the Newsletter form to the second place. After that they decided that the Highlight promotions would deliver more business value (in short time) than writing blogposts.

backlog prioritization example
backlog prioritization example

Step 6: Slice out the MVP

At the end of the user story mapping session, we should see what to develop first. So we need to specify the smallest working part of the product, the Minimum Viable Product. It's always hard to choose the fewest tasks for a marketable product.

Try to complete the user journey by beginning with the most common or easy-to-develop tasks. Just focus on completing at least one user journey. After that, try to organize the rest of the backlog into tangible pieces by drawing horizontal lines between cards.

Adding estimations to user stories lets you plan and schedule the development process release by release. This is one of the most important pieces of information, so that your customer or executive needs to calculate estimated delivery time and product details


Example

The client decided to launch the service as soon as possible by narrowing down our scope to the previously discussed user stories. So the very first release (MVP) contains only the Basic Website user story. The second release could be a marketing-focused release with the Highlight promotions and the Newsletter form. The blog engine with Tourist guide articles is assigned to the third release.

 MVP slicing example
 MVP slicing example

Start story mapping today

Save time, and unlock the full potential of your software projects.

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Save time, and unlock the full potential
of your software projects.

Start story mapping today

Save time, and unlock the full potential of your software projects.

Integrating User Story Mapping with Other Agile Practices

User story mapping is a powerful technique on its own, but its true potential is realized when integrated with other Agile practices. Combining user story mapping with methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, and Continuous Delivery can enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and ensure a user-centric approach throughout the development process.

Scrum Integration

With its structured framework of sprints and roles, Scrum pairs well with user story mapping. Here's how they can work together:


  1. Sprint Planning: Use the user story map to plan sprints. The map provides a visual product backlog, helping the team select the most important stories for the upcoming sprint. This ensures that the highest priority tasks are always in focus and aligns with the overall customer journey.

  2. Daily Stand-ups: Refer to the user story map to track progress during daily stand-ups. This visual tool helps team members see where they are in the user journey and understand how their tasks contribute to the overall goals.

  3. Sprint Reviews and Retrospectives: Use the story map during sprint reviews to demonstrate completed work and gather feedback. In retrospect, the map can help identify bottlenecks or areas for improvement in the workflow.

Continuous Delivery Integration


Continuous Delivery (CD) aims for frequent, reliable software releases, and integrating it with user story mapping ensures a seamless transition from planning to deployment:


  1. Release Planning: Use the user story map to define release scopes. Identify which stories constitute a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and subsequent releases, ensuring that each release delivers coherent and valuable user experiences.

  2. Automated Testing: Link user stories to automated tests to ensure every story meets its acceptance criteria before deployment. This maintains high quality and reliability in every release.

  3. Feedback Loops: Continuous Delivery thrives on quick feedback. Use the story map to gather user feedback after each release, refining and adjusting stories and priorities based on real-world usage and user input.

User story mapping in distributed teams

Story mapping is a highly visual and collaborative technique, making it a powerful tool for distributed teams. It helps bridge the gap created by physical distance by providing a shared, interactive space for brainstorming, planning, and aligning around user goals. In a remote context, digital story mapping tools like StoriesOnBoard enable teams to build and iterate on the map together in real-time.


Key Benefits:


  • Shared Understanding: Everyone sees the same map, reducing miscommunication.

  • Improved Engagement: Visual elements (colored cards, tags, etc) keep remote participants engaged.

  • Asynchronous Collaboration: Team members can contribute regardless of time zones.


Tips for Success:


  • Use Video Conferencing: Combine the map with live discussions.

  • Set Clear Guidelines: Define roles and rules for editing the map to avoid confusion.

  • Encourage Feedback: Invite remote team members to add comments, notes, or concerns directly on the map.


By leveraging these best practices, distributed teams can utilize story mapping to maintain clarity, ensure alignment, and keep everyone focused on delivering user value despite being geographically dispersed.

User story mapping templates

Featured story map examples

user story map example - team messaging platform

Team messaging platform

user story map example - food delivery platform

Food delivery platform

Featured story map examples

user story map example - team messaging platform

Team messaging platform

user story map example - food delivery platform

Food delivery platform

Featured story map examples

user story map example - team messaging platform

Team messaging platform

user story map example - food delivery platform

Food delivery platform

Story Mapping Pitfalls #2
Having Unclear Acceptance Criteria

The origin of user story mapping

Jeff Patton introduced user story mapping in the early 2000s as a response to traditional linear backlogs that often failed to convey a complete picture of user journeys. Story mapping allows teams to build products that prioritize user experience. It organizes user stories in a two-dimensional grid, showing the workflow and priority, making it easier to visualize the bigger picture.


Over time, the method gained popularity, especially within Agile frameworks, as a powerful tool for planning and communication.

Initially, story mapping was primarily used to plan features and releases. However, as the Agile movement grew, teams began to leverage it for more collaborative planning, cross-functional alignment, and as a visual tool to manage complexity. It has since become a staple practice, helping organizations ensure that every team member understands the product vision and focuses on delivering user value.

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Common mistakes, pitfails in story mapping

Story Mapping Pitfalls #1
Not Having an Accurate Picture of the End-user

Story Mapping Pitfalls #1
Not Having an Accurate Picture of the End-user

Few things will wreak havoc on your agile story maps, like not knowing who you’re creating them for. After all, how can you expect to solve a user’s problems if you ą understand how they think, feel, and act?

So, before you begin, create a persona for each user you’ll be using. This is especially important if your product will have multiple types of users – such as customers and admins. 

Because creating and visualizing solid personas gives your team a better idea about the motivations, needs, and wants of the end users, which translates into more meaningful user stories.

Few things will wreak havoc on your agile story maps, like not knowing who you’re creating them for. After all, how can you expect to solve a user’s problems if you ą understand how they think, feel, and act?

So, before you begin, create a persona for each user you’ll be using. This is especially important if your product will have multiple types of users – such as customers and admins. 

Because creating and visualizing solid personas gives your team a better idea about the motivations, needs, and wants of the end users, which translates into more meaningful user stories.

Story Mapping Pitfalls #2
Having Unclear Acceptance Criteria

Story Mapping Pitfalls #2
Having Unclear Acceptance Criteria

While you don’t want to eradicate your team’s creative liberty, it’s important to have a clear idea about what the end product needs to have implemented.

Without acceptance criteria, you risk being unable to determine when the project is over or even if it’s what the client is looking for. This can lead to unnecessary delays and extra work.

So, before you start, draw on your user stories to develop a final set of criteria that your team is happy with. 

Don’t be afraid to get your customer’s input too to be certain your chosen criteria contain the things users will need from the product. 

Doing this establishes a clear goal (criteria) to shoot for and a roadmap (user stories) to get there.

While you don’t want to eradicate your team’s creative liberty, it’s important to have a clear idea about what the end product needs to have implemented.

Without acceptance criteria, you risk being unable to determine when the project is over or even if it’s what the client is looking for. This can lead to unnecessary delays and extra work.

So, before you start, draw on your user stories to develop a final set of criteria that your team is happy with. 

Don’t be afraid to get your customer’s input too to be certain your chosen criteria contain the things users will need from the product. 

Doing this establishes a clear goal (criteria) to shoot for and a roadmap (user stories) to get there.

Story Mapping Pitfalls #3
Getting Into the Details

Story Mapping Pitfalls #3
Getting Into the Details

Once you start putting your story map together, it’s easy to let your brain go wild. Scenarios appear out of the blue, stories start to wind around each other, subplots emerge, and potential complications rear their heads.

Sure, it’s a creative and collaborative experience. But it can also be a one-way ticket to a mind-melt city. Because as more and more stories bubble up from the depths of your consciousness, it’s worryingly easy to lose sight of your original product vision.

So, begin with the big picture and work your way down to a level of granularity without losing sight of your linear story. Staying creative without letting your imagination get better is a fine art. But with time and experience, you’ll learn to catch yourself before you disappear down the rabbit hole.

Once you start putting your story map together, it’s easy to let your brain go wild. Scenarios appear out of the blue, stories start to wind around each other, subplots emerge, and potential complications rear their heads.

Sure, it’s a creative and collaborative experience. But it can also be a one-way ticket to a mind-melt city. Because as more and more stories bubble up from the depths of your consciousness, it’s worryingly easy to lose sight of your original product vision.

So, begin with the big picture and work your way down to a level of granularity without losing sight of your linear story. Staying creative without letting your imagination get better is a fine art. But with time and experience, you’ll learn to catch yourself before you disappear down the rabbit hole.

Story Mapping Pitfalls #4
Creating Story Maps On Your Own

Story Mapping Pitfalls #4
Creating Story Maps On Your Own

When you build a story map on your own, your ideas can quickly go rogue and take you to a place far away from where you intended to go.

That’s why story mapping in pairs (or groups) is a much more productive endeavor. Not only will your fellow story mapper keep you focused on the big picture, but telling a story out loud makes it easier to prove its viability. 

Another set of ears makes deciding if a story is rational, valid, and integral to the product roadmap much simpler.

When you build a story map on your own, your ideas can quickly go rogue and take you to a place far away from where you intended to go.

That’s why story mapping in pairs (or groups) is a much more productive endeavor. Not only will your fellow story mapper keep you focused on the big picture, but telling a story out loud makes it easier to prove its viability. 

Another set of ears makes deciding if a story is rational, valid, and integral to the product roadmap much simpler.

Story Mapping Pitfalls #5
Focusing On Product Features Instead of the User’s Needs

Story Mapping Pitfalls #5
Focusing On Product Features Instead of the User’s Needs

Folks new to writing story maps often fall into the trap of describing features they want, as opposed to satisfying a user’s needs. This story mapping pitfall creates a user story that reads like a grocery list.

To avoid getting too technical. You don’t need to double-check that the benefit to the end-user is a real benefit – against a technical feature you expect the development team to deliver.

Folks new to writing story maps often fall into the trap of describing features they want, as opposed to satisfying a user’s needs. This story mapping pitfall creates a user story that reads like a grocery list.

To avoid getting too technical. You don’t need to double-check that the benefit to the end-user is a real benefit – against a technical feature you expect the development team to deliver.

Story Mapping Pitfalls #6
Writing a User Story That’s Too Broad

Story Mapping Pitfalls #6
Writing a User Story That’s Too Broad

Another common story mapping mistake is creating user stories that are too vague. This is a problem because you need your story map to operate at a level of detail that allows your development team to estimate the work involved in building functionality to support the story.

Instead, think of your big ideas like rocks. Then imagine story mapping is a hammer. Stick your ideas into a cloth sack and use your hammer to smash those broad ideas into smaller pieces.

But don’t throw away the rocks and scrap your big idea. Instead, consider breaking it down into several stories, allowing everyone to better understand each aspect. 

As a rough guide, a story is the right size when it fulfills a user’s needs, while at the same time, it will only take a few days to build and test.

Another common story mapping mistake is creating user stories that are too vague. This is a problem because you need your story map to operate at a level of detail that allows your development team to estimate the work involved in building functionality to support the story.

Instead, think of your big ideas like rocks. Then imagine story mapping is a hammer. Stick your ideas into a cloth sack and use your hammer to smash those broad ideas into smaller pieces.

But don’t throw away the rocks and scrap your big idea. Instead, consider breaking it down into several stories, allowing everyone to better understand each aspect. 

As a rough guide, a story is the right size when it fulfills a user’s needs, while at the same time, it will only take a few days to build and test.

Story Mapping Pitfalls #7
Limiting Yourself to Physical Story Maps

Story Mapping Pitfalls #7
Limiting Yourself to Physical Story Maps

Many great products were built using Post-it notes and a Sharpie pen. But physical story maps also come with a couple of headaches – sticky notes fall off the wall, cleaners unknowingly obliterate whiteboard ideas, and releases get shipped before the latest update has been posted.

Plus, in the current climate, story maps built in a fixed physical location are less than ideal because they can’t be shared and used remotely. 

Using a digital story mapping tool like StoriesOnBoard allows you to build story maps that can be shared and updated no matter where you are in the world. And the best part? It seamlessly integrates with your current collaboration stack to make sure you never miss a beat and avoid story-mapping pitfalls efficiently

Many great products were built using Post-it notes and a Sharpie pen. But physical story maps also come with a couple of headaches – sticky notes fall off the wall, cleaners unknowingly obliterate whiteboard ideas, and releases get shipped before the latest update has been posted.

Plus, in the current climate, story maps built in a fixed physical location are less than ideal because they can’t be shared and used remotely. 

Using a digital story mapping tool like StoriesOnBoard allows you to build story maps that can be shared and updated no matter where you are in the world. And the best part? It seamlessly integrates with your current collaboration stack to make sure you never miss a beat and avoid story-mapping pitfalls efficiently

Story Mapping Pitfalls #8
Forgetting That Your Story Map Is a Means to an End

Story Mapping Pitfalls #8
Forgetting That Your Story Map Is a Means to an End

As Jeff Patton explains in his awesome book ‘User Story Mapping’:

“The goal of using stories isn’t to write better stories. The goal of product development isn’t to make better products…the real goal is to change the world”.

In other words, story maps don’t directly improve the lives of your users. But what they can do is shift your team from a mindset of ‘shared requirements’ to one of ‘shared understanding’.

So, instead of losing the forest for the trees and getting bogged down by the process of creating a story map, remember your story map’s initial purpose: 

To help you and your team have better conversations, more clearly understand your users, and ultimately stand a greater chance of building products that change the world.

As Jeff Patton explains in his awesome book ‘User Story Mapping’:

“The goal of using stories isn’t to write better stories. The goal of product development isn’t to make better products…the real goal is to change the world”.

In other words, story maps don’t directly improve the lives of your users. But what they can do is shift your team from a mindset of ‘shared requirements’ to one of ‘shared understanding’.

So, instead of losing the forest for the trees and getting bogged down by the process of creating a story map, remember your story map’s initial purpose: 

To help you and your team have better conversations, more clearly understand your users, and ultimately stand a greater chance of building products that change the world.

How to do story mapping?

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Useful resources

User story mapping is the most effective way to design a user-centric product. By organizing user goals, activities, and user stories, you create a visual backlog that everybody understands.

User story mapping is the most effective way to design a user-centric product. By organizing user goals, activities, and user stories, you can create a visual backlog that everybody understands.

Free story mapping ebook

50 handpicked hints on

  • Discovering project goals

  • Mapping the user journey

  • Prioritizing user stories

NEW! AI bonus materials included

  • 100 user story map examples

  • Templates for specs

  • Useful articles

Free story mapping ebook

50 handpicked hints on

  • Discovering project goals

  • Mapping the user journey

  • Prioritizing user stories

NEW! AI bonus materials included

  • 100 user story map examples

  • Templates for specs

  • Useful articles

Free story mapping ebook

50 handpicked hints on

  • Discovering project goals

  • Mapping the user journey

  • Prioritizing user stories

NEW! AI bonus materials included

  • 100 user story map examples

  • Templates for specs

  • Useful articles

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Create story map · Write user personas · Brainstorm backlog items · Write user stories · Collect acceptance criteria · Write release summary · Create release announcement · Custom AI function

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Custom workflows

Excel import/export

Private link sharing

Shared personas

Two-way integrations

Jira Cloud and Server

Azure DevOps and TFS

Trello

Github

Pivotal Tracker

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First user $45, every other

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/ user / month

Everything in STANDARD +

StoriesOnBoard AI

150k AI Tokens - Reset Each Month

Create story map · Write user personas · Brainstorm backlog items · Write user stories · Collect acceptance criteria · Write release summary · Create release announcement · Custom AI function

Unlimited products

SSO with SAML 2.0

Email based access control

IP based access control

Security audit logging

Custom password policy

Advanced Jira security

DevOps impersonation

Jira impersonation

Priority support

Story Mapping Tool

Save up to 20% with annual billing

Billed Annually

Billed monthly

BASIC

First user $19, every other

$9

/ user / month

BASIC plan includes:

StoriesOnBoard AI

50k AI Tokens - Reset Each Month

Create story map · Write user personas · Brainstorm backlog items · Write user stories · Collect acceptance criteria · Write release summary · Create release announcement · Custom AI function

Unlimited story maps

Unlimited story Cards

Unlimited guests For Free

User personas

Release management

Brainstorming mode

Assignees

Kanban Board

Status reports

Bulk edit story cards

Slack integration

Support & Business Continuity

Chat Support

ISO 27001 & SOC 2 compliant infrastructure

STANDARD

First user $26, every other

$12

/ user / month

Everything in BASIC +

StoriesOnBoard AI

100k AI Tokens - Reset Each Month

Create story map · Write user personas · Brainstorm backlog items · Write user stories · Collect acceptance criteria · Write release summary · Create release announcement · Custom AI function

10 Products

Global Persona

Custom workflows

Excel import/export

Private link sharing

Shared personas

Two-way integrations

Jira Cloud and Server

Azure DevOps and TFS

Trello

Github

Pivotal Tracker

PRO

First user $45, every other

$15

/ user / month

Everything in STANDARD +

StoriesOnBoard AI

150k AI Tokens - Reset Each Month

Create story map · Write user personas · Brainstorm backlog items · Write user stories · Collect acceptance criteria · Write release summary · Create release announcement · Custom AI function

Unlimited products

SSO with SAML 2.0

Email based access control

IP based access control

Security audit logging

Custom password policy

Advanced Jira security

DevOps impersonation

Jira impersonation

Priority support

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User story mapping FAQ

Story mapping
FAQ

What is user story mapping

Story mapping is a collaborative and visual technique in which agile teams work together to plan new products or new product features.

How do you conduct a user story mapping session?

A story mapping session is typically a workshop where all Agile team members contribute to the creation of a story map by creating and discussing the user stories in the map and can see the general direction of feature development in the near future.

What does a user story map consist of?

The story map consists of the backbone of the product, user activities, user tasks, user stories and releases, represented in a two-dimensional visual format.

Who created user story mapping? What is the history of user story mapping?

Jeff Patton started using story mapping as a concept that complements the traditional backlog of user stories, providing a visual overview of the product in development through a simple two-dimensional structure.

What is the user story mapping process?

The user story mapping process usually consists of the following steps:

1. Discovering project goals

2. User persona creation

3. User journey mapping

4. Coming up with solutions

5. Prioritizing

6. Slicing out the MVP and the release structure


What is a user story workshop?

The user stories workshop is the same as the story mapping session, where all members of the agile team contribute to the development of the story map, the prioritization of stories, and the discussion of the detailed functionality of each user story. The user story workshop also gives the agile teams the opportunity to clarify doubts and resolve conflicting views.

Why is story mapping important?

Mapping the story is important because it is extremely useful in providing a visual and two-dimensional picture of the full range of product features while allowing team members to see which features are being worked on in which release.

How do you make a physical story map?

To physically create the history map, start by drawing a horizontal line on a whiteboard or large piece of paper, on which you first write the most important user goals/activities from left to right.


What is the user story in Agile?

A user story in Agile is an elementary piece of a feature or product requirement that development teams can efficiently prioritize and estimate.

How to write a good user story?

A good user story is easy to read, written from the user's perspective, with a clear purpose and benefits, and clear acceptance criteria.

What are the acceptance criteria for a user story?

User story acceptance criteria describe what exactly qualifies or marks a user story as successfully implemented. In turn, it is the testing criteria that will ultimately result in the acceptance (or failure) of the implemented user story by the end users.

What can story mapping be used for?

The story map is used in conjunction with traditional agile development tools and as a tool to increase their effectiveness.


A traditional backlog is a linear tool that contains linearly defined epics, user stories that are difficult to create, especially as the product evolves or becomes more complex.


Story mapping is very effective because it is visual and gives all stakeholders an easy way to understand the big picture as quickly as possible.

Who writes the user stories?

The user story is written collaboratively by the agile team as it is developed to serve the needs of the end users, with different agile roles such as Product Manager, Product Owner, development teams, QA teams, and Scrum Master contributing in their own way to complete the story.

Who should attend a story mapping session?

Typically, a story mapping session is attended by all agile teams or roles, including but not limited to end users, Product Managers, Product Owners, Business Analysts, Architects, Developers, QA teams, Design teams, Project Managers or Scrum Masters.

What is the user persona on the story map?

User personas are fictional and generalised characters that represent the target user group of the product or solution being built. They share common characteristics/patterns/beliefs. Typically associated with an image of a representative persona. For example, the target user of a given product is a working professional who is in a certain age range, has a certain salary range, and has a certain hobby.

What are releases?

Releases are pieces of functionality, user stories that end users can use at the end of the release or at the end of the release timeline.


The process of slicing the backlog into releases is an iterative activity, where the prioritized user stories from the backlog are put into releases. It also takes into account dependencies and other limits between user stories.

How to brainstorm user stories?

The brainstorming of user stories can be carried out using the following best practice techniques, such as raising ideas, ranking ideas and then flagging the most useful ideas for further reflection.


Why is prioritization important when working with user stories on the story map?

Prioritization is key when working with the user stories in the story map, as it helps stakeholders reach a consensus on which requirements are more valuable and feasible than others.


What is the purpose of creating a product backbone?

The goal of creating the backbone of the product is to design the core features or user activities of the product being built in such a way that it represents the customer experience/journey of the product on the horizontal axis.

How to convert a story map into a conventional product backlog?

Typically, the history map can be converted into a traditional product list by integrating the right tools such as Jira, Trello, Azure DevOps.


Such integration supports the mapping of user activities and epics to the epics of the traditional product map, while user stories are mapped to the corresponding user activities/epics.

What is the MVP release?

The MVP (Minimum Viable Product) or MVP release is a combination of user stories from different epics that give customers a marketable slice of product minimalism. MVP also facilitates the collection of early feedback from users.

What is the difference between epics and user stories?

In agile software development, epics are a summary of a feature of the product. User stories are often part of the epic and describe specific user actions that need to happen to achieve a larger goal.

Start story mapping today

Save time, and unlock the full potential of your software projects.

Start story mapping today

Save time, and unlock the full potential
of your software projects.

Start story mapping today

Save time, and unlock the full potential of your software projects.