What is story mapping?

Story mapping is a collaborative visual technique used in product and software development to organise and prioritise work by mapping out user journeys. It helps teams break down a product or feature into manageable steps, focusing on user needs and identifying what to build first.

Here's how it works:

Identify the User Journey: The process starts by defining the key activities or tasks users need to accomplish their goals. These are arranged horizontally in sequence, creating the backbone of the map.

Break Down the Tasks: Each activity is broken into smaller, detailed tasks or steps, which are organised vertically under their corresponding activities.

Prioritise Features: Teams layer tasks by importance or priority, usually visualised from top to bottom, helping to identify the minimum viable product (MVP).Collaborate and Align: Story mapping fosters teamwork and communication by getting stakeholders, developers, and designers to agree on priorities and the user experience.This method ensures development efforts focus on delivering the most value to users, making it easier to spot gaps, dependencies, or opportunities for improvement.

How I used story mapping at BT Business for a checkout experience

Whilst working at BT business I spotted an opportunity to help my colleagues prioritise a complex "Checkout" user journey for our new and returning customers when purchasing broadband.

One of the designers was tasked with designing a checkout experience for both aquiring new broadband as well as when renewing their broadband.

Despite the two journeys using the same design system and components, the context and information a user needed to provide were largely different.

Therefore I suggested the use of "Story mapping" agile framework to help compare the two journeys similarities and differences.

When I mentioned this to my colleague it had appeared not many of the junior to mid-weight designers, researchers, engineers and product owners knew what this process was. Therefore I decided to run a workshop to help my colleagues understand the benefits and values of story mapping especially in this particular "Checkout" scenario.

Building my Story Mapping tutorial

From what was initially a one person walk-through, grew to an invitational tutorial for BT Business' Omnichannel Product, Research & Design teams.

After the mention of helping my colleague with this particularly difficult task, it grew interest amongst Researchers, Content Designers and Product Professionals, including Principle, Lead and Head Design colleagues.

Therefore I decided to run the tutorial as an hour long workshop that has a full breakdown of objectives

1. Understand 🧠 - What is Story Mapping? 

2. Learn why ⁉️ Story Mapping can be useful

3. Learn when ⏰ to use Story Mapping

4. Let's have a go  🗺️ and Story Mapping together 

Unlocking Opportunities

Transitioning from high-level journey steps to granular functionality, your teams will gain the ability to delve deeper into what truly resonates with both users and the business's needs.

While I cannot disclose the full extent of what occurs in my story mapping tutorial, as I am now offering a paid one-off course for businesses, I can attest to its transformative impact. This workshop presents both challenges and enjoyment for all members of innovation squads.

During a pivotal moment in the workshop, our team unearthed organic opportunities akin to Teresa Torres's Opportunity Solution Tree methodology. In my experience, story mapping serves as the natural precursor to frameworks such as opportunity solution trees or experience roadmaps—an approach I learned from my mentor, Adam Burgess, at Lloyds Banking Group.

I've recently curated a free Spotify playlist here to add a touch of creativity and inspiration to our sessions. It's a small addition, but it adds a pleasant vibe to the workshop.

If you're keen on equipping your team with the power of Story Mapping, please don't hesitate to reach out to book this workshop as a one-off course!