User Story Mapping
Details
- Full Name
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User Story Mapping according to Jeff Patton
Core Concepts:
- Narrative flow
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Horizontal arrangement of user activities
- User activities
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High-level tasks users perform
- User tasks
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Steps within activities
- Walking skeleton
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Minimal end-to-end functionality first
- Release planning
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Horizontal slices for releases
- Prioritization by value
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Vertical ordering by importance
- Shared understanding
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Collaborative mapping builds team alignment
- Big picture view
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See the whole journey, not just backlog items
- Opportunity for conversation
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Stories as placeholders for discussion
- Key Proponent
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Jeff Patton ("User Story Mapping", 2014)
When to Use:
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Planning new products or major features
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When backlog feels overwhelming or fragmented
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Release planning for incremental delivery
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Onboarding team members to product vision