Story Mapping

Story Mapping is a collaborative workshop that allows participants to visualise the user journey and identify the essential features of a product. It helps teams clarify their priorities and build an effective roadmap. This game promotes a common understanding of the product and helps align teams on key objectives.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Introduction and Objectives

   10 min

   The facilitator begins by explaining the concept of Story Mapping and its objectives: to create a shared vision of the product and prioritise essential features. They clarify that the workshop will take place along two axes: the horizontal axis for the user journey and the vertical axis for prioritisation. Participants are invited to ask questions to clarify the process.

   Tip — Use a simple metaphor, such as a road map, to explain the concept of Story Mapping.

2. 2

   Define the User Journey

   30 min

   Participants are invited to list the key steps of the user journey in the form of post-its, which they place horizontally on a wall or board. The facilitator encourages discussions to ensure that each step is well understood and validated by the group. They remind everyone that this axis should reflect the user experience chronologically.

   Tip — Encourage participants to put themselves in the shoes of the end user to enrich the journey.

3. 3

   Identify Features

   30 min

   For each step of the journey, participants brainstorm the necessary features and note them on post-its. These features are then placed under each step of the journey on the vertical axis. The facilitator guides the group to ensure that all features are well aligned with the identified user needs.

   Tip — Take regular breaks to recap and validate the added elements with the entire group.

4. 4

   Prioritisation of Features

   20 min

   The facilitator asks participants to prioritise the features by moving them vertically. The most critical features are placed at the top. They encourage discussions on the relative importance of each feature and guide the group to reach a consensus.

   Tip — Use clear prioritisation criteria, such as user value or technical feasibility, to guide discussions.

5. 5

   Building the MVP

   20 min

   Once the priorities are defined, the facilitator helps participants identify which features constitute the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). They ensure that the group agrees on the essential features to include in the MVP. Discussions should lead to a clear and shared vision of the product to be developed.

   Tip — Remind participants that the MVP should be sufficiently complete to test key hypotheses about users.

6. 6

   Conclusion and Next Steps

   10 min

   The facilitator summarises the main decisions made and highlights the next steps for product development. They thank participants for their collaboration and engagement. They ask them to think about concrete actions to take following this workshop.

   Tip — Take photos of the final board to document the work done and share with the wider team.

Variants

• Use different colours of post-its for features to distinguish levels of priority.
• Integrate a user testing phase at the end of the workshop to validate the journey and features.
• Organise a Story Map review session with external stakeholders to gather additional feedback.