How To Utilize User Story Mapping For Your Business

Story mapping sanctions you to optimize a service or product. Thanks to it, product managers and development teams can understand the customer journey better and prioritize their work. 

In doing so, the team can build and design a better product based on the client’s desired expectations.

User story mapping sounds like a simple concept, from marketing teams to UX/design teams to engineering and legal, and everything in between. 

This rounded visual view often entails an all-hands-on-deck attitude. However, the result is worth it, and the payoffs are immense. 

Consequently, creating a positive and fruitful user experience is vital. 

Reasons To Map Your User Story

Story mapping gets the team talking and communicating with each other, discussing solutions for issues concerning end-users and the advantages they will be receiving. 

These help everyone understand the product better and faster than going through a product requirements document. 

The story classifies consumers and gives out desired outcomes. Ideally, the desired outcome (10% growth in conversions) should be based on what members think is attainable.

There are many other benefits of user story mapping, a few of which include:

• It gives a bird’s eye perspective of product releases and features 
• Stirs lean thinking
• Knowledge sharing between design and development teams are facilitated
• Maintains development work prioritization
• Supports smaller and shorter release cycles
• Makes superior visualization of consumer journeys
• Specifically focused on increasing value for consumers
• Promotes agile development
• Makes sure more productive and informed interactions take place with stakeholders
• Permits for iterations
• Allows product discovery 
• Empowers group members with a rich understanding of product features

When the complete user cycle is mapped out, it helps point out any loopholes in functionality. 

When working with multiple teams, most members focus on their particular tasks, leaving the main mark of the big picture missing. Future and current tasks are also better prioritized. 

Furthermore, Google Analytics lets you gather anonymous tracking data and helps you answer questions. It is essential to understand your audience if you aim to be a successful story map author.

Ways To Visualize And Conceptualize A User Story

When you plan on story making, adopt the following formats:

• As [a persona], I can [select a need or goal], so that [I can accomplish this]
• As a [class of user], I want to [be able to do this] so that [I can gain some form of benefit]

Change A Reservation

Suppose a customer wants to change their booking. This process has three possibilities:

• Check reservation 
• Alter reservation
• Cancel the reservation

View reservation

1. Look by reservation number
2. Search by username

Modify the booking

1. Change time and date
2. Change reservation category/add further details (customizable field)

Call off the reservation

1. Provide contact info to cancel
2. Cancel online

eCommerce Site

Even though everything is not necessarily linear, a user story is organized chronologically. Take the example of an eCommerce site:

1. Search for an item
2. View product
3. View photo to better analyze product
4. Select the article for purchase
5. Enter payment info
6. Enter shipping address
7. Confirm order

In the example above, these can be grouped into the following activities:

• Find product [Look for item]
• Product details [See product + see photo]
• Shopping cart [Select article for purchase]
• Checkout [Payment info + Shipping info + Confirmation]

Tasks, sub-tasks, and activities are defined clearly to handle a user story. Later on, these are prioritized.

Purchase

When a user wants to purchase a pair of jeans, the story map could look something like this:

1. Find a jeans merchant
2. Find jeans 
3. Choose jeans
4. Purchase

In this example, depending on the particular consumer and their goals, these steps can be broken down further into “finding mommy jeans” or “purchase a select style from the latest collection.” 

Find a jeans retailer [Open a search engine and visit the retailer’s site]:

1. Create keywords (SEO)
2. Exhibit special discounts and deals on site
3. Website homepage

Find jeans [Open search bar]:

1. Search by size 
2. Search by style (i.e., ripped jeans)
3. Search by brand
4. Search by gender

Choose jeans [Consider jeans details and compare jeans based on preferences]:

1. User reviews
2. Compare offers
3. Jeans details (i.e., material, etc.)

Purchase [Select jeans and pay for jeans]:

1. Color
2. Pay with gift cards or credit
3. Size
4. Pay with PayPal, Apple Pay, etc.

Book A Flight

Following this theme, here’s how to go about with an online flight reservation system:

1. Search for flight
2. View flight info
3. Confirm

It all depends on the user story’s complexity. Numerous releases will be there, which are further prioritized.

For instance:

Look for flight

1. Choose by flight type – By location – By availability 
2. Incorporate 3^rd party

Search flight information

1. Display layover airports and times
2. Look for additional flight details and options
3. Keep flight information available via API

Confirm

1. Fill in contact info and payment
2. Incorporate PayPal
3. Integrate Google Checkout

Conclusion

Story mapping is completed by using either digital mediums or physical resources. Think sticky notes and whiteboards vs. software tools. 

The main aim is to organize a story horizontally, showing the user’s journey. Then, after completing it, you can see how a consumer may intermingle with a single item. 

So evidently, a story map is a collaborative practice guiding an agile team to success.

Also Read: Why Your Restaurant Needs A Mobile App Now.