Facilitated by TJ. Badru.

Story mapping turns a flat backlog into a visual narrative of your user’s journey.

Welcome to Story Mapping:

Invented by Jeff Patton, user story mapping is one of the most powerful techniques in a product team’s toolkit. It helps teams see the big picture, identify gaps in their thinking, and prioritize work that delivers real user value — not just features.

What We’ll Cover:

• What a story map is and how it differs from a traditional backlog
• The anatomy of a story map: backbone, walking skeleton, releases
• How to run a story mapping session with your team
• Using story maps to prioritize MVP vs. future releases
• Story maps as a communication tool with stakeholders
• Digital tools for story mapping: Miro, FigJam, StoriesOnBoard

Hands-On Workshop:

Students will map a real user journey together from scratch. We’ll identify the backbone activities, break them into user tasks, and layer in stories to build a prioritized release plan.

Who Should Attend:

• Product Owners and Business Analysts building or refining a backlog
• Scrum Masters facilitating product discovery sessions
• Developers who want more context on what they’re building and why
• Anyone who has struggled to explain their product roadmap to stakeholders

Benefits of Attending This Session:

Participants will leave with a completed story map they built themselves, a facilitation guide they can bring back to their team, and a new way of thinking about product planning that centers the user.