Getting Started - Creating a Story Map
Congratulations! You have installed Easy Agile User Story Maps.
So where to from here? How do we create and manage a Story Map?
Here's what we'll cover in this post:
- How do I view my Scrum and Kanban boards in JIRA as Story Maps
- Creating Epics
- Creating User Stories
- Ordering Stories
- Sequencing Issues
How do I view my Scrum and Kanban boards in JIRA as Story Maps?
Once installed, each Scrum and Kanban board in JIRA can be viewed as a Story Map. To access the Story Map, click the 'User story map' button above the backlog icon on your Agile board.
What if I have no Epics in my backlog?
When there are no epics in the backlog a welcome screen will be displayed with a video providing users with an overview of the concepts of story mapping in JIRA.
You can check out the video here
Creating Epics (Creating the Backbone)
Across the top of the board you will create a horixontal row of epics. Each epic represents an activity of the users through the flow of the product. This is often referred to as the 'backbone' of the Story Map.
For example: a fictitious job applicant tracking system may have several activities from Requisition through to Onboarding - there will be an epic for each activity.
These epics can be rearranged by simply dragging and dropping them, and the order of the epics will be reflected on the backlog using JIRA ranking.
Creating User Stories (Fleshing Out the Backbone)
From the backbone of epics we add User Stories to support each activity. These are ordered by rank below each epic. For example:
To create a new story associated with an epic click the "+ Create story" button under an epic. This will bring up the condensed create issue dialogue which automatically adds the association:
Ordering Stories
The stories within each epic can be reordered, This allows the team to order the stories in terms of importance or value to the user.
To reorder a story within an epic drag and drop it into place. You will see a grey drop zone to guide the placement of the story.
Sequencing Issues
A key aspect of a story mapping session is sequencing work into upcoming sprints or versions, for example:
By switching the view to 'by Sprints' or 'by Versions' you can drag and drop issues between sprints or versions.
Versions are ordered by their release date.
Quick Tip: some teams pick an arbituary date, like the first of the month to show their intent to release a new version in a given month.
As you drag and drop issues between sprints or versiosn the estimate statistics will be updates immediately, helping teams effectively plan upcoming sprints.
Below you can see 'To Do' work (blue), 'In Progress' work (yellow) and 'Done' work (green).
