Story Maps

Story maps are YAML files stored in discoveries/usm/. They define the structure of a User Story Map with activities, user tasks, stories, and release slices. The steps: field holds the user tasks — the field keeps livt’s own name, the boards use Patton’s.

A map’s filename names the opportunity it serves: a map whose key matches an opportunities/{key}.md is the journey mapped for that opportunity, and every story on it carries that opportunity’s chip. A map whose key matches no opportunity stands in as its own, named by the map — see Linking a story map. The map’s name: stays its own display name either way, and is what addresses it.

Format

name: Map Name

activities:
  - key: activity-key
    name: Activity Name
    steps:
      - key: step-key
        name: Step Name
        stories:
          - key: story-key
            name: Story Card Name
            release: release-id
          - name: Lightweight Story Card

releases:
  - id: release-id
    name: Release Name

ubiquitous:
  - term-key

Ubiquitous Language

• ubiquitous is optional: each entry is a ubiquitous language term key
• Referenced terms render as pink stickies below the board, linking to ubiquitous.html#{term-key}
• A key with no matching term file renders as a plain pink card

Releases

• Each release defines a horizontal divider on the board
• Each release has an id that story cards reference with release
• Stories with a release appear above that release’s divider
• A release without name defaults to “Release N” based on position
• Stories not in any release appear below all dividers
• Story cards without key appear as plain cards and can still belong to a release
• A story can reference only one release

Example

discoveries/usm/collaborative-discovery.yaml:

name: Collaborative Discovery

activities:
  - key: story-mapping
    name: Story Mapping
    steps:
      - key: discover-stories
        name: Discover stories
        stories:
          - key: confirm-story-context
            name: Confirm story context
            release: walking-skeleton
          - key: confirm-story-map
            name: Confirm story map
            release: walking-skeleton
          - name: Draft session outcomes
      - key: slice-releases
        name: Slice into releases
        stories:
          - key: split-release-scope
            name: Split release scope
            release: release-2

  - key: discovery
    name: Discovery
    steps:
      - key: discover-rules
        name: Discover rules
        stories:
          - key: confirm-discovery-outcomes
            name: Confirm discovery outcomes
            release: walking-skeleton

releases:
  - id: walking-skeleton
    name: Walking Skeleton
  - id: release-2