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User Story Mapping Workshop

Checklist & Template
What it is:
User stories are short, simple descriptions of a feature told from the perspective of a user. Instead of
a to-do that focuses on a task to be done, user stories keep your focus on the result your users want.

This guide will help you work through a user story mapping workshop with your team and create
a product backlog that describes all the functionality you will be creating over the course of your
project.

Need extra help? Get step-by-step instructions on how to write user stories on the Planio blog.

USER STORY TEMPLATE CARD

User stories follow a simple formula:

“As a [type of user] I want [some particular feature] so that [some benefit] is received.”

As a

I want

so that

User Story Mapping Workshop Guide

Follow these steps with your team to help visually map out all relevant user stories.

This is a hands-on workshop where we will break into teams to

Overview
create a prioritized story map and determine our first release.

• Visualize product features and needs

• Build team consensus
Goals • Prioritize the right tasks
• Break down epics into manageable tasks
• Create a release plan

Time Commitment About an hour

• Product owner
• Development team
Who’s here?
• Domain experts, testers, and UX designers
• Stakeholders.

• Meeting Room
• Sticky Notes or User Story Cards (See template above!)
Tools needed
• Pens
• Board to house it all

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WORKSHOP AGENDA

5 minutes

Frame the journey

☐ Go over the purpose and overview of the workshop

☐ Answer 3 questions as a team:
1. What problems are you trying to solve?
2. Who is the user(s) you’re building for?
3. Why is it important to build this feature/product now

5 minutes

Break into teams of 4–8 people across different disciplines

☐ Each team has a product owner who will read the product vision
statements, user personas, and any other relevant information.

10 minutes

Identify your main user “activities”

☐ For each persona, write out the main activities they take. For example:
Customer Search for product » Order product » Receive product » Return product

10 minutes

Build your story backbone

☐ Start with a single user activity (for example, “Search for a product”) and identify the
high-level steps of your user journey. Place these in order underneath from left to right.
For example, under Search for product you might include:

Sign up for an account

Get confirmation email

Open profile

Search categories

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20 minutes

Break each “step” into smaller tasks and write user stories for each

☐ Under each step in your backbone, write the specific tasks that users need to take
as a user story.

☐ As a [type of user] I want [some particular feature] so that [some benefit] is received.
☐ Work horizontally first (filling in tasks under each activity). And then go deep into each one
adding details, variations, exceptions, etc… Ask other teammates to help fill in the blanks.

10 minutes

Set priorities and value

☐ Assign priorities and values to each user story. Is this a “could”, “should”, or “must”?
15 minutes

“Slice” groups of stories into releases

☐ Come together as a full team and create a “slice” of user stories that will
be completed in the next sprint.

☐ Name the target outcome and potential impact.

☐ Identify success metrics you will be tracking.
5 minutes

Wind-down and next steps

☐ Explain the next steps, how teammates can give feedback, and where
you can access your user stories (i.e. your Product Backlog)

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USER STORY TEMPLATE CARD

User stories follow a simple formula:

“As a [type of user] I want [some particular feature] so that [some benefit] is received.”

As a

I want

so that

USER STORY TEMPLATE CARD

User stories follow a simple formula:

“As a [type of user] I want [some particular feature] so that [some benefit] is received.”

As a

I want

so that

USER STORY TEMPLATE CARD

User stories follow a simple formula:

“As a [type of user] I want [some particular feature] so that [some benefit] is received.”

As a

I want

so that

4/4