The Power of Story Mapping in Design

As humans, we’re natural storytellers. We create our own identities around stories, and it’s no surprise that story mapping has become a powerful tool in design thinking. By mapping out how a user might interact with a product, designers can predict the user’s experience and bring the user journey to life in a visual and dynamic manner.

What is Story Mapping?

Story mapping is a technique that involves creating a narrative arc to describe the user’s journey through a product or service. It’s not to be confused with Agile story mapping, which is more concerned with prioritizing and implementing software features. In story mapping, the focus is on creating a compelling narrative that highlights the user’s goals, motivations, and pain points.

The Structure of a Story Map

A typical story map consists of seven stages:

1. Start: Who is the user, and what is their goal?
2. Trigger: What is the call to action that drives the user’s action?
3. Rising Action: What steps does the user need to take to complete their goal?
4. Crisis: What are the impediments to the user’s journey?
5. Resolution: How do our users overcome obstacles?
6. Falling Action: What happens when the user completes their goal?
7. The End: Where does the user end up?

Using Story Mapping in Design

Story mapping can be used at any stage in the design process. It’s particularly useful for:

• Creating a new user flow
• Reviewing a potential flow
• Planning a dinner party (yes, really!)

The Benefits of Story Mapping

Story mapping offers two main benefits:

• Communicate ideas easily: Story mapping helps designers communicate complex ideas quickly and effectively.
• Uncover potential flaws: By mapping out the user’s journey, designers can identify potential flaws and areas for improvement.

A Real-Life Example

Let’s take the example of Manic Miner, a classic video game from the 1980s. The game’s designer created a compelling narrative arc that drew players in and kept them engaged. However, the game’s ending was disappointing, leaving players feeling cheated. This highlights the importance of creating a satisfying conclusion to the user’s journey.

### User Journey Map for Manic Miner

#### Start
* User: Miner Willy
* Goal: Collect all the treasure and escape the mine

#### Trigger
* Call to action: Start the game

#### Rising Action
* Steps to complete goal:
	+ Collect treasure
	+ Avoid enemies
	+ Navigate through the mine

#### Crisis
* Impediments to the user's journey:
	+ Enemies
	+ Traps
	+ Limited lives

#### Resolution
* Overcome obstacles:
	+ Use power-ups to defeat enemies
	+ Use wits to avoid traps

#### Falling Action
* Complete goal:
	+ Collect all treasure
	+ Escape the mine

#### The End
* User ends up:
	+ Feeling accomplished
	+ Wanting to play again

Note: The above code snippet is a simple representation of a user journey map in Markdown format. In a real-world scenario, you would use a more sophisticated tool or format to create a user journey map.