Mapping it out - Post 1: The structure
Mapping it out, mapping for team focus in projects or sprints
What I want to show in this short series of posts is how you can use the graphical maps as a way to guide and facilitate through a project or a sprint. In this way you can use visualization as an interactive tool for development. In this first post I will show the overall structure, and in the posts to come , I will show you how to fill out the structure with a case example.
First of all: It is important that the drawing is an element that supports and facilitates your workflow, and that the entire team can use it and feel inspired to fill it out. The trick is here is to draw it with simple shapes and lines - nothing to complicated here. The map is supposed to inspire the team to fill it out and interact with it, as the project or sprint evolves. And the idea is that you fill the overall structure as a team to kick off the project or sprint. This gathers your focus and aligns the team on the “journey” ahead.
Aligning the team
Aligning the team - the use of images speaks a 1000 words. A lot of meaning can disappear between the lines. Drawings makes it concrete, clear and open for dialogue.
An issue that often arises is an interdisciplinary team, with different views and different roles, is when the team are not aligned or loose track with the vision or the direction. Also if the knowledge gathered in the early usertesting and prototyping in the design phase are not still top of mind and present when you start developing the solutions in agile. Often we also see that the people working in the design and concept phase is not the same as the people that develop the final solution. Here the map can be used to ease the transition and help the product owner and the team to hand over and start the technical development with this focus.
The project map is structured in three sections check it out below.
Basic structure of the map we use in mapping projects/sprints
The structure has three main areas: 1. The vision of the project on the right side – 2. The problem or where the solution Is based eg. user insights or business possibilities 3. The process, what are the process steps and the input and outcome from each step.
Visually the image on the map should portray a journey with a beginning, a middle (with the road or path) and a goal to reach at the end. Often you see it symbolized with the road to a sunset or goal line. But it could be across water, through the skies and so forth. Find the story that present your journey in the best way. The analogy could be on you as a company, on your client base, focused on your customers, a shift in business focus and much much more. Let your imagination guide you to what fits the project the best.
In the next post I will kick off with the case example. I will fill in the vision on the right side and the overall drawing adjusted to the case at hand.
I would like to hear good pointers and ideas to how you visualize your projects. Also send me elements you think I should draw in the map as it unfolds over the weeks.
Have a great day!:-)