What is Agile Development?
Agile Development is an approach to software development that focuses on rapid feature rollouts with constant iterations based on interdepartmental consultations and user feedback. It is a project management framework that is based on incremental developments with each stage in the process being tested, and basing the next iteration or product pivot on the feedback or results of the end users.
Story Maps and Agile Development
Understanding what agile development is is just the beginning—it's incorporating it into your business practices that's the important part. A great way to implement the agile approach into your project management practices is to associate visuals along with agile development. One common visual to start with are user story maps. User story maps are visual depictions of users interacting with your product and the responses or actions your UX elicits in users as they work to achieve a goal or objective. Creating story maps for your users forces you to break your product down into incremental stages, allowing you to focus on how iterative changes can be applied to each stage independently to improve the product as a whole. Story maps can take different forms: linear journeys as the user walks through your product, non-linear cycles, or even graphs depicting time or priority along the x-axis and complexity of the task on the y-axis.
Types of Agile Development
Scrum
Scrum is an agile development methodology that focuses on time-boxing project tasks into sprints (typically 1-4 weeks in length) and allows developers to roll out new features with a predetermined cadence. Typical practices of organizations using scrum are daily stand-up meetings, sprint kickoffs, and post-sprint reviews.
Kanban
Kanban is an agile development methodology that includes a visual backlog of prioritized tasks that need to be completed in order to finish a project. As soon as these tasks are completed they are released, resulting in continuous product iterations and releases. Developers have the choice to pull tasks most closely related to their field of expertise and tasks that are not time-boxed.
How to Story Map for Agile
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Isolate a Project
The first step in implementing agile development practices is to choose a project to work on. Agile development works best on complex projects with many moving parts. Choose a project that may require interdepartmental collaboration and the creation/implementation of a number of new features. Then choose a scrum master, the person who will be in charge of making sure the project is moving according to plan.
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Create a Task Backlog
The next step is to create a list of all of the required tasks that the project will need in order to be complete. After all of the tasks have been listed out, organize them by importance and priority. Often there will be tasks that are impossible to complete without completing one of the other backlogged tasks first—your priority list should account for this. The task list will change and grow throughout the agile process as you realize more tasks that need to be completed and, on the other end, realize some tasks are unnecessary.
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Divide Into Sprints or Create a Kanban Board
Now it's time to decide if you're taking the Scrum or Kanban approach. If you decide to go with Scrum, then divide your task lists into individual sprints. Limit your sprints to a maximum of four developer weeks, but aim for around two weeks. This will cut scope on your project and force developers to work on the most important tasks. If you go with Kanban, then create a Kanban board with all your backlogged tasks. Have developers go to the board and physically choose a task to claim as their own. Move the task through the board from "To-do", to "Doing", to "Done".
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Get to Work
Start working! As developers and marketers begin to work together on their assigned tasks, it helps to have daily quick stand-up meetings. These meetings should be no longer than 10 minutes long and each participant should answer three core questions: What did you do yesterday? What are you doing today? Is there anything blocking you from accomplishing your tasks today?
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Review Project, Process, and Repeat
After the sprint is over or a new feature is rolled out, review the project to make sure it is acceptable for user interaction. It's also essential to review the process as a whole and to be actively looking for ways to improve the efficiency or output of the process. After this is all done, repeat from the beginning on the next project or feature set.
Agile Templates to Get You Started
How Tos about Story Mapping for Agile Development
How can I introduce agile concepts to students through a classroom project?
Choose a relatable project that students can work on collaboratively, such as creating a class newsletter or planning a school event. Connecting agile to real-life activities helps students grasp project management basics.
Break the project into manageable tasks with your students.
List all steps needed to complete the project together. Encourage students to identify task dependencies and prioritize what needs to be done first.
Set up a simple Kanban board on your classroom wall.
Create columns for 'To Do', 'Doing', and 'Done' using sticky notes or index cards. Visualizing progress helps students stay organized and motivated.
Hold brief daily check-ins to discuss progress and challenges.
Ask each group to share updates and any blockers they're facing. Regular communication fosters teamwork and accountability.
Review the project as a class and reflect on the process.
Celebrate successes and discuss what could be improved next time. Reflection supports continuous learning and improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions about Story Mapping for Agile Development
What is agile development in simple terms?
Agile development is a way to build software by breaking projects into small, manageable pieces and making frequent changes based on feedback. Teams work together closely, review progress often, and focus on delivering value quickly.
How do user story maps help in agile project management?
User story maps are visual tools showing how users interact with a product. They help teams break down work into stages, prioritize tasks, and improve each section through iterative changes, making agile project management more focused and organized.
What are the main differences between Scrum and Kanban?
Scrum uses short, time-boxed sprints and regular meetings to release features, while Kanban relies on a visual board and continuous task flow without set time limits. Scrum is structured; Kanban is flexible and ongoing.
How can I create a Kanban board for my classroom project?
To set up a Kanban board, list all project tasks and organize them into columns like "To-do," "Doing," and "Done." Students or team members move tasks across columns as work progresses, helping track and manage activities visually.
What are the key steps to implement agile development in a school setting?
Start by choosing a project, listing and prioritizing tasks, and deciding between Scrum or Kanban. Divide tasks into sprints or use a Kanban board, hold brief daily check-ins, and review both results and processes to improve and repeat.
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