Using Mindmapping to explore user with and find use cases, or user stories.

1. Exploring User Wish
through Mind Mapping
Mind map by Michal Splho
http://michalsplho.sk/?p=267 Kenji HIRANABE
Seeing is understanding.

2. Objectives
• To understand what is Mind Mapping and
how software development can benefit from it.
• To experience how to use Mind Maps to
explore user wish and carve out UseCases or
User Stories.
2 Seeing is understanding.

3. Agenda
• Self-introduction
• What is a Mind Map and Why
• Exploring User Wish using Mind
Mapping
• Demonstration
• Conclusion
3 Seeing is understanding.

4. Father and Grandfather of Scrum
http://scrum.jeffsutherland.com/2011/02/meeting-nonaka-san-in-tokyo.html

7. Kenji HIRANABE(1/2)
• (co-)Translator of …
C++ book XP/ Agile books
• (co-)Author of …
OO, UML books Mind Map book
• 2008 Gordon Pask Award Recipient for Contributions to Agile practice
7 Seeing is understanding.

8. Kenji HIRANABE(2/2)
• CEO of Astah.net.
• astah – UML editor (formerly known as “JUDE”)
– With Mind Map, ERD
– http://astah. net/
8 Seeing is understanding.

9. Mind Map
• Tony Buzan
• Graphical note technique
• Visualize thoughts with
a radiant structure
– Keyword Oriented
– Loose syntax and semantics
– Fast and Easy
– High level View
– Evocative
– Explore and Gather Ideas
9 Seeing is understanding.

10. 10 Seeing is understanding.
da Vinci uses Pictures and Words at the same time

12. Mind map by Michal Splho
http://michalsplho.sk/?p=267

13. 13 Seeing is understanding.

14. Mind Mapping
• Examples …
14 Seeing is understanding.

15. 15 Seeing isKent Beck’s XP 2nd
understanding.

16. Seminar Ideas

17. Project Christmas Planning

18. Meeting Minutes Template

19. Guitar Chord
Diagram

20. Mastering the Requirements Process by Suzanne and James Robertson, 1999.
20 Seeing is understanding.

21. 21 Seeing is understanding.

22. Ice Breaker
STEP 1:
• Self-introduction Mind Map
• Central Image
– Your name and your Icon
• BOI’s may be,
but not have to be;
– Why ? (you come here)
– What ? (do you do)
– Favorites
• Leave the other side of the card blank !
22 Seeing is understanding.

23. Ice Breaker
STEP 2:
• Your Name and Icon
(again)
in the lower half
of the back side.
23 Seeing is understanding.

24. STEP 3:
24 Seeing is understanding.

25. User Stories: Ron Jeffries’ 3 Cs
• Card
– Written on note cards.
– Cards may be annotated with estimates, notes, etc.
• Conversation
– Details behind the story come out during
conversation with customer
• Confirm
– Acceptance tests confirm the story was coded
correctly
25 Seeing is understanding.

26. User Stories: Mike Cohn
• Shift focus from writing to talking
• Metaphor of Trawling (by Suzanne and James
Robertson)
– Requirements can be captured with different sized nets
– Requirements change, mature, possibly die
– Skill is a factor
• Avoid “The user”, find “Roles”
• In order to <benefit>,
as a <role>,
I want to <story>.
26 Seeing is understanding.

27. Why Mind Map and User Stories Fit ?
• Shift focus from writing to talking
• Trawl requirements with coarse sized net first
• Capture Emotion, Use your right brain !
Colors, and Pictures !
– To fully utilize broadband communication and
preserve it in your brain, as the same time, keep it
into a mind map as a memento of the situation. In
the future conversation, you can use it to resume
the context back.
27 Seeing is understanding.

28. User Wish Mind Map
• The first step of getting what you want.
• Get the Big Picture.
• Who? first.
• Semi-structured.
• Gather info and mine UseCases/User Stories.
28 Seeing is understanding.

29. Demonstration
• City Library System Interview…
– I will visit my client at a city library
– And Using mindmapping, I interview to gather
user wish.
– Bit goes like …(have fun)
29 Seeing is understanding.

30. Library Interview Mind Map
30 Seeing is understanding.

31. UseCase Diagram
31 Seeing is understanding.

32. User Stories Mind Map
32 Seeing is understanding.

33. User Stories Spreadsheet
33 Also to PowerPoint! Seeing is understanding.

34. The big picture of this presentation
User Wish
User Wish
Why?
Why?
Big Picture Mind Map Who?
Who?
Big Picture Mind Map
value
role
When?
When?
User Stories/ Use Cases
User Stories/ Use Cases
Estimate, Plan, Prioritize, Test
34 Seeing is understanding.

35. Conclusion
• Mind Mapping is effective when
– Gathering Information
– Exploring topics freely
• User interview with Mind Mapping
– Is Semi-structured
– Gives a high-level view of user wish
– Creates a big picture of the user wish from which
you can carve out good use cases or user stories.
• Why, Who, When are good input to user stories.
35 Seeing is understanding.

36. Stickyminds.com article
“Agile Modeling with Mind Map and UML”
Search: stickyminds Kenji HIRANABE
36 Seeing is understanding.

37. 37 Seeing is understanding.

38. Thank you, Agile New England!
• Make your software development
more collaborative, productive and
FUN!
• Whitepaper available.
http://astah.net/resources/documents/
zen-and-the-art-of-user-requirements.pdf
• Visit http://astah.net for the free version.
38 Seeing is understanding.