The only complementary trait between the needfinding and design thinking approaches I know and the story mapping approach are the use of space and writing to articulate ideas. To me, that is where the similarities end. Story mapping seems like a valuable process for prioritizing and planning out software development. In the example story with Gary, he himself would be a user of his product. He is incredibly familiar with the industry and users that he is catering to. Even so, for him and any other person attempting to build a product, I am somewhat dismayed that they would write user stories without even speaking to users.
The design thinking framework and variations of it have always seemed the likeliest route to a product that works for and helps users in the way they need it. Interview users and listen to their stories. Find implicit and explicit needs through sensemaking, synthesis, or whatever you want to call the process of analyzing qualitative data. Figure out how to support those needs with the product you want to make. Prototype, test, and iterate to maximize the product’s impact. The process with Gary likely has more context, more shared understanding between Gary and the people his product is for that we are not privy to. However, as it is written, it seems like Gary’s product is designed from just Gary’s frame. I wonder how products planned through story mapping are evaluated. I’m sure Mad Mimi has features that users in music will appreciate, but what pitfalls does the process have? Are there user needs that slip through the cracks, large swathes of his available market that are turned away from the product because the software stemmed from a conversation of two people and no one else?
I feel like story mapping can be a useful tool after user research: to summarize, recollect, analyze, synthesize, and ideate. Putting the stories users have shared in the same space as the ideas for features sounds like a good check and balance system. If I could create a map that ensures each feature is supporting a reported need, I think the product would be incredibly strong. One last thing I appreciate from story mapping is how important words are. Design thinking requires a great deal of wordsmithing to create precise statements. Story mapping puts less pressure on the person to write the perfect sentence and more on the collective to understand each other.
