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Status Future consideration
Categories User story map
Created by Albin Poignot
Created on Sep 6, 2019

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Hide the release dates from the Story Map

I would like to be able to remove the release dates from my User Story Map.

I am using the User Story Map as a tool to define a User journey and ensure that our release blocks are efficient and meaningful for a user.

In a more generic context, this tool might be use to discuss the scope of releases and in which order we are going to execute: the releases dates are not yet discussed.

Being forced to display these dates lead  me to have difficult discussions about the estimations and the loose commitment on them, and so focus the conversation on the dates instead of the scope.

I think we should have a way to hide the release's date, so that everyone can decide if they need it or not, depending of the context.

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  • Albin Poignot
    Reply
    |     Sep 9, 2019

    That's a really good workaround that is solving my problem (as much as a workaround can solve it!).

     

    Thank you for the follow up!

  • Admin
    Julie Price
    Reply
    |     Sep 9, 2019

    Hi Albin,

    Thank you for the additional context! Super helpful to better understand your needs, especially as it relates to your processes. Aha! is methodology agnostic and we try to ensure our functionality is scalable to support how you work.

    It sounds like using parking lots could be a good workaround for now as we determine next steps.

    1. Create a release on your user story map

    2. Click on the [...] menu > Select Edit release details to open the drawer

    3. Click on the drawer's [...] menu > Select Parking lot (this will check the box)

    Your release is turned into a parking lot, which hides the release date from your user story map. After you validate the scope, you can follow the same steps to uncheck Parking lot, which will then add a date back again.

  • Albin Poignot
    Reply
    |     Sep 9, 2019

    Hi Julie :)

     

    Thank you for your workaround proposition, really appreciated! Can you tell me how I could see my Parking lot releases in a Story Map? My Story Map without dates IS NOT a work in progress.

     

    To continue the discussion about my use case, I think Aha! and me are not using the exact same process and I am struggling finding the right workaround ;-)

    I am working in an Agile context, therefore it's complex or even inefficient for me to commit on both a pre-defined scope AND a pre-defined release dates.  When I am forced to define a date for my release, and a scope in the same time, I am out of my processes.

     

    More specifically about the Story Map, I feel like we are not using the same definition as well. On my case, I am using the definition that you can find here. I am using it to define the user journey we want to build. Then, to cut it in logical release blocks. 

    The time estimation and release date definition is a step happening after validating the scope.

    The User Story Map is a visual tool that I use to show in which order I am going to add value to my product. I am NOT using it as a timeline, nor to show release dates.

     

    I hope it helps to better understand what I am trying to achieve with Aha!

     

    Have a really nice day,

    Albin

     

     

  • Admin
    Julie Price
    Reply
    |     Sep 9, 2019

    Thanks for the idea!

    I'd love to better understand your use case. One workaround would be to create parking lot releases to organize your work first, which are not associated to dates. Once there is agreement, you can then convert the parking lot releases to active release, displaying a due date. Would that work for you?