Impact Mapping: Making a big impact with software products and projects

Never aim to implement the whole map. Instead, find the shortest path through the map to the goal!

very few people working on delivery know the actual expected business objectives.

An impact map is also a storyboard of our conceptual understanding of how to address a goal or target.

define actors in this order: specific individual, user persona, role or job title, group or department.

Ideally show a change in actor behaviour, not just the behaviour. Show how the activity is different from what is currently possible. So instead of just ‘selling tickets’, say ‘selling tickets five times faster’.

Knowing why we're doing something is the key to making good decisions about cost, scope and timelines, both at the start and later when things change.

The centre of an impact map answers the most important question: Why are we doing this? This is the goal

impact maps lay out what we will build and how these are connected to ways we will assist the people who will use the solution.

Secondary actors, who provide services, for example the fraud prevention team Off-stage actors, who have an interest in the behaviours, but are not directly benefiting or providing a service, for example regulators or senior decision-makers