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

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

by connecting deliverables to impacts and goals, a map shows the chain of reasoning that led to a feature suggestion, visualising the assumptions of stakeholders. This allows us to scrutinise those decisions better and re-evaluate them as new information becomes available through delivery.

By mapping out different actors, we can prioritise work better – for example focusing on satisfying the most important actors first.

If a product milestone or project succeeds in delivering the expected business goal, it is a success from a business perspective, even if the delivered scope ends up being different from what was originally envisaged. On the other hand, if it delivers exactly the requested scope but misses the business goal, it is a failure.

Goals should not be about building products or delivering project scope. They should explain why such a thing would be useful. Goals should present the problem to be solved, not the solution. Avoid design constraints in a goal definition.

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

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’.

approaches to impact mapping are used in many proven management styles, including US and UK military Mission Command

It visualises assumptions. Alternative models mostly do not communicate assumptions clearly. Impact mapping does, and because of that it helps teams to make better decisions in rapidly changing environments

Impact mapping helps to create better plans and roadmaps that ensure alignment of business and delivery, and are easily adaptable to change.