Example Mapping organizes rules, concrete examples, and questions around a user story or use case. It clarifies acceptance criteria and constraints when a discussion needs more detail than a timeline model provides. EventStorming can supply useful input, but Example Mapping also works independently. section 2.3.3
Use a concrete collaborative sequence:
- Write the stakeholder-provided user story or use case on a yellow sticky. section 2.3.3
- List known rules beneath it on blue stickies. section 2.3.3
- Discuss specific examples for each rule, using them to expose constraints, new rules, and unanswered questions. section 2.3.3
- Keep the conversation visible with a virtual board or physical index cards, then turn discoveries into decided acceptance criteria. section 2.6
Reserving seats
A “Reserve Seats” command may lead to “Seats Reserved” or “No available seats found.” Example Mapping probes the rules behind those outcomes, such as allowing only one ticket per seat or requiring adjacent seats for a single reservation. section 2.3.3
Complex scenarios need careful facilitation. Prepare enough structure to keep examples visible, but avoid so much structure that it fixes the group’s thinking. Model the conversation yourself when participants stop visualizing, ask what evidence could change a conclusion, and provide an example before stepping back. section 7.3.1 section 7.5
