A collaborative process by which system objects are mapped along with their content, metadata, actions, and relationships to create a user-centric system architecture and organization. This is an essential process for any project that will have user tasks and should be conducted before any sketching or wireframing takes place. A primary output of an object mapping workshop is a CTA inventory, though often, a preliminary DB design and reusable component inventory are secondary outputs.
Example
This picture is part of the output of an object mapping session I facilitated with key stakeholders and the lead developer for a Two Rivers Marketing web application. This project team does continuous mapping sessions during the planning of and before designing each major release.
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Example
This example, a CTA inventory, is representative of the output of an object mapping session. This inventory not only digitizes the mapping output, but it also provides more context around the objects (e.g. the why, what, how). It additionally creates a breakdown of total work, useful for providing more reliable design and development estimates.
Object Mapping (OOUX)
Object mapping sessions can last from a single half-day to multiple days, depending upon the size of the project and initial scope.
Discovery and Pre-Work Session
Mapping Session(s)
CTA Inventory (Digital Output)
