Story maps as described by Jeff include such structural elements as:
– Backbone. The backbone is the basis of the map. It consists of epics or themes, which describe overall user activities in the system, e.g. search products.
– Stories. Unlike a flat backlog structure, user stories are arranged in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. User stories are grouped under corresponding epics, describing more specific tasks a user may require.
– User personas are fictional representations of people that will use the product/perform steps described in user stories.
– Ideas and nice to have. To depict a full picture, a story map may also include sections like ideas or nice-to-have features.