ring:mapping-feature-relationships

Productivity

Mapping how features relate and phasing the work: categorizing PRD features, grouping them into domains, charting cross-feature journeys, dependencies, and integration points, and defining the binding Phases that plan.md mirrors one-to-one at Gate 7. Gate 2 of ring:planning-large-features; runs after ring:writing-prds, before ring:writing-trds. Use for Large Track features with multiple interacting parts. Skip for Small Track or a single simple feature.

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Feature Map Creation — Relationships and Phasing

When to use

PRD passed Gate 1 validation
Multiple features with complex interactions
Need to understand feature scope, relationships, and delivery phasing
Large Track workflow (2+ day features)

Skip when

Small Track workflow (<2 days) → skip to TRD
Single simple feature → TRD directly
PRD not validated → complete Gate 1 first

Sequence

Runs before: ring:writing-trds Runs after: ring:writing-prds

Maps HOW features relate, group, and interact at a business level before architectural decisions — and defines the phasing of the work. This is the main document where the squad validates the PHASING: each phase defined here becomes, one-to-one, a phase in plan.md at Gate 7 (ring:writing-plans consumes the ## Phases section as the binding phase structure).

Mandatory Workflow

Phase	Activities
1. Feature Analysis	Load approved PRD (Gate 1); extract all features; identify user journeys; map feature interactions
2. Feature Mapping	Categorize (Core/Supporting/Enhancement/Integration); group into domains; map user journeys; identify integration points and dependencies; define boundaries; prioritize by value
3. Phasing	Slice features into delivery phases; name each phase and its milestone; assign every feature, relationship, and integration point to exactly one phase; order phases by dependency (no phase depends on a later phase)
4. Gate 2 Validation	All PRD features mapped AND assigned to a phase; categories defined; domains logical; journeys complete; integration points identified; phase ordering respects dependencies; no technical details

Categorization Rules

Category	Criteria
Core	Must have for MVP; blocks other features
Supporting	Enables core features; medium priority
Enhancement	Improves existing; nice-to-have
Integration	Connects to external systems

Domain Grouping Rules

Group by business capability (not technical layer)
Each domain = cohesive related features
Minimize cross-domain dependencies
Name by business function: "User Management", "Payment Processing"

Phasing Rules

Every feature, relationship, and integration point lands in exactly one phase
A phase ships a coherent, verifiable milestone — not an arbitrary slice
Dependencies flow forward only: a phase may depend on earlier phases, never later ones
Phase names and order are binding: ring:writing-plans (Gate 7) creates exactly one plan phase per feature-map phase, same names, same order
Changing phasing after Gate 2 means updating feature-map.md first, then regenerating downstream artifacts

Include in Feature Map

Feature list (from PRD) with categories
Domain groupings (business areas)
User journey maps (cross-feature flows)
Feature interactions, dependencies, and integration points
Feature boundaries and priorities
## Phases section (binding phase structure for plan.md)

Never Include

Technical architecture or components
Technology choices or frameworks
Database schemas or API specifications
Code structure, protocols, data formats
Infrastructure or deployment details

Output Format

File: docs/pre-dev/{feature}/feature-map.md

# Feature Map: {Feature Name}

## Feature Categories

| Feature | Category | Domain | Priority | Dependencies |
|---------|----------|--------|----------|--------------|
| User Login | Core | Identity | P0 | — |
| Dashboard | Core | Analytics | P0 | User Login |
| Export PDF | Enhancement | Reporting | P2 | Dashboard |

## Domain Map

### Identity Domain
Features: User Login, Registration, Password Reset
Interactions: → Analytics (user context), → Reporting (audit trail)

### Analytics Domain
Features: Dashboard, Metrics View
Interactions: → Reporting (export), ← Identity (auth context)

## User Journeys

### Journey: New User Onboarding
Registration → Email Verification → Dashboard → First Transaction

### Journey: Power User Export
Dashboard → Filter Data → Export PDF → Download

## Integration Points

| Feature | Integrates With | Direction | Purpose |
|---------|----------------|-----------|---------|
| Dashboard | Analytics API | IN | Fetch aggregated metrics |
| Export PDF | File Storage | OUT | Upload generated report |

## Phases

### Phase 1: {Phase Name}
**Milestone:** {What is demonstrably working when this phase ships}
**Features:** User Login, Registration
**Relationships:** Identity → Analytics (user context)
**Integration Points:** —

### Phase 2: {Phase Name}
**Milestone:** {Verifiable milestone}
**Features:** Dashboard, Metrics View
**Relationships:** Analytics ← Identity (auth context)
**Integration Points:** Dashboard ← Analytics API

### Phase 3: {Phase Name}
**Milestone:** {Verifiable milestone}
**Features:** Export PDF
**Relationships:** Analytics → Reporting (export)
**Integration Points:** Export PDF → File Storage

Phases contract: each ### Phase N: block carries a phase name, a milestone, and the features/relationships/integration points landing in it. ring:writing-plans (Gate 7) consumes this section as the binding phase structure — one plan phase per feature-map phase, one-to-one, same names and order.

Gate 2 Validation Checklist

Category	Requirements
Feature Completeness	All PRD features included; categories assigned; none missing
Grouping Clarity	Domains logically cohesive; clear boundaries; named by business function
Journey Coverage	All major user journeys mapped; cross-feature flows complete
Integration Points	All external touchpoints identified; direction specified
Phasing Completeness	Every feature, relationship, and integration point assigned to exactly one phase; each phase has a name and milestone; ordering respects dependencies
No Technical Details	Zero technology names; zero component names; zero implementation details

Gate Result: ✅ PASS → TRD (Gate 3) | ❌ FAIL (technical details, missing features, or incomplete phasing)