The Green Book
An Agile Data Guide to Information Product
A pattern template for capturing data and information requirements. In 30 minutes. In a shared language. So stakeholders love them and data teams can build from them.
In print, on Kindle, as an ePub, and extended by 90+ companion articles.
The Context
What is the Information Product Canvas?
The Information Product Canvas is a pattern template for defining a single Information Product. Twelve areas covering what questions the data answers, who uses it, how they use it, what events it needs, and how big a job it is. The stakeholder and the data team fill it in together, in one workshop.
It's a pattern template, not a framework. Pick it up, use it, change what doesn't fit, keep using it.
The gap
Why do data requirements keep going wrong?
"That's not what I wanted."
"But that's what you asked for."
The stakeholder is describing an outcome. The data team is hearing a dashboard. Two different conversations, one written-down requirement, six months of rework.
The Information Product Canvas closes that gap. One pattern template. One shared language. One conversation everyone walks out of agreeing on.
The canvas
What are the 12 areas of the Information Product Canvas?
- Business Questions What questions will the Information Product answer?
- Actions and Outcomes What will people do with the answer, and what changes as a result?
- Personas Who uses the Information Product?
- Delivery Type How do they want it delivered?
- Data Sync When do they need the data to be fresh?
- Core Business Events What data is needed to answer the questions?
- Feature Stories What special features does the Information Product need?
- Will / Won't What's in scope, what's out?
- Information Product Name What do we call it?
- Product Owner Who makes the trade-offs?
- Vision Statement The elevator pitch.
- T-Shirt Size How big a job is this?
The book walks through each one with worked examples, anti-patterns, and the order to fill them in.
The book
Inside the book
12 areas, 30 minutes
Definition, examples, anti-patterns, and worked canvases for each area of the pattern template.
Who it's for
Practitioners, not theorists
Written for data team leads, business analysts, product owners, and the stakeholders who work with them.
How to start
One canvas, one Information Product
Don't try to canvas the whole portfolio. Pick one Information Product, fill in the canvas, ship it, iterate.
Companion content
90+ articles, examples, and patterns
The companion Substack extends the book with worked example canvases, pattern storming videos, and FAQ-style articles.
informationproductcanvas.agiledataguides.comCompanion content
What's new on the companion Substack?
The companion Substack extends the book with worked example canvases, pattern storming videos, and FAQ-style articles. Read them at informationproductcanvas.agiledataguides.com.
Get started
Get the book.
Practical guide, not a theory book. Pick it up, use the canvas on Monday morning, change what doesn't fit, keep using it.
see you at the wall