ring:mapping-feature-relationships

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)