Directions mosaic, originally uploaded by robynejay.
I have just spent the past few days producing a visual product roadmap for the web service that I am a Product Manager for. There is some debate as to whether you need a roadmap at all but I find them very valuable for the following reasons:
1) They build consensus. Agile development is team based and it helps if all the members of that team are headed in roughly the same direction. A roadmap is a reference point for all the team.
2) They are visual. My roadmaps start with the current situation in the left hand corner and the stated vision for the product in the top right hand corner. Each new feature is then plotted onto the roadmap showing progression against a given theme eg. improved search. Dates are not included as they are bound to change, it's the direction towards a stated aim that is important here.
3) They are iterative and allow for change. A good roadmap is flexible and achievable in small steps.
4) They communicate the long term / strategic vision for a product. Its very easy to get stuck in the day to day and forget to focus on the overall direction, as new ideas emerge you can then plot whether they fit with the overall plan and then decide whether its the plan that needs to change or the request for the new feature.
Our roadmap is now pinned to the team planning board and I hope will be a reference and discussion point as we move forward.
UPDATE: A really clear case argued here by Tyner Blain on why you need a smart product roadmap
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