A user story is a concise, informal description of a software feature or functionality from an end user's perspective. It's a common practice in Agile and Scrum methodologies for capturing and prioritizing requirements. User stories are typically written in a specific format to ensure clarity and consistency. Here's how to write good user stories:
As a [role]: Start by identifying the user or stakeholder who will benefit from or interact with the feature. This helps set the context and perspective.
I want [an action]: Describe the action or functionality that the user wants to accomplish. Be specific and use action-oriented language to convey what the user desires.
So that [benefit/value]: Explain the reason or benefit behind the desired action. This clarifies the goal or objective of the user story and helps prioritize it appropriately.
Here's an example of a well-written user story:
"As a registered user (role), I want to be able to reset my password (action) so that I can regain access to my account if I forget my password (benefit/value)."
Tips for writing good user stories:
Keep them focused: Each user story should represent a single piece of functionality. Avoid combining multiple features into one story, as this can make estimation and development more challenging.
Use plain language: Write user stories in simple and understandable language. Avoid technical jargon that might confuse non-technical stakeholders.
Independent: User stories should be independent of each other, meaning they can be developed and tested in isolation without depending on other stories.
Negotiable: User stories should not specify every detail. Leave room for collaboration and discussion between the development team and stakeholders during refinement and sprint planning.
Testable: Ensure that user stories are written in a way that allows for clear acceptance criteria to be defined. This makes it easier to determine when a story is complete.
Valuable: Prioritize user stories based on their value to the end-user or the business. Stories with higher value should be tackled first.
Estimable: The development team should be able to estimate the effort required to complete a user story. If a story is too vague or complex, it may need to be broken down into smaller stories.
Small and manageable: Keep user stories small and manageable to promote faster delivery and easier tracking of progress.
Acceptance criteria: Define clear acceptance criteria for each user story. These criteria outline the specific conditions that must be met for the story to be considered complete.
Emergent details: Understand that some details may emerge during development, and it's okay to update and refine user stories as more information becomes available.
User stories are a valuable tool for Agile teams to ensure that software development remains customer-centric and adaptable to changing requirements. They facilitate communication, collaboration, and the delivery of incremental value to users.
*Here’s a template I built and, I like to use:
User Storie Template |
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Problem Statement/Business Case (What is the problem we are solving for the client/customer): "As a registered user (role), I want to be able to reset my password (action) so that I can regain access to my account if I forget my password (benefit/value)." |
The Work (What are we doing to solve it):
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What Should We Test (Are there existing tests that need to be updated? What new tests to be written? What should be automated or not? If we aren’t automating...why?)
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Acceptance Criteria/Testing (What criteria need to be met in order for this User Story to be considered complete? ): GIVEN a user is registered |
Non-functional requirements (Any criteria that need to be met from a technical perspective.) |
Dependencies (Any other teams or people involved): |
Risks (What could make this last longer than expected): |
Deployment/Release Plan (How will it be deployed, enabled (feature toggles), and transitions from previous systems) |