A user story in the agile/scrum model is defined as the software requirement that talks specifically about a single feature of an application. It’s written in the following format.
As an application user, I want a feature so that I can perform some action.
Let’s assume we are making a WhatsApp-like application and we want to write a user story about sending message feature of the application. This will be written as:
As a WhatsApp user, I want a text field added to the application so that I can write and send messages to others.
A user story is not complete unless it has acceptance criteria and story points.
A user story is a short, simple description of a feature or requirement from the user’s perspective. It helps the development team understand what the user needs, why they need it, and how it should be implemented. A well-written user story is essential for effective Agile/Scrum development.
Here are the steps to write a user story in Agile/Scrum:
- Identify the User: The first step in writing a user story is to identify the user or role that the feature is being developed for. This could be a customer, an end-user, or another stakeholder.
- Define the Goal: Next, define the goal of the feature from the user’s perspective. This could be what the user wants to accomplish or the problem they want to solve.
- Specify the Benefit: Identify the benefit or value that the user will gain from the feature. This could be increased efficiency, improved functionality, or a better user experience.
- Add Acceptance Criteria: The user story should include acceptance criteria, which are the specific conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered complete. Acceptance criteria help ensure that the development team understands the requirements and can verify that they have been met.
- Keep it Simple: User stories should be short and simple, with a clear focus on the user’s needs. They should be easy to understand and communicate to the development team.
Here’s an example of a user story:
“As a customer, I want to be able to add items to my shopping cart so that I can easily purchase multiple products at once. The benefit to me is that I can save time and effort by not having to purchase items individually. Acceptance criteria include the ability to add multiple items to the cart, view the cart contents, and proceed to checkout.”
This user story follows the five steps outlined above. It identifies the user (a customer), defines the goal (to add items to the shopping cart), specifies the benefit (to save time and effort), and includes acceptance criteria (the ability to add items to the cart, view the contents, and proceed to checkout).
Overall, user stories are an essential part of Agile/Scrum development, as they help ensure that the development team understands the user’s needs and can build software that meets those needs effectively.