Skip to content

Recitation 1: User Stories

Overview

This recitation will give you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with user stories and help you capture the end user perspective as you build projects.

Staff Overview

  • Nicholas Wernink & Alex Barrios
  • Emails: ngw@andrew.cmu.edu & ambarrio@andrew.cmu.edu
  • Office Hours: Wed 2:30 - 4pm (Nicholas), Thu 12pm - 1pm (Alex)

What are User Stories

The general criteria for a user story: - Capture a description of a software feature from an end-user perspective - Are used for planning - Facilitate conversation among users, stakeholders, developers and etc.

User Story Template

image

For example, for a job portal:

image

Epics Vs User Stories

In tech, Epics are not as long as The Odyssey or Mahabharat, but their relative scale is similar

For example,

image

As compared to User Stories:

image

image

What makes a good User Story

  • INDEPENDENT
  • NEGOTIABLE
  • VALUABLE
  • ESTIMABLE
  • SMALL
  • TESTABLE

Case Study

Consider the following product by a relatively unknown startup: maps.google.com - Form teams and create User Stories for a Google Maps alternative: image

For example

  • As a delivery driver I would like to be able to have multiple destinations so that I can maximize tips by doing multiple deliveries as fast as possible

Food for Thought

  • What are the benefits of INVEST?
  • What are the issues with the INVEST approach?

Let's try it out

  • Capture a description of a software feature from an end-user perspective
  • (As a class) Let’s come up with a small example application
  • Same teams, Brainstorm and write 5-10 user stories

The 3C's Approach

  • Card: The user stories written on cards by customer/product owner
  • Conversation: The communication between customer/product owner and developers
  • Confirmation: Acceptance criteria/test

For example

Card - As a delivery driver I would like to be able to have multiple destinations so that I can maximize tips by doing multiple deliveries as fast as possible

Conversation - There needs to be a button to be able to add a stop to my route. Also, when I complete one delivery, I need to be routed to the next destination

Confirmation - There is a button that allows me to add multiple destinations to my trips when doing deliveries. Also, the delivery drivers have completed more deliveries due to being able to add more stops

Upcoming