Quick-fire introductory workshop into writing agile user stories for UKGovHack 2016

1. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Lily Dart
Freelance service design & user research
Writing agile
user stories

2. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
User stories help us to
focus on meeting
user needs instead of
specifying features

3. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
When we specify features
we make assumptions about
how we meet user needs

4. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Help us to ensure that each feature we
implement is driven by a user need
Allow us prioritise our work based on what is
most valuable to our users
Make it easier to put ourselves in our
users shoes

5. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Help us to ensure that each feature we
implement is driven by a user need
Allow us prioritise our work based on what is
most valuable to our users
Make it easier to put ourselves in our
users shoes

6. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Help us to ensure that each feature we
implement is driven by a user need
Allow us prioritise our work based on what is
most valuable to our users
Make it easier to put ourselves in our
users shoes

7. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Focusing on user needs
allows us creative flexibility
when designing and
implementing

8. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a user
I want to take an action
So that I can meet my need

9. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
It’s easy to write
user stories badly

10. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a user
I want to have a ratings system
So that I can see the rating of a salon
too generic

11. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a user
I want to have a ratings system
So that I can see the rating of a salon
feature specific

12. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a user
I want to have a ratings system
So that I can see the rating of a salon
not a need

13. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a beauty enthusiast
I want to see what previous customers thought of the salon
So that I can assess whether the salon will provide
a high quality service
specific user type

14. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a beauty enthusiast
I want to see what previous customers thought of the salon
So that I can assess whether the salon will provide
a high quality service
feature agnostic

15. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a beauty enthusiast
I want to see what previous customers thought of the salon
So that I can assess whether the salon will provide
a high quality service
describes a goal

16. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
1. Identify users
2. Define epics
3. Identify goals
4. Write stories

17. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Identify your users
Task 1
• Who is the core target user of your service?
• What behaviours identify those users?
• What broad needs do they have?
mins
5

18. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Epics are descriptions of
high-level user needs

19. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
With epics we can
prioritise needs at a
high level

20. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
We avoid scope creep,
and ensure we meet the
most important needs first

21. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Users need to achieve a goal

22. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a beauty enthusiast
I want to see what previous customers thought of the salon
So that I can assess whether the salon will provide
a high quality service

23. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Beauty enthusiasts need to
find a salon that they trust to deliver a high
quality service

24. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Beauty enthusiasts need to
find a salon in a location that is convenient for
them to travel to

25. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Write 3 epics
Task 2
mins
5
Users need to achieve a goal

26. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Prioritise your epics
Task 3
min
1
What is the most important need to meet for your users?

27. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
To create user stories, epics
need to be deconstructed
into more specific needs

28. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Beauty enthusiasts need to
find a salon in a location that is convenient for
them to travel to

29. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Beauty enthusiasts need to find a salon in a location
that is convenient for them to travel to
Need to know how far away a salon is from where they are
Need to know how they can travel to the salon
Need to know when they should leave to get to the salon on time

30. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Deconstruct your epics
Task 4
mins
5
What information might users need, and what criteria might
they use, to meet the high-level need described in the epic?
• Work individually
• Write each need on an individual post-it note

31. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Choose 3 needs
Task 5
mins
5
Select 3 needs you’d like to turn in user stories.
• Work in your teams to group similar needs together
• For each post-it note, ask:
• Does this describe a need?
• Does this clearly relate to the epic?

32. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Beauty enthusiasts need to find a salon in a location
that is convenient for them to travel to
Need to know how far away a salon is from where they are
Need to know how they can travel to the salon
Need to know when they should leave to get to the salon on time

33. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a beauty enthusiast
I want to see the location of a salon
So that I can know how far away that salon is from
where I am

34. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a beauty enthusiast
I want to see bus, train and parking options near a salon
So that I can work out the best route for me
to travel to it

35. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
As a beauty enthusiast
I want to know how long a bus, train or car journey will take
So that I can know what time I should leave to get to the salon
in time for my appointment

36. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Writing agile user stories
Write 3 user stories
Task 6
mins
10
As a user
I want to <take an action>
So that I can meet my need

37. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Lily Dart
Freelance service design
& user research
Any questions?