User Stories

Slide 1: User Stories Usere x c e l l e Slide 1 n d i n n o v a t i o n w i t h p a s s i o n Stories - n c e a A Bit About Me Angela Martin 13 + Years Industry Experience (Past) Director of Agile Alliance PhD Candidate – A Grounded Theory on the Role of Customers in XP Projects Contact Details – e: angela@martinitconsulting.com – p: 07717 653 971 User Stories - Slide 2 Coming Up … Introduction (10 mins) – User Stories – Acceptance Criteria Exercise (60 mins) – Define business goal – Agree users, stories – Plan a release – Do first iteration Create a checklist (20 mins) – What works – What doesn’t work User Stories - Slide 3

Slide 2: What is a User Story? A user story is a short paragraph description of a system requirement or feature that is: …understandable to customers and developers, testable, valuable to the customer and small enough so that the programmers can build half a dozen in an iteration. …A user story is nothing more than an agreement that the customer and developers will talk together about a feature. [Beck et al, 2001, p. 45-6] Strongly recommended: write a story on an index card User Stories - Slide 4 User Story Template As a I … < role> … I want … <short description of feature> … So that … <value or why need functionality> … Examples: – As a cell-phone user I want to be able to make calls – As a regular traveler I want to be able to use my cell-phone when I am located in other countries – As a regular traveler I want my cell-phone to wake me up at a set time so that I do not need to pack an alarm clock User Stories - Slide 5 Acceptance Criteria Another component of a good story is acceptance criteria – Conditions of acceptance – Knowing when we are done Example: – As a regular traveler I want my cell-phone to wake me up at a set time so that I do not need to pack an alarm clock:  Verify that I can set the time the alarm will go-off  Verify that the alarm will turn the phone on if it’s currently off  Verify that I can snooze the alarm User Stories - Slide 6

Slide 3: Acceptance Criteria Template A common acceptance criteria template used is: Given … <some initial context (the givens)> … When … <an event occurs> … Then … <ensure some outcomes> … Example: – Given my cell-phone is switched off When the time for my alarm is reached Then turn the cell-phone on and sound the alarm User Stories - Slide 7 An Example Ref No Title Story Estimate User Stories - Slide 8 T’other Side of Example Acceptance Criteria User Stories - Slide 9

Slide 4: Exercise Preparation Split into groups of 4-6 What sorts of things do we expect will be on our checklist (at the end)? What other things might we need to learn about user stories? User Stories - Slide 10 Exercise I Agree your context (what system are you going to write stories for?) [2 mins] – For example, the simplest possible on-line dating system (imagine you have only 1-month to get the first release out) Now, imagine the end-users of the system, who might they be, and what would their goals be? Which users should we focus on for the first release?[5 mins] Write high level stories to cover the breadth of features required [10 mins] for each of the users prioritized User Stories - Slide 11 Exercise II Release Planning. Imagine you will release in one month, and you have four one week iterations. Work together to create a release plan. [10 mins] Iteration Planning. Work together to plan the first iteration in detail. [10 mins] During the Iteration. Use paper to create the output for your first iteration together. [10 mins] Show-and-tell. Outline your release plan and demonstrate the paper system to the group [10 mins] User Stories - Slide 12

Slide 5: Our checklist What have we learnt? – Conversations – Card – Format – Decomposition – Planning User Stories - Slide 13