User Stories

User stories often come up within the context of Agile software development. They are short, simple descriptions of a feature told from the perspective of the person who desires the new capability, usually a user or customer of the system.

Placing the user at the center helps us become emotionally invested, which is why user stories are often written in the form of “As a {persona/type of user}, I want to {have X/be able to do Y/achieve Z} so that {some reason}”. This helps writers remember to place the user first, as Good user stories are written from the perspective of an individual.

When the user is placed at the center of a problem, it allows people to understand why they’re asking for a certain feature or solution. This often allows the different stakeholders (for example UX designers, software developers, product owners and the original users) to explore the problem space more effectively and makes it easier to come up with novel solutions and alternative strategies which may not have been considered before.

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