Why Creating Relatable User Stories are Necessary?
"The goal of using stories isn’t to write better stories. The goal of product development isn’t to make products" - Jeff Patton
What is a User Story?
A user story is a short, informal description that tells how a user persona will relate to a product feature. You create a user story from the perspective of a user. It describes what the team should build and deliver. It focuses on; As a "who" I want this, "what" because "why"
How necessary are user stories?
UX designers, product owners, product managers can write a great user story. It is not for a particular role, to enable flexibility. User stories are necessary for every product development because:
They enhance communication across teams on what to build, for who, and when to build. It is important for budget estimations, product scope discussions, and time estimation. It improves the planning process during development.
User stories illustrate the entire product by defining the requirements needed. It helps to choose and work on features that have priority. And also understand the outcome of creating new functionalities of a product.
It sets objective identifiable goals, and milestones for developers to follow and achieve during the development process.
Tips on how you create relatable user stories
User stories should be simple and easy to relate to, with less complexity. It is necessary for product development, regardless of the approach you're using (waterfall or agile development approach). Here are tips to help in creating great user stories:
- Personalize your user stories: A simple yet creative story that captures their; profile, points of view, and associated pain points. You can have a "user" that will become "Jane the Baker"
- You are your user: It means that you should think like your user when creating user stories. It is important for you to understand the underlying needs of your users and how to address them.
- Use an appropriate product management tool: Sticky notes are not that bad to use, but I don't advise you to always stick with sticky notes. Always document your user stories; it helps create opportunities needed for innovation, collaboration, and correction.
User stories play a major factor in also achieving product-market fit. User stories accurately describe the functionalities of a product as well. If not carefully written well, it can bring miscommunication in the team and a lack of teamwork during the development process.