User stories are a commonly used tool for expressing features that users would like to see in a product. They are a well-established part of Agile methodology, which emphasizes iterative, collaborative exploration of product requirements; they guide the entire process, from planning through development.
User stories typically follow a short, declarative template that expresses a goal or need from a particular user’s point of view, in the user’s own words:
As a <type of user>, I want <some goal>, so that <some purpose>.
An example might be:
As an historian of the Plague, I want to be able to see the sources of data that are displayed in the site, so that I can cite them properly.
The semi-formal nature of the statement accomplishes several things:
- It contextualizes the feature (this is something that a Plague historian wants; it may not be what other users want or need)
- It motivates the feature request (there is a reason this feature is needed)
- It pinpoints the feature request in simple language (so that it can acted upon)
We will spend the first few weeks building a list of user stories together. This document will serve as a sort of drafting board: each stakeholder will write some user statements, and then we will meet as a group to refine, organize, and elaborate them.
To add a new story, click on Issues in the menu bar at the top of this page, then click on the New issue button to the right of the screen.
- Check the current set of user stories before creating a new one. If a similar story has already been written, add comments to it rather than creating a new one.
- Use reasonably short titles, but repeat any information in the title in the initial comment (the title may be changed later).