User stories turn your vision into value

Behind every great product lies a simple truth: its purpose is to solve actual problems for real people. To create a product that truly resonates, you need to understand those problems on a deeper level. This requires more than just gathering data; it demands empathy — the ability to see the world through the eyes of your users.

We don't just perceive life through raw facts and figures. Instead, we make sense of the world through stories. These narratives help us understand our needs, challenges, and how solutions can improve our lives. In product development, user stories are a powerful tool that captures these human experiences and transforms them into actionable steps for creating meaningful solutions.

Structure of a user story

A user story follows a clear, consistent structure. It begins by identifying the specific type of user, continues by expressing the user's goal, and concludes with the value or benefit they are seeking to achieve.

1. As a [type of user] → Who is the user? Define the persona or type of user as clearly as possible.

2. I want to [do something], → What does the user want to accomplish? This highlights the user’s need or wish.

3. so that I can [achieve a goal]. → What is the reason behind this action? What benefit or result is the user aiming for?

Based on my own experience, it is both essential and challenging to clearly identify the specific type of user and view the product from their perspective especially if you are developing a brand new product that you can only assume who will use it and how.

Keep in mind that the focus of the user story should always remain on the user's needs and goals, not on technical aspects or system features. The purpose is to understand what the user wants to achieve, rather than outlining how the system will deliver it. 

Developers and product managers frequently are tempted to include technical details in user stories. Every PO can probably tell you a thing or two about this. They both already have a solution in mind or need a particular plan to realise the story quickly. As understandable as this is, including technical details in your user story is not useful for multiple reasons:

• The main purpose for using user stories is to see things from the user's perspective. Most users aren’t technical experts and are less concerned with the technical details of the solution than with how it solves their problem.

• User stories are intended to spark discussions among stakeholders, involving not only developers but also for example designers and product managers in crafting the solution. By focusing on the user's needs rather than technical specifics, user stories keep the task accessible to the entire team, fostering a collaborative, cross-functional approach.

• Including technical details in a user story limits flexibility, restricting opportunities for discussion about potentially better technical solutions.

An example for a user centric user story would be: 

As a user, I want to save my profile information so that I can access it easily when I log in again.

This story speaks directly to the user’s needs (saving and accessing their profile) without specifying the technical details. It communicates the desired outcome without limiting the team to a specific technical solution, keeping the focus on the user experience.

Avoid less effective user stories like:

As a user, I want the system to use a SQL database to store my profile data so that my information is saved.

This version focuses on a technical aspect that isn’t relevant to the user. Most users don’t care about the database type; they only care that their information is securely saved and accessible.

User stories should be concise and straightforward. They aren’t meant to be exhaustive requirements but high-level descriptions that capture the essence of what the user needs. If a story becomes too complex, break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Good user stories are also self-contained. They shouldn’t depend on other stories to make sense or to be actionable. This autonomy allows you to prioritise, assign, and work on stories independently.

Acceptance Criteria

A well-crafted user story is a solid foundation, but without acceptance criteria, it’s open to interpretation. 

Let us look for example at the following user story: 

As an online shopper, I want to filter products by size so that I can quickly find clothes that fit me.

This user story meets all criteria for a well written user story, as we defined before. But without acceptance criteria, there are multiple ways to implement the solution. If you do not align upfront with all stakeholders on the acceptance criteria then there is no shared understanding of how the filtering of the clothes by size should be realised. 

To add clarity, let’s look at this user story with acceptance criteria added:

User Story: As an online shopper, I want to filter products by size so that I can quickly find clothes that fit me.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The user can select one or more sizes from the size filter on the product listing page.

• The product listing updates to display only items available in the selected sizes.

• The filter options reset when the user navigates away from the product page.

Acceptance criteria define the specific conditions that must be met for a user story to be considered complete. These are clear, testable outcomes that ensure everyone understands the scope and that the user’s expectations are met.

Acceptance criteria should be precise and agreed upon by the entire team to provide clarity on what success looks like.

Start telling your own stories

By applying these principles, you have the toolset to write user stories that clearly communicate user needs, align teams, and guide product development in the right direction. Ultimately, strong user stories help create products that solve real-world problems while delivering value and a great user experience.

Are you ready to write your own success story?