Two Days Authoring User Stories Workshop

User Stories helps us manage requirements. Their primary job is to define the value a user gains from the system. Since User Stories focus on the underlying Agile values of collaboration and Just-In-Time definition, it makes them a good Agile tool. User Stories are small narrative texts (2-3 sentences) in everyday/business language of the end user of a system. These capture what the user does, or needs to do as a part of his/her job function.

This workshop focuses on the foundations of User Stories. It gives insights about how to author and maintain effective stories that meet the INVEST principle. In addition various patterns, strategies, tools and techniques are also explored.

At the end of this training the team will be able to:

• Understand how agile values affect requirements engineering
• Use Agile as a risk mitigation strategy to handle requirements
• Develop a meaningful vision statement
• Identify and describe user roles and personas
• Write and evaluate user stories
• Identify and document nonfunctional requirements and business rules
• Manage changes to requirements

• Understand the characteristics of an effective user representative
• Use lightweight techniques for iterative requirements gathering
• Conduct story writing workshops using low fidelity prototypes
• Write effective acceptance criteria and tests for user stories
• Identify common story “smells”
• Prioritise and estimate user stories for iterations and releases

The Big Picture

• Defining the Project Vision
• Identifying project stakeholders
• Defining and Modelling User Roles
• Prioritising User Roles and Goals
• Defining the User Story Map
• Crafting Release Milestones and Themes

Interaction Design with Low Fidelity Prototyping

Capture nonfunctional requirements as stories

Working with user proxies

Conducting interviews

Conducting a story-writing workshop

• Authoring Epics and User Stories
• Refining user stories using INVEST principle
• Writing acceptance criteria and tests for user stories
• Detecting story smells
• Handling defects

Planning with User Stories

• Estimating with story points
• Planning iterations and releases
• Prioritizing the product backlog
• Various techniques to break user stories down to manage them inside iterations

Workshop Retrospective

Method of Instruction

We use a Socratic method for training that involves a 100% hands-on workshop with interactive dialogues and demonstrations.

Transfer %

Knowledge: 40%, Skill-Building: 60%

Target Audience

Product Owner, Business Analyst, Scrum Master, Team Leads, Architects, Test Lead

Course Level

Beginner to Intermediate

Course Prerequisites

• Required: Understanding of the life-cycle of software projects
• Required: In-depth understanding of Business Analysis and User Requirements Gathering

To ensure a successful workshop, we require the following facilities:

• HDMI projector (1024x768 minimum) & Projector screen
• 1 White board & Dry erase markers
• Cluster seating with 5-6 people on each table

• 1 Flip chart with the stand and marker pens for each table
• Notepad and Pen for each participant
• Ample room for students in terms of room size and set up
• For Dev trainings: at least one powerful workstation between two programmers