Writing user stories - “As a user” needs to stop

Process & Techniques
#1

I stumbled on this post that, in my opinion, well explain how tough is to communicate technical requirements and design decisions in the same place.

Give it a try, I’m sure it will worth: https://blog.prototypr.io/stop-it-with-as-a-user-5feb9b38d920

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#2

I wonder how many UXers find themselves writing user stories as part of their roles. I’ll bet it’s more than we might think.

#3

Great post. I find it incredibly hard to make the separation.

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#4

Good point!

I don’t know if the task of writing user stories (USs) could be a UX task. In my organisation Business Analysts (BAs) are responsible for such deliverable. The UX team is deeply involved in the process behind the USs. We work with Atlassian Confluence and we are always mentioned by BAs regarding some part of the specifications and/or when they need a visual deliverable (eg lo-fi wireframe).

What I found enlighting in reading the article is, how we (I mean all the people involved in a process) can boost the empathy between different stakeholders using a more human approach.

It’s a matter of fact that the “story telling” approach is more engaging than the technical solution outline.
What do you think about it @dougcollins?

#5

Someone in another UX community I participate in shared this idea with is: What if we stop thinking of them as “users” and start thinking of them as stakeholders? What are the consequences for stakeholders if our design, or our experience, fails?

That is, I think, the key element that is missing in most user stories: We assume success. We concentrate on the happy path and don’t give a lot of thought to what happens if someone can’t ask us their question or can’t find out if the product she wants to buy is the right size?

I think the failure of most user stories to take empathy into account is a direct result of the fact that Agile was originally a hardware development process. It’s focused on implementation not on the people who will use what’s being built.

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#6

Thanks for your comment!
Is very helpful for me since I am not an Agile expert.

I fully agree with you and according to my experience, the biggest problem in designing a product is always the same:
features, features, and features, nobody thinks about the people will use the product and how much stuff they will handle to execute one single (and very often simple) task.

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#7

STOP THE BUS! There are other UX communities? :wink:

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#8

There are. It’s OK. There’s enough room for more than one. :wink:

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