One might wonder about the whole point of acceptance criteria and user stories when the entire team understands what is needed.
Writing effective acceptance criteria and user stories is crucial in product management as they serve as the foundation for communication between development teams and stakeholders.
How one individual understands approaches differ from other persons and the intended message. To smoothen all these spaces for miscommunication, user stories, and acceptance criteria act as the constitution for the product to all team members.
Must haves in user stories
• User stories should be self-contained and not dependent on other stories. They should pass on specific information.
• They should allow for adjustments and inputs during collaboration.
• If they do not add value, then it should not be there. User stories translate to features. Each story should provide value to the user or customers.
• Stories should be clear enough to allow for the estimation of effort.
• Stories should be small enough to be completed in a single development iteration.
• Each story should have clear acceptance criteria that can be tested.
User stories have a set way of writing them. It follows a specific order and format as shown below;
Use the "As a user, I want to so that I can" Format:
Clearly define the user at hand for example, “as a WhatsApp update user”
Specify the action or feature they want to achieve. For example, I want to upload my video
Then explicitly explain the reason or outcome for the action. For example so that my colleagues can see it.
The customer is the end user and all attention while writing should be toward them. Write stories from the perspective of how they benefit the end-user or customer.
Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance criteria are specific conditions that must be met for the story to be considered complete. They are the predefined requirements that must be met, taking all possible scenarios into account, to consider a user story to be finished. In other words, they specify the conditions under which a user story can be said to be 'done'.
They define, step by step what the end goal looks like, and how they got there. Acceptance criteria should always be detailed, clear, and testable.
Prioritize Stories
There are many techniques for prioritizing your feature but a simple one like Moscow can suffice.
Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have to prioritize user stories based on their importance and relevance.
Must Haves in Acceptance Criteria
Ensure clarity is achieved in your message. Do not write ambiguous and complicated criteria. Be specific about what needs to be delivered. That is,
• Clearly state what needs to be achieved.
• Define how success can be measured or tested.
• Ensure the criteria are attainable and feasible.
• Align the criteria with the user story and overall goals.
• Specify when the criteria should be met
Include both positive and negative scenarios to ensure comprehensive testing.
Use Given-When-Then Format:
*Given: Describes the initial context or preconditions.
When: Details the specific action or event.
Then: Specifies the expected outcome or result.
For example:
Given a WhatsApp user accesses the app,
When they input their details,
Then they should be able to send and receive messages.
Notes To Always Remember
Focus on the behavior and functionality, not on how it's implemented.
Use simple language that everyone can understand, avoiding technical jargon.
Involve developers, testers, designers, and other relevant team members in crafting acceptance criteria to ensure they are comprehensive and accurate.
Remember to regularly review and refine acceptance criteria as the product evolves and new information emerges.
Update acceptance criteria as user stories are refined or changed based on feedback or evolving requirements.
Remember, effective communication is vital in both user stories and acceptance criteria. They should serve as a transparent bridge between the product manager's vision and the development team's execution. Collaborate, iterate, and refine these artifacts as you gather more information and insights throughout the product development process.
