User stories can help you get the story that you user wants to tell, even if they are not technical. In fact, this may be the best way to get technical data from non-technical sources. Learn how to best do this below!
Agile software development was created by technical people who understand the ins and outs of software, computers, etc. But, the people that the systems are being created for, often do not. So, how do you know what they’re asking for is what you’re delivering to them? What is the best way to obtain technical data from a non-technical source?
Most questions that are used to gather data from clients are technical jargon, including questions about data validation and similar such questions. These questions are usually beyond what many non-technical clients can comprehend since this is not their area of expertise. It’s the developer’s and programmer’s areas of expertise. That’s why the client has hired you.
One of the best ways to find out what a client needs is by using user stories. A user story is just what is says: it’s the story that the user or client is trying to tell. It’s a feature that the client specifically wants. User stories are created in plain language. It can be written anyway or in any format. But, it would probably make sense to create some sort of form where the client can write their specific wants and needs into some sort of standard outline broken down by categories or simply needs and wants. For example, if a real estate professional is creating a site, his or main main goal is for users to find properties on his or her website. So, a real estate professional’s user story would be “to allow customers to easily find real estate properties on my website”.
Next, you need to know what will make the client happy. You know what they want, but you also need to know what will make them feel as if you have delivered a working project. Get their exact specifications, and check with the client often to make sure that you’re doing what they really want. Dialogue along with user stories will give you the whole story. Frequently check with the client to clarify what they want. Let them see what you have done so far. The conversations should be continual from beginning to end. But, user stories will allow you to get the conversation going before you even start working on the project.