User Story Review Guide

How to Review a User Story

User stories bridge the gap between end users and developers, providing a clear vision of feature expectations. They are foundational in agile development, ensuring the team is aligned and building with purpose. To maintain their efficacy, it's imperative that they are thorough, clear, and actionable. This concise guide offers a roadmap for web developers to adeptly review their peers' user stories, ensuring high-quality outputs.

Ensure that a user story contains all key components

Value Proposition

A clear statement highlighting the tangible benefits a user receives from a feature or product. It outlines the solutions provided to address the user’s specific needs or challenges.

• Is the Value Proposition succinct and to the point?
• Does it clearly convey why users would need this feature?

Description

Ensure there’s a brief overview / wireframe that paints a clear picture of what the feature entails.

• Is the description comprehensive and not overly verbose?
• Does it match up with the Acceptance Criteria and Value Proposition?

Acceptance Criteria (AC)

A checklist that outlines conditions the feature must satisfy to be deemed complete and functional.

• Does the AC detail what’s in the Description?
• Does the AC specify the app’s behavior under various scenarios? (e.g., for a form, are there mandatory fields?)

Tasks

These are breakdowns primarily to guide developers in the implementation of the feature.

• Are the tasks actionable and clear?
• Do they align with the Description and Acceptance Criteria?