Gherkins: A better way of writing user stories

User stories are an Agile technique of defining product functionality and requirements. They focus on telling a story for an action a user will take and what the expectation is when successful. The concept of user stories is widely used, but telling good stories can be quite difficult.

User stories have taken a bit of a hit in the last few years though, as they’re slight oversimplifications and lack empathy for the user.

Good news — there is a better way! They’re called gherkins, but unlike the pickle, they’re not here to sour up your life. (Unless you’re a pickle lover, I suppose!) 🥒

TL;DR

If you’re in a bit of a rush, here’s the TL;DR (although I would encourage you to keep reading to access the templates!)

• User stories focus on the user, not the product.
• Outline your personas to add context.
• Add empathy to your stories to understand actions and motivations.
• Gherkins: a better way of writing stories.
• Use gherkins to focus on outcomes, not just outputs.

What are user stories?

User stories are short, simple descriptions of a solution that your team has come up with, told from the perspective of the person who is playing out the interaction. They are part of a larger epic that describes the actual problem to be solved and why you’re solving it.

The operative word here is user, meaning a user story puts the focus on the user, not the product.

A user story usually focuses on three areas:

• As a (who)
• I want to (what)
• So that (why)

This is all usually followed by acceptance criteria, which define how you know if the interaction is successful.

Who: Using personas to outline user stories

If you have yet to define or understand your users, then you really shouldn’t be writing user stories. Start with some discovery first, map out a customer journey, and create relevant user personas that will help you define these stories further.