get the story before you write the story: journalists' tips for software professionals

Get the StoryBefore you Write the Story

Reporters’ Tips for Software Professionals

PLEASE NOTESLIDES ≠ PRESENTATION

• These slides are designed to be viewed in conjunction with a human being talking and interacting with you.

• They may not make much sense to you if you were not at the live session.

FITFOR PURPOSE

What’s going on here?“Here’s something to test.” “Here’s something to check out.”

TESTER REPORTER

Today’s Story

Why stories?

Reporter techniques Exercise Use in

your world

Please hold your questionsuntil you have one

Image: https://help.rallydev.com/agile-primer

Functional TestsStory TestsPrototypesSimulations

Exploratory TestingScenarios

Usability TestingUser Acceptance Testing

Apha/Beta

Unit TestsComponent Tests

Performance + Load TestingSecurity Testing“ility” Testing

Business Facing

Technology Facing

Critique ProductSu

ppor

ting

the

Team

User Story Formula• As a ___________________

• I want to _______________

• So that _________________

WHOWHATWHY

People

Action

Expected outcome

User Story Formula 2.0 (Job Story)

• When _________________

• I want to _______________

• So that ________________

WHATWHATWHY

Circumstances

Motivation

Expected outcome

STORYSTORY

Curiosity is more useful than knowledge when you’re after a story!

Reporter Story Formula

• WHO?

• WHAT?

• WHEN?

• WHERE?

• WHY?

• Who are you?

• What do you want?

• What are you going to do about it?

As aI want to

So that

We’ve evolved to share information through stories

Image: Lascaux Caves, France

Our brains love a story!

Illustration: Nadir Balan

Why should we care about stories?

What’s the story here?

A story has a spine

Once upon a time . . . And ever since

then . . .

CURRENT REALITY BETTER FUTURE

The Spine of a Story

Everyday LifeEveryday Life is

Changed

CURRENT REALITY BETTER FUTURE

The Hero’s Journey

A dream come true

A dream come trueOnce upon a time, a man was cursed (he knew not how or by whom) to suffer restless nights of tossing and turning on the world's most uncomfortable bed. Morning after morning he awoke stiff and bleary-eyed and yawned his way through the tiresome days.

Many approached him with promises of a better night's sleep, but alas! Their promises were as empty as his wallet after forking over his hard-earned silver for "designer" mattresses that were as lumpy and unforgiving as a sack full of peas.

He had almost given up hope of ever having a good night's sleep. Until one day, he heard from a mysterious stranger about a merchant whose magical mattresses could break even the most powerful of sleeping curses. And he wouldn't even have to sign away his first-born child to purchase it!

The man was skeptical: who could break a powerful curse for such a reasonable price? Still, the merchant's offer was too good to refuse (a 100-day trial with full refund and free shipping!?), so he tried this special curse-breaking mattress, which the merchant had named "Casper." The man could tell that Casper was special the moment it arrived at his door. Its look, its feel - everything about it was so unlike any other mattress he had ever seen. Was it too much to hope that it could break his curse?

He lay down on it with trepidation. He had been made false promises before. But Casper embraced him gently, and he drifted off to sleep. That night,the man slept soundly. He dreamed dreams he had never dreamed before. And the next morning, he awoke more refreshed and invigorated than he could ever recall in his entire life. Casper had lifted his curse! This Casper was indeed a work of marvelous craftsmanship and unparalleled value. The man could not imagine having more wisely spent his silver. His restless nights were a thing of the past, and he lived happily ever after.

Group exercise • You’ll have 8 minutes.• Create a brief story that you imagine might have

led to the development of one of the products on the cards.

• Then we’ll share the stories.

Who should I talk with?• Anyone involved• People impacted• Ask, “Who else should I talk with?”

Sometimes, there is no “oracle”

Navigate through CURIOSITY

Marcus Raetz – Yes or No

Things are not always what they seem

How do I get people to talk with me?• “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.”• “You’re affected. You’ll know what a good outcome will be for you.”• “This story/product will be better with your perspective.”• Relationships

What should I ask them?• Navigate through curiosity• Be like a child• Not the time to show off your knowledge• Rather than features, focus on value – relate to behaviour• Focus on helping those who use the products

Better stories create better users!

Different voices

Purpose

Motivations

Aspirations

Context

Emotion

FITFOR PURPOSE

Tiny Habits

• Pick one idea to start with

• Try it for a week

• Watch what happensAdapt

Deliver

Inspect

Sue Johnston

sue@itsunderstood.com

@itsunderstood

CONVERSATION:THE MOST

POWERFUL TOOL YOU WILL EVER

USE