In our agile environment, we write user stories to define the features and requirements of the product – specifically, these one to two sentence cards briefly describe how a user can use it.
I’m the new tech writer at Dovetail, and I sit right next to the user story board in the programmer’s bullpen. When I look at the story cards, I see statements like, “As a case worker, I can resolve a case to complete the rendering of service to the customer,” and “As a system administrator, I can provision user accounts in order to grant access to the system.” But who is the case worker, and who is the system administrator? How will they really use the system?
We came to the conclusion that these abstract “users” aren’t the complete story. If we get lost in these abstract ideas of our users, we might also lose sight of what their real needs might be. Instead of talking about some abstract entity like the “case worker,” we should talk about a specific person, in a specific situation, with a specific need.
To this end, we developed user personas that will be the basis for the user stories. So, instead of talking about a case worker, we’ll talk about Adam Agent, and we’ll know what his job duties are, who he works for, and who some of his customers are. And maybe we’ll catch some stories that might otherwise have been lost.
And now for some introductions:
 | The Company - EndoTech
EndoTech is a medical devices company that develops, manufactures, and services orthopedic reconstructive products and implant software systems. The EndoTech Customer Service department supports medical professionals, medical organizations, device recipients, and caregivers through a 24-hour call center and a self-service web application. |
 | The Administrator – Ally Admin
As part of her common administration tasks, Ally Admin works with a team to install, configure, and maintain EndoTech’s internal business applications. |
 | The Agent – Adam Agent
In the EndoTech Customer Service department, Adam Agent assists customers by answering questions, solving problems, and providing accurate and timely information. He interacts with customers both personally and anonymously by phone, email, instant-messenger, snail-mail, and internet self-service cases. |
 | The Customer – Dr. Ortho
Dr. Ortho is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in joint replacement procedures. He relies on EndoTech for detailed product information, academic support, and orthopedic resources. |
 | The Customer – Patricia Patient
Patricia Patient’s hip was recently replaced with an EndoTech device, and she likes to stay abreast of any new developments. She also enjoys sharing her experiences with other orthopedic patients and candidates. |
