AGILE REQUIREMENTS WORKSHOP
Creating Effective User Stories
Turn ideas into clear, testable user stories that create shared understanding and help teams deliver the right outcomes.
COURSE AT A GLANCE
A practical workshop for writing better backlog items
Duration
Half day
Delivery
Live virtual or on-site
Format
Instructor-led practice, case study exercises, and peer review
Built around practice
Write, evaluate, and improve stories throughout the session.
Clearer shared understanding
Connect business needs, development, and testing.
Use relevant case studies
Work from included examples or your organization’s real scenarios.
FROM IDEAS TO SHARED UNDERSTANDING
Better user stories create better conversations.
A user story is more than a short requirement. Used well, it creates a focused conversation among product, business, development, and testing. Used poorly, it can introduce ambiguity, oversized work, missed expectations, and avoidable rework.
This concentrated half-day workshop combines concise instruction with hands-on practice. Participants learn how Product Backlog items are structured, what makes a story effective, how to split and clarify stories, and how to use acceptance criteria to create a shared understanding of success.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Build stories that are clear, valuable, and ready for conversation.
01
Understand the structure
Connect themes, epics, and user stories within a healthy Product Backlog.
02
Write effective stories
Apply INVEST, personas, splitting techniques, and acceptance criteria.
03
Evaluate and improve
Review stories critically, give useful feedback, and strengthen them collaboratively.
COURSE AGENDA
Learn the principles, then put them to work.
Exercises can use the included case study or scenarios drawn from your organization, allowing participants to practice with work that reflects their environment.
Backlog foundations
- Introductory knowledge check
- The Product Backlog
- Themes, epics, and user stories
- DEEP characteristics
Effective user stories
- User stories defined
- The INVEST model
- Roles and personas
- Common user-story anti-patterns
Right-size and clarify
- Splitting oversized stories
- Writing acceptance criteria
- Definition of Ready
- Balancing clarity with conversation
Evaluate sample stories
- Identify strengths and gaps
- Apply INVEST
- Rewrite and improve examples
- Discuss alternatives and tradeoffs
- Compare feedback with peers
Case study workshop
Create user stories, review them with peers, and incorporate feedback. The workshop concludes with a practical review of when use cases, wireframes, technical requirements, or other approaches can complement user stories.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
For everyone who helps shape requirements
Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Agile team members, Business Analysts, stakeholders, Test Managers, and Configuration Managers.
CUSTOMIZE THE WORKSHOP
Use your organization’s real work
Use the included case study for a ready-to-run workshop, or substitute company-specific scenarios so participants create and review stories that reflect your products, terminology, and delivery environment.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Dan Tousignant, PMP, PMI-ACP
Dan is a lifelong project manager, consultant, and trainer with decades of experience helping organizations improve project and product performance. His Agile work spans requirements, product planning, team development, organizational transformation, and the practical realities of complex delivery.
In this workshop, Dan combines proven Agile practices with practical facilitation to help participants move beyond formulaic story writing and create backlog items that support useful conversations, effective development, and meaningful validation.
Ready to improve the quality of your Product Backlog?
Choose the included case study or let us tailor the exercises around your organization’s products, terminology, and real requirements.