Activity Overview

Be sure to complete this activity before moving on. The next course item will provide you with a completed exemplar to compare to your own work. You will not be able to access the exemplar until you have completed this activity.

Scenario

From the survey, Office Green learned that they can create value for their customers by making it easy to:

You will work with your team to create user stories that will help them build solutions to address these customer needs, and add them to the Product Backlog. Your team has already added Bonsai tree user stories to the Backlog, but the new plant care stories have now become the top priority.

Note: In general, the Product Owner leads in prioritizing the Backlog and addressing new concerns. Anyone can work on user stories, but the Development Team typically gives feedback on them.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access the template

• Link to template: Product Backlog
• OR

If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the template directly from the attachment below.

Step 2: Create six user stories

Using the Bonsai tree stories in the Backlog template as a model, create six new user stories—one to address each of the six customer needs from the scenario. Your user stories should follow this construction: 

As a <user role>, I want <this action> so that I can <get this value>. 

• For the <user role> part of each story, consider what sort of person might have that specific customer need. They might be a potential customer, a new plant owner, or something else. Keep in mind that these stories should help customers who may not have much experience caring for plants.
• For the <action> part of each user story, fill in the specific customer need. 
• For the <value> part of each story, think about why your user might want to perform that particular action and how it will help them.
• When completed, each story should express a customer need the team can work to fulfill. For example, imagine that a customer wants to learn about different styles of Bonsai cutting and shaping. A related user story might read:
• “As a new Bonsai tree owner, I want to learn about different Bonsai styles so that I can pick the right one for my tree.” 

Step 3: Create acceptance criteria

Step 4: Check your stories against the I.N.V.E.S.T. criteria

You may not be able to account for all the I.N.V.E.S.T. criteria in this exercise, but you should try to meet as many as you can. If a story meets three or fewer criteria, consider revising it.

Step 5: Title each user story

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Question 1)
Did you complete this activity?

• Yes
• N​o

Question 2)
Select the action that best completes the following user story:

“As a pet owner, I want to _____ so that my cat doesn’t get sick.

• contact a poison control center
• keep my plants in my office
• purchase non-toxic plants
• purchase outdoor plants

Question 3)
Consider the following user story: 

“As a potential customer, I want to find out which plants are easiest to care for so that I can purchase low-maintenance options.”

Which of the following pieces of acceptance criteria are appropriate for this story? Select all that apply.

• Ability to bundle a plant care kit with each purchase
• Ability to sort plants by “beginner,” “intermediate,” and “advanced”
• Ability to search for plants with similar care needs
• Ability to purchase higher-maintenance plants after gaining more experience

Question 4)
Which of the following user stories is complete and follows the correct structure?

• “As a customer, I want to browse more varieties of flowering plants online.”
• “As a new plant owner, I’m not sure how to keep my plant healthy but I want to learn.”
• “As a plant owner, I want to use the best tools for trimming and pruning my plant.”
• “As a customer, I want a hassle-free way to return my order so that I can be sure I have the right plant for me.”

Question 5)
Which of the following user stories could lead to the option of an online plant care manual? Select all that apply. 

• “As a customer, I want to shop for plants online because there are no plant nurseries nearby.”
• “As a plant owner, I want to buy the best fertilizer for my plant so that it will grow to twice its size.”
• “As a plant owner, I want to know how often to water my plant so it will live as long as possible.”
• “As a plant owner, I want to access care instructions easily so that I can keep my plant alive longer.”

Question 6)
Select the user role that best completes the following user story:

“As a(n) _____, I want to purchase hard-to-find plants so that I can expand my collection of rare flowers and greenery.”

• existing customer
• home gardener
• new plant owner
• plant expert

Question 7)
Which of the following user stories is complete and follows the correct structure?

• “As a plant owner, I want to know how much sunlight my plant needs so that I can maximize its growth.”
• “As a customer, I want to be able to access my account dashboard quickly and easily.”
• “I want to purchase plants, but I’m worried they won’t get to me safely.”
• “I want to order plant care tools so that I can keep my plants healthy.”

Question 8)
Which of the following user stories could lead to the creation of a discussion group or a live customer chat option? Select all that apply.

• “As a plant owner, I want to get expert help and advice quickly so that I know what to do if my plant gets sick.”
• “As a plant owner, I only want to purchase rare succulents but Virtual Verde does not offer any.”
• “As a new plant owner, I want to purchase low-maintenance plants so that I can care for them easily.”
• “As a plant expert, I want to connect with other customers so that I can discuss plant care tips and tricks.”

Question 9)
Select the value that best completes the following user story:

“As a plant owner, I want to find it a place with the right amount of sunlight so that _____.”

• I can maximize its growth
• my cat doesn’t eat it
• I can water it regularly
• my family can enjoy it more

Question 13)
Consider the following user story:

“As a plant owner, I want to select from a variety of different pots so that I can match my new plant to my décor.”

Which of the following pieces of acceptance criteria are appropriate for this story? Select all that apply.

• Option to select pot color or design at checkout
• Option to purchase pots with various colors and patterns
• Option to purchase pots made from sustainable materials
• All orders ship with a pot in a neutral color to match different decors