What Are User Stories?

User Stories are short, simple descriptions of a feature from the perspective of the person who will use it. In PMBOK 8, user stories are recognized as a requirements elicitation and documentation tool within adaptive (agile/hybrid) delivery approaches. The standard format is: "As a [type of user], I want [some goal] so that [some reason]." User stories are accompanied by acceptance criteria — specific, testable conditions that define when the story is "done." In hybrid projects like Project Phoenix, user stories coexist with traditional requirements documentation: user stories capture the user-experience layer, while requirements documentation captures technical specifications and compliance requirements.

What's Inside This User Stories Example

This User Stories example covers the 34 user stories written for Project Phoenix — MCG's $72,250 website launch, March 17 to June 13, 2025. The spreadsheet includes:

• Story ID — US-001 through US-034
• User Type — Prospective Client, Existing Client, MCG Staff, Marketing Manager, Admin
• Story Statement — "As a [user], I want [goal] so that [benefit]"
• Story Points — relative effort estimate (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13)
• MoSCoW Priority — Must Have, Should Have, Could Have
• Acceptance Criteria — 3–5 specific testable conditions per story
• Sprint Assignment — which two-week sprint the story was delivered in
• Status — Planned / In Progress / Done / Deferred

Total story points: 144. Velocity: average 24 story points per sprint across six sprints.

How Alex Morgan Used These User Stories

Alex Morgan and the UX Designer facilitated three user story writing sessions with Riley Park and the MCG Marketing Manager during Weeks 1–2. The sessions used a "user journey mapping" approach: for each user type, the team walked through the user's goals on the website and wrote stories for each goal. The collaborative authoring ensured that stories reflected real user needs rather than technical team assumptions.

Three user stories had outsized impact on Project Phoenix's outcome:

• US-007 (Blog Reader): "As a prospective client, I want to read recent blog posts so that I can assess MCG's expertise before making contact." This story drove CR-001 (blog module addition) — Riley Park had originally requested a blog without articulating the user need. The story format made the business value of the feature explicit, which is why CR-001 sailed through the CCB without debate.
• US-019 (Admin — Content Update): "As an MCG marketing manager, I want to update page content without developer assistance so that I can keep the site current between projects." This story directly shaped the CMS selection and training plan. Without it, the development team might have built a technically elegant system that MCG staff found too complex to maintain.
• US-029 (Mobile Visitor): "As a prospective client visiting from a mobile device, I want the site to load in under 3 seconds so that I don't abandon before seeing MCG's services." The acceptance criterion "load time under 3 seconds on a 4G connection" became the target that drove the PageSpeed optimization work that raised the mobile score from 78 to 91.

Download and Customize

This User Stories example is available as a free download. Use it as a reference to build your own user story backlog, or start with the blank template and run a user story writing workshop with your stakeholders.

• Download the User Stories Template — PMBOK 8 (blank, ready to use)
• Read the article: User Stories in PMBOK 8 — Guide and Best Practices

User Stories Example: Key Takeaways

US-029 is the single most impactful line in Project Phoenix's entire user story set. A 3-second mobile load time requirement — written as an acceptance criterion by a prospective client persona — drove a technical optimization effort that raised the PageSpeed mobile score by 13 points. That score directly determines search engine ranking and user bounce rate. The story's user perspective ("so that I don't abandon before seeing MCG's services") connected a technical metric to a business outcome in language that Riley Park immediately understood. User stories don't replace technical specifications — they ensure technical specifications are written for human beings, not just systems.

Want to go deeper? The PMBOK Guide 8th Edition is the definitive reference for modern project management. Get your copy and use it alongside these examples to build a solid, practical understanding of every performance domain.