Keep Detailed Specifications Out Of User Stories" #

One of the challenges teams often face when working in agile is balancing high-level user stories with the intricate details of technical specifications. A solution? Keep your detailed specifications as separate documents, and have your user stories refer to them.

Why? When specifications are embedded directly in user stories, it can make the stories harder to work with. The stories become bloated and difficult to adjust, split, or discard. By separating the two, you’re free to keep stories focused, lean, and adaptable.

The Benefit of Separate Specs and Stories #

Separating specifications from stories allows you to:

• Write user stories that are quick to read and understand, even if they point to a more complex spec.
• Easily throw out, rewrite, or modify stories as needs change without losing the core specs.
• Split stories to deliver incremental portions of a feature without being bogged down by every single detail from the specification.
• Create a clear structure that specifies an entire component’s end goal while delivering parts of it iteratively.

This setup is especially useful when building complex features that can be delivered in phases, with each phase being functional and deployable, though not yet fully built out.

Example: Building a Calendar Component #

Let’s say we’re building a calendar component for a website. The final calendar component will include a grid view that’s fully accessible (meeting WCAG standards) and allows users to drag and drop events, both with a mouse and a finger (for mobile devices).

We’d create a detailed specification document that outlines everything this calendar should do in its final form. This spec would include:

• The grid layout and its accessibility features.
• Drag-and-drop functionality.
• Design, color contrasts, keyboard navigation, mobile responsiveness, etc.

With this specification as a standalone reference, we can then write the first user story as a slice of the full functionality.

First Story Example: Basic Event Listing #

User Story 1:

“As a user, I want to see a list of upcoming dates and events, so I can quickly know what’s scheduled.”

This story doesn’t attempt to build the grid or implement any drag-and-drop features. Instead, it provides a basic, deployable solution that lets users see dates and events listed. The story refers back to the full calendar specification, so the team knows it’s part of a bigger picture. But it only addresses a subset of the feature—the event listing.

Additional Stories: Incremental Improvements #

Later stories can build on this foundation. For instance:

• Story 2: Add a grid structure for events, allowing users to see a month’s layout with dates and events displayed in each cell.
• Story 3: Enable keyboard navigation to align with accessibility requirements.
• Story 4: Implement drag-and-drop functionality for events on desktop.
• Story 5: Extend drag-and-drop to mobile (touchscreen) devices.

Each story remains tightly focused while the specification keeps the end goal clear. This approach means you can deliver value to users incrementally, even as the full feature is still under development.

Why It Works #

By structuring your work this way, you’re making it easier to:

• Write and rewrite stories without losing sight of the bigger picture.
• Build and deploy features gradually, without overwhelming your team.
• Maintain flexibility in your stories, which keeps your process agile, not bogged down by details.

Try this approach for your next project and see how much more manageable stories become. With separate specs and stories, you’re setting up your team to build, iterate, and release features effectively—without sacrificing the detailed planning that’s essential to delivering a quality product.