In data analytics, it’s easy to get caught up in charts and dashboards, but the real value starts with the user. A user story captures how you understand your user, their goals, challenges, and what they need from the data. It helps you plan how they’ll interact with insights so they can make smarter, faster decisions.
User stories shape the user journey. When you know who your users are and what drives their decisions, you can design analysis that actually helps them act. A clear, focused user story points you toward the right type of analysis and ensures every insight delivers value where it matters most.
It can be tricky to know what belongs in a user story without repeating ideas or overcomplicating it. I like to break it down simply:
- What you want to highlight
- How you’d approach analysing it
- What insights you gain from that analysis
From there, you can build a more structured story using this kind of flow:
As a... (User Role): Who is the user, and what’s their main focus? Their role shapes how they use data and the type of decisions they need to make.
I need to... (Goal): What are they trying to achieve or understand? This helps define the purpose behind the analysis.
So that I can... (Insight): What do they hope to learn or improve by exploring the data? This is where the value of the insight becomes clear.
Through... (Data Interaction or Method): How will they engage with the data to find their answers? This describes the analysis or process that supports their decision.
Example User Story:
As a... financial products manager
I need to... understand which branches need additional staff and which agents may require performance support
So that I can... allocate resources effectively and improve overall branch performance
Through... analysing agent performance data and branch capacity metrics.
Writing user stories is ultimately about empathy and clarity. When you understand your user’s goals and decisions, your analysis becomes more focused and meaningful. It’s not just about data, but about it’s about creating insights that help people act with confidence.