

In this case, the system is the software application you’re designing. System: a system is a collection of hardware, software, and people that work together to achieve a specific goal.Either way, the document should establish and identify a few key components: The use case can be detailed or basic, depending on the intended audience and system. In this case, they’ll use the software to search and book. In this case, the user wants to find a hotel room that meets their needs and book it.įinally, you need to explain how the user will achieve their goal. Next, you need to understand what they want to do with the product. In this case, it’s someone who wants to book a hotel room. Let’s say you’re designing a new software application. Writing a use case scenario is relatively simple. You can also use them to create a shared understanding of the project among stakeholders. By creating a use case, you can:Įveryone from project managers to developers can use them to understand better how a project works and what needs to happen behind the scenes to make it all run smoothly. Use cases are a great way to start a project because they help you understand the user’s needs and how the system will fit into the user flow. The system sends a confirmation email to the user.Īs you can see, a use case is still quite high-level and isn’t meant to be a detailed design document.The user checks out and pays for the product.

The user adds a product to their shopping cart.A user goes to the website and browses through the product catalog.A use case for this project might be something like this: It’s typically written as a sequence of steps, each representing a different action the user takes.įor example, let’s say you’re designing a new e-commerce website.

Like a user story, a use case describes how a user will interact with a system to achieve a goal but on a slightly more granular level. What is a use case?Įxplaining how a user will interact with a system is a must if you’re going to a) get buy-in from stakeholders and b) create something the user wants to use. Let’s take a closer look at what a use case is and how it can help you. It’s typically used in software development as part of the functional requirements document/plan, but use case scenarios aren’t just for developers. And the best way to validate a project to stakeholders (and make sure your creation is a hit) is to show them why and how the intended audience will use it.Ī use case scenario describes how a user might interact with a system to achieve a goal. Whether working on an app or setting up a sandwich shop, your project needs a reason for existing.
