use-case-writer

Reference Files

• references/use-case-template.md - Cockburn's Fully Dressed Use Case template with field descriptions and a worked example. Read this in Step 3 when writing individual use cases.

Overview

Based on Writing Effective Use Cases by Alistair Cockburn - the definitive reference on use case methodology. Cockburn's key insight is the goal level altitude metaphor: most use cases should be written at "sea level" (one user, one sitting, one goal). Writing too high (kite/cloud) produces vague summaries; too low (fish/clam) produces implementation detail disguised as requirements. The Actor-Goal List is the starting point, not the use case itself.

Workflow