use-case

Amazon Use Case Writing Skill

Use this skill when creating customer-centric use case documents that follow Amazon's working backwards methodology and customer-obsessed approach.

Template: See docs/templates/use-case-template.md for the authoritative template structure.

When to Use This Skill

• When designing new product features and need customer-centric documentation
• When converting technical requirements into customer-focused scenarios
• When preparing product requirement documents (PRDs) following Amazon best practices
• When documenting user workflows with structured format

Document Structure Summary

Create a 500-800 word document (~1-2 pages) with these sections:

1. Metadata (YAML header) - ID, title, actor, type, version
2. Use Case Statement - As a [actor], I want [action], so that [benefit]
3. Overview - Customer problem narrative
4. Actors - Primary, secondary, external dependencies
5. Preconditions - Required states before use case begins
6. Trigger - Event that initiates the use case
7. Main Flow - Happy path (4-8 steps from customer perspective)
8. Alternate/Edge Flows - Common variations
9. Exception Flows - Error conditions and recovery
10. Postconditions/Outcomes - Success state, business benefits, data changes
11. Success Metrics - Measurable criteria with targets
12. Assumptions & Open Questions - Marked assumptions, research needs

Writing Style

EARS Syntax for Criteria

When writing testable criteria, use EARS format:

Quality Checklist

• Use case statement follows As/I want/So that format
• Overview explains customer problem (not solution)
• Preconditions are verifiable states
• Trigger is a specific, observable event
• Main flow steps are from customer perspective
• Alternate flows cover common variations
• Exception flows cover error conditions
• Success metrics are measurable
• Assumptions marked with (Assumption)
• Word count: 500-800 words

Output Location

docs/usecases/[use-case-name].md