Me and my persona(s)

"Agile / TDD / XP is all well and good but how does it fit with..."

A "but" I've heard a couple of times recently is "how does it fit with user-centred design". One way of approaching an answer is to look at customer tests (as JB Rainsberger does here). And another way that I find works well is to approach it via user stories: define stories in the format*

"As <a persona> I would like <feature> so that <goal is achieved> in order to <produce business value>"

and the scene is set for the fruitful discussion of personas, features, and goals.

*Not a format I came up with: it was passed on to me by TimMackinnon, Rachel Davies and Ivan Moore in their Connextra days...