Overview

A Use Case is a focused user scenario that describes how a Requirement is accomplished. Think of it as a swimlane or hyperscoped user flow - it details specific user interactions and workflows within your product.

What Makes a Good Use Case

Use cases should:

Describe a single user journey or workflow
Be specific enough to guide design decisions
Focus on the "happy path" first (edge cases come later)
Be organized in the sequence users are likely to follow

Use Cases as Swimlanes

A use case is essentially a swimlane diagram - a hyperscoped view of a specific user flow. It shows the sequence of actions a user takes to accomplish a goal.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Use Case: Complete Checkout                            │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                         │
│  User      →  Review Cart  →  Enter Payment  →  Done    │
│                                                         │
│  System    →  Validate     →  Process        →  Confirm │
│                                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Use Cases in Flows

When you import a use case into Flows, it becomes the container for multiple evaluations over time:

Use Case: Checkout Process
    │
    ├── Evaluation v1  →  Score: 68% (C)
    ├── Evaluation v2  →  Score: 75% (B)
    └── Evaluation v3  →  Score: 88% (A)

This is the power of the system: the same swimlane (use case) gets evaluated repeatedly as your design evolves, allowing you to track improvement over time.

Two Paths to Flows

Path 1: Full Requirements Workflow
Guidelines → Requirements → Use Cases → Acceptance Criteria → Import to Flows

Path 2: Standalone (Already Have Defined Flows)
Guidelines → Create Flow Directly → Run Evaluations

Use Path 2 if your organization already has documented user flows (like a checkout process) and you don't need to re-map everything in Requirements.

Example Structure

Requirement: Mobile pizza ordering app

Use Case: Browse pizza types
  └── User opens app and views available pizzas

Use Case: Add pizza toppings
  └── User selects a pizza and customizes toppings

Use Case: Complete checkout
  └── User reviews order and completes payment

Best Practices

Think in swimlanes - Each use case is a single, focused user flow
Define the sequence - Organize use cases in the order users will encounter them
Focus on primary flows - Map the main user journey before handling edge cases
Be descriptive - Briefly explain what the user is trying to accomplish
Plan for versioning - Once imported to Flows, you'll evaluate the same use case multiple times

Use Cases