How to Describe Your App to a Developer: User Stories and Wireframes in Plain English
You can describe a software product precisely without a single technical word. The tools are simple: user stories, acceptance criteria, rough sketches and a list of screens. Used together, they replace vague conversations with a shared picture, which is what keeps budgets and timelines under control. This guide shows how to use each one, with examples and templates you can copy.
Key takeaways
- Use user stories and acceptance criteria to say exactly what you want.
- Sketch wireframes, list screens and map flows without design skills.
- Swap vague phrases for statements a team can build and test.
Why vague descriptions are expensive
“I need a dashboard for my clients” can mean ten different things. If the studio builds one interpretation and you imagined another, you pay twice. Clear descriptions reduce rework, make quotes more accurate and let everyone test the finished product against the same standard.
Tool 1: The user story
A user story is a single sentence describing what a particular person wants to do and why:
Examples for a client portal:
- As a client, I want to upload documents so that my accountant has what they need without email.
- As a staff member, I want to see which clients have outstanding requests so that I can follow up.
- As an admin, I want to deactivate a user so that former employees lose access.
The “so that” part is important. It tells the builder the real goal, which sometimes has a simpler solution than the feature you first imagined.
Tool 2: Acceptance criteria
Acceptance criteria say how you will know a story is done. A simple, readable format is Given / When / Then:
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Given | I am a logged-in client with an open document request |
| When | I upload a PDF smaller than 10 MB |
| Then | The request is marked “Received,” my accountant is notified and I see a confirmation message |
Add the unhappy cases too: what should happen with a file that is too large, the wrong type or a lost connection? Two or three criteria per story are usually enough. These later become your test script. See our guide to launching an MVP for what happens next.
Tool 3: Rough wireframes
A wireframe is a simple, black-and-white sketch of a screen showing what is on it and roughly where. It is deliberately ugly, because the point is structure, not style.
How to make one
- Take a sheet of paper and draw a rectangle for the screen.
- Draw boxes for sections, and label them: header, list of requests, upload button.
- Write what appears in each box in plain words.
- Mark what is clickable and where it goes.
- Photograph it, or use any free drawing or design tool you prefer.
Tool 4: The screen list
List every screen in your product, who can see it and what it is for. This is one of the most useful pieces of information for estimating work.
| Screen | Who sees it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Sign up / Log in | Everyone | Create an account or enter |
| Client dashboard | Client | See open requests and recent activity |
| Request detail | Client, staff | View a request and upload documents |
| Client list | Staff, admin | See all clients and their status |
| Settings | Admin | Manage users, roles and reminders |
Tool 5: The flow diagram
A flow shows the steps of a journey, including the decisions. Draw it with boxes and arrows, or write it as numbered steps:
- Staff creates a document request for a client.
- Client receives an email with a link.
- Client logs in and uploads the files.
- System marks the request “Received” and notifies staff.
- If a file is missing, staff marks it “Needs attention” and the client is notified again.
The number of distinct flows is one of the main drivers of cost, along with integrations, platforms and data complexity, as we explain in our MVP cost breakdown.
Tool 6: A plain-language data list
List the “things” your product stores, and a few details about each. You do not need to know how it will be built.
| Thing | Details it holds | Related to |
|---|---|---|
| Client | Name, company, email, status | Has many Requests |
| Request | Title, due date, status, notes | Belongs to a Client; has many Documents |
| Document | File, type, uploaded date, uploader | Belongs to a Request |
This helps the builder avoid structural mistakes that are costly later. Read about database design mistakes to see why it matters.
Show, do not only tell
- Screenshots of products you like, with a note on what exactly you like.
- Screen recordings of yourself walking through a competitor’s flow and saying what you would change.
- Real examples of the documents, emails or spreadsheets your product will replace.
Common wording traps
| Vague phrase | Clearer version |
|---|---|
| “User-friendly” | “A first-time client can upload a document within two minutes without help.” |
| “Dashboard” | “Manager sees overdue tasks by team member, sorted by due date.” |
| “Notifications” | “Client gets an email 48 hours before a deadline and on the day.” |
| “Admin panel” | “Admin can add, deactivate and change roles for users.” |
| “Like Uber, but for X” | List the exact flows you want, not the brand. |
Put it all together: your pre-build pack
- One-paragraph problem statement.
- List of user types and roles.
- Ten to twenty prioritised user stories with acceptance criteria.
- Sketches for the main screens, plus a screen list.
- Flows for the three most important journeys.
- A plain-language data list.
- Examples and screenshots.
This pack is most of a PRD. If you would rather build it with an expert, the Discovery Sprint produces exactly this, with scope, user flows, architecture and a cost estimate. Our guide to feature prioritisation helps you decide which stories make version one.
Frequently asked questions
How many user stories does an MVP need?
Typically ten to thirty, depending on scope. If you have far more, you are probably describing more than a minimum product.
Do I need design software?
No. Paper and a phone camera are enough to start.
Should I write everything before contacting a studio?
No. A one-page brief is a great starting point, and the rest can be developed together.
Can someone review my stories and sketches?
Yes. Book a free Idea Audit and bring what you have.
Ready when you are
Turn your idea into a working MVP in weeks, not months
Book a free 30-minute Idea Audit with a certified Bubble.io developer. You will leave knowing what to build, how to build it and what it will cost.
SA Solutions is a product studio led by a certified Bubble.io developer, building MVPs, SaaS platforms, portals, dashboards and internal tools for founders.