Have an idea, next step is Tech Specs

We all are professionals. Why do we need to write Technical Specification? Why not merely to start working. It is perfect when each team member knows his responsibilities and obligations in the proper development process. However, many different ideas, complex problems demand different actions and approaches! That’s why everything should be cleared and written out before the development engine starts.  

Can you answer a question? In your opinion, how do the most of the projects start? Let’s see: IDEA! EXACTLY! COME ON, LET’s ROCK IT! Yeap, but how to explain to the web developers and designers what to do!

What is the importance of Tech Specs?

To be more specific, this picture depicts the unique scheme of project development in the whole world. But who is responsible for user requirement document writing?

In most cases, a customer without having relevant experience will face some difficulties working on technical specifications. If he is asked to do it, everything will spill into a waste of time. So, it’d better start cooperating with web development company at this early stage.  Well, what’s the role of the customer in project design composing process? Client’s purpose is to tell a story, describe what he wants to do, and write it on the paper or type.

Everybody knows the fact that all ideas, thoughts, programs, situations etc. are ideal only in our head before we start implementing them. That’s why writing in the early stages is so important. Describing an idea is a complex task, and while noting it, lots of changes occur. And that’s true.

Technical Requirements are profitable for the customer, and no additional funds are required for engineering, design and development. Merely fixing ideas on paper, will protect yourself and others from unnecessary expenditure, such as money, efforts and internal energy.

Starting project from scratch means writing tech specs — supporting document in the whole developing process. This set of rules and specifications is not only used as investment protection, but also as a vector for intended purpose definition.

Now let’s talk about main characteristics of technical specifications.

‹›  Verifiable. It means that UR doc can be checked, analysed, and determined.

‹›  Clear and concise. Each technical requirement must describe only one task at a time with the size of 30-50 words, readable and understood by people. A specification should be unambiguous, without any definitions, descriptions, not disclosed in the same document.  

‹›   Completeness of technical requirement — no odd information, the only main specification of the system function, including measurable units. After reading this list of items, no questions should arise.

‹›   Consistent. A requirement stands alone without conflicting with others and described using the same terminology throughout the document. No duplication allowed in user requirement specification document.

Main Points to remember while writing Tech Specs:

•   Why do we need to write Technical Specifications? Not only for you but all team as well. Everybody has different points of view. And evident from the first sight things can be understood differently.

•   Synchronisation with a team and unite business conception usage. It is the way to enhance mutual communication and less time spending for clearing up inexplicable points.  

•   Features prioritisation. Sometimes to meet the budget you don’t need to realise the whole project but only the main features to find out the most crucial elements of a business model.  It can’t be achieved if the main scope of works isn’t set out on a paper.

•   Many team members but only one author. While brainstorming many great ideas with your potential web development team can arise, and finally, you find the best solution, but there must be a person who will collect all this data in one consistent document.

•   Tech Spec is a list of the action but not a manual where you describe every little thing or detail. Please, mention only those tasks which are matter.

•   Be involved in the process of writing. Even if we speak about a technical requirement, it should be interesting not only for you but the others as well.

•   Don’t be afraid of leaving several sections as TBD (to be determined). Start describing the key ideas and continue working with a potential client to clear everything up.

•   Focus on writing core design decisions firstly. All project development activity will be based on them. After allocating these tasks, continue with another small process.