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Laying the Foundation
The Foundation of Success
The Foundation of Success
Every great project begins with knowing exactly what you want to create. Two important ideas that help us figure this out are Requirements and Specifications. Sometimes people mix them up!
This page will explain what each one means and why they're both super important for making awesome projects.
What are Requirements? - Defining the "What"
What are Requirements? - Defining the "What"
The Voice of the Stakeholder
Key Characteristics:
Key Characteristics:
Describe what the system or product should do.
Focus on the needs and expectations of the stakeholders (users, customers, business).
Are often expressed in natural language, focusing on outcomes and benefits.
Should be understandable to a non-technical audience.
Are typically high-level and may be broad in scope.
Examples of Requirements
Examples of Requirements
User Requirement: "As a user, I need to be able to log in securely to access my account information."
Business Requirement: "The system must increase customer satisfaction by providing faster order processing."
Functional Requirement (still at a high level): "The system shall allow users to search for products by keyword."
Non-Functional Requirement (still at a high level): "The application must be responsive and load within 3 seconds.
Analogy: Think of it like ordering food at a restaurant. You require a "delicious, vegetarian pasta dish.
What are Specifications? - Detailing the "How"
What are Specifications? - Detailing the "How"
The Blueprint for Implementation
Key Characteristics:
Key Characteristics:
Describe how the system or product will achieve the requirements.
Focus on the technical details and design choices.
Are often expressed in technical language, diagrams, and precise terms.
Are intended for the development team.
Are detailed and provide specific instructions for building the solution.
Examples of Specifications (Corresponding to Requirements on Slide 4)
Examples of Specifications (Corresponding to Requirements on Slide 4)
Specification (for login): "The system shall use SHA-256 encryption for password storage. Login attempts will be limited to 5 within a 10-minute window before account lockout."
Specification (for order processing): "The order processing module will utilize a real-time inventory check and automated payment gateway integration to reduce processing time by 20%."
Specification (for product search): "The system shall implement a full-text search index on the product name, description, and keywords fields using Elasticsearch."
Specification (for application speed): "All web pages must have a maximum size of 2MB and utilize browser caching to achieve a load time of under 3 seconds on a standard broadband connection."
Analogy (continuing the food example): The specification for the "delicious, vegetarian pasta dish" would include the specific type of pasta, the exact ingredients for the sauce (tomatoes, basil, garlic, etc.), the cooking time, and the serving instructions.
Key Differences Summarised
Key Differences Summarised
The Relationship - Working Together
The Relationship - Working Together
Requirements tell us what we need to build, and they act like the starting point. Then, Specifications take those ideas and explain exactly how to build them, like turning instructions into a detailed plan.
It's really important that every part of the "how-to" plan (the specifications) connects back to something we originally needed (the requirements).
This connection helps everyone stay on the same page. Good teamwork and talking clearly are key to making sure the "how-to" plan truly builds what everyone wanted.
Why is This Distinction Important?
Why is This Distinction Important?
Think of clear requirements and specifications as making sure everyone has the same instructions for building something. When everyone understands what needs to be built and how to build it, there are fewer misunderstandings between the people asking for it and the people creating it. This focus helps the team build exactly what's needed, not just something close.
Plus, having clear specifications makes testing much easier because you know exactly what the final product should do. Catching any mistakes early on means less time wasted fixing things later, which ultimately makes the project more likely to succeed and give everyone what they were hoping for.
Conclusion - Achieving Alignment
Conclusion - Achieving Alignment
Knowing the difference between requirements (what the project needs to do) and specifications (how exactly it will do it) is super important for making projects work out well.
Requirements are like the goals, and specifications are the detailed plan to reach those goals. When we're really clear about what we want and then create a precise plan for how to get there, we end up building better things that actually do what people need and what the project is for.
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