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Specifications – also known as ‘specs’– are written statements about your product or solution. They can describe every aspect of your product, from what it looks like (form/size), what it needs to do (function), what it should be made of (materials), who it is made for (audience/client), and other considerations like its safety or impact on the environment.
Anything that is important about your product can be written as a specification. BUT specifications should be specific! Have a look at the example below.
Notice that the specifications with the red X aren't specific enough!
Some specifications are quantifiable (measurable with numbers) and others are qualitative (not measurable). Both kinds are important. See the examples to the right.
Quantifiable specifications are objective: any person who measures them should get the same result. They do not depend on a person’s opinion.
Qualitative specifications are often subjective: they depend on a person’s opinion. For example, some people might find a color beautiful, while others do not.
Testing Methods:
Your table of specifications can also include testing methods that you will use to check if this specification was achieved. A few common testing methods are: survey, inspection, user observation and performance test. To learn more about the different testing methods, see the section on 'Designing Testing Methods' in Criterion D.
Student Example
This is a simple specification table for a coffee mug. Notice that each specification is written as a full sentence, and includes an appropriate testing method.
What do you need to do for this part of the Design Cycle?
Create a table like the one you see above
Write all the specifications you think are important
Choose a testing method for each specification. Every specification should be testable. You will do this testing in Criterion D
Hints and Tips when writing specifications:
Every different type of product will have different specifications. For example, a physical product like a cup or a phone, will need to include physical dimensions that specify size, shape and weight. A digital product, such as an infographic, might instead specify the size in pixels, and also specify the file type (such as .png for an image file).
To get an idea of what kind of specifications you should write, you should think back to your analysis of existing products in Criterion A. Many of the same things you analyzed (aesthetics, customer, size, safety, function, etc.) can all be specified.
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