It is impossible to jump straight into product development based solely on the ideas in your head. Diving straight in could mean that your project ends up taking much longer than you want it to which could incur additional time spent and costs. By taking time at the start of a project to understand what you are trying to achieve you can identify any potential risks, snags, or areas where more research is required, and put measures in place to negate the effects.

Over the course of the development, it may be necessary to consider different aspects of the product which may require writing different types of specification.

Product Requirement Specification

Before you get started, it is important that you and any key stakeholders have an in-depth knowledge of the product you want to create, the need it solves and the desired functionality. This is where you get into the nitty gritty of what your product can do, what it looks like, who the end user will be. At this point, you must clarify the scope of the project, desired timelines, and the key priorities if this is important. It may also be worth capturing costs, for example, what is the expected end user price as this may set the design direction and the available choice of parts that can be used.

Design Specification

The design specification is essentially a blueprint from which your product will be developed. In normal development the full Product Requirement Specification may not be met in the first round. Often a cut-down version of the full product will be produced first, maybe a prototype version to investigate some of the project challenges or a “Minimum Viable Product” approach may be taken. It is essential that the specification for this version is produced and understood by the stakeholders.

A design specification outlines how you are going to address the technical problem(s) you want to solve, by designing and building a solution for it. The design specification usually includes:

• project objectives

• product capability

• desired performance

• details of major components

• power requirements

• environmental requirements

• mechanical requirements

The aim of a design specification is to aid in the critical analysis of the problem that the product is trying to solve and the proposed solution whilst also communicating priority, effort, and impact.

‍Why is the design specification important?

Critical thinking

The design specification is a vital early step in the development process. It forces you and the development team to examine your product before going straight into the design or build where certain aspects may get overlooked.

Streamlined process

A detailed specification provides clarity which results in a streamlined process and, ultimately, helps keep the project on track.

Communication

The development team is often made up of people from different areas of the business. The design specification provides an efficient way to communicate the project design between the development team and key stakeholders. It also gives designers and manufacturers something to refer to throughout the process to avoid losing sight of the original vision.

Feature creep

The design specification is essential in managing complexity and preventing feature creep by setting out the project scope and limitations from the outset.

Measuring Success

Once the development cycle has been completed, it is important to measure the success of the development. A well-developed specification is a great way to be able to measure success. The product can be assessed using the specification as the reference. For example, if the specification states “the battery should allow the unit to operate for 24 hours” this would be easy to confirm and measure the success, partial success, or failure of each of the points of the specification. This is a great way to assess failure constructively.

The specification is an essential tool in product development and is often overlooked, forgotten, or simply not considered. Cubik consider a good quality specification to be the route to successful product development.

Got an idea for a product, but aren’t sure what to do next? Our team can help you organise and develop your ideas into a strategic plan of action. To get in touch, call 0117 244 3000 or submit a contact us form.