Writing Specs & Designs

Scope

• Producing a Spec & Design Doc Pack that helps product, design, and engineering quickly reach shared clarity
• Converting “insights” into concrete artifacts: a low‑fidelity diagram, flows/states, prototype plan, and testable acceptance criteria
• Mobile-specific tap economy (when relevant): explicitly optimizing taps and interaction cost

• “Write a spec / feature spec / technical spec for this feature.”
• “Turn these notes into a design doc that engineering can build from.”
• “Create a shaping-style doc with a diagram of the moving pieces.”
• “We need a prototype plan to evaluate the feel of this interaction.”

• You’re still validating what problem to solve (do discovery / problem definition first).
• You need a high-level strategy/vision document (do product vision / north star work first).
• You need a deep engineering architecture design (APIs, schemas, scaling, reliability) rather than product interaction clarity.
• You only need pixel-perfect UI mocks (this produces specs and structured guidance, not final visuals).

Inputs

• Feature/change: 1–2 sentence description
• Target users + primary use case (happy path)
• Platform(s): web / iOS / Android / desktop (call out mobile explicitly)
• Goals + non-goals (v1 boundaries)
• Constraints: timeline, dependencies, policy/legal/privacy, technical constraints
• Success metrics (1–3) + guardrails (2–5)

• Ask up to 5 questions from references/INTAKE.md, then proceed.
• If key info remains missing, state assumptions explicitly and provide 2–3 options (scope/flows/prototype approach).

Outputs (deliverables)

1. Context snapshot (problem, why now, goals/non-goals, constraints, stakeholders)
2. Low‑fidelity diagram of the moving pieces (≤10) + key decisions
3. User flows + states (happy path + top edge cases) with clear entry/exit points
4. Prototype brief (what to prototype, fidelity, timebox, data realism, success criteria)
5. Requirements + acceptance criteria (testable; must/should/could)
6. Measurement plan (metrics → data/events → owner → cadence)
7. Risks / Open questions / Next steps (always included)

Workflow (8 steps)

1) Choose the smallest artifact set that unblocks the team

• Inputs: User request + constraints.
• Actions: Decide whether to deliver: (a) Spec & Design Doc only, or (b) Spec & Design Doc + Prototype Brief emphasis (feel-critical).
• Outputs: Artifact selection + rationale.
• Checks: Artifacts match the decision being made (alignment vs build execution vs interaction feel).

2) Intake + context snapshot

• Inputs: references/INTAKE.md.
• Actions: Ask up to 5 questions; confirm audience/DRI, platform(s), constraints, and success metrics/guardrails.
• Outputs: Context snapshot section.
• Checks: You can state the problem, user, and success measure in 1–2 sentences.

3) Lock scope boundaries (and define “tap budget” if mobile)

• Inputs: Context snapshot.
• Actions: Write goals, non-goals, out-of-scope, assumptions, dependencies. For mobile flows, define a “tap budget” (max taps to value) and where attention is most fragile.
• Outputs: Scope boundaries + (optional) tap budget.
• Checks: “What we are NOT doing” is explicit; mobile value path has a clear tap target.

4) Draft the low‑fidelity diagram (the “shaping” output)

• Inputs: Scope + constraints.
• Actions: Produce a diagram that shows the moving pieces (≤10), data/hand-offs, and where UX decisions matter. Avoid pixel-level UI; prefer clarity of structure.
• Outputs: Low‑fidelity diagram + annotated decisions.
• Checks: A partner can say “I know what to build” without a meeting.

5) Specify user flows + states (make edge cases concrete)

• Inputs: Diagram + use case(s).
• Actions: Document entry points, happy path, and top edge cases; include error/empty/loading states, permissions, and copy notes where ambiguity causes bugs.
• Outputs: Flow + state table(s).
• Checks: Another person can role-play the flow; each edge case has an intended outcome.

6) Write the prototype brief (only where “feel” matters)

• Inputs: Flows/states + unknowns.
• Actions: Identify the 1–3 riskiest interaction uncertainties; specify prototype type (low-fi, hi-fi, or in-code), timebox, realism (use real data where possible), and what “good” feels like.
• Outputs: Prototype brief.
• Checks: Prototype plan is testable (scenarios + success criteria), and explicitly disposable if using throwaway code.

7) Convert into testable requirements + acceptance criteria

• Inputs: Flows/states + prototype learnings (if any).
• Actions: Write requirements with acceptance criteria (must/should/could). Include non-functional needs (accessibility, performance, privacy) and instrumentation needs.
• Outputs: Requirements section.
• Checks: Engineering/QA can derive test cases without re-interpreting intent.

8) Quality gate + finalize for circulation

• Inputs: Full draft pack.
• Actions: Run references/CHECKLISTS.md and score with references/RUBRIC.md. Add Risks/Open questions/Next steps and clearly mark decisions vs assumptions.
• Outputs: Final Spec & Design Doc Pack (shareable as-is).
• Checks: Owners, metrics, and open questions are explicit; the diagram + flows remove the biggest ambiguities.

Quality gate (required)

• Use references/CHECKLISTS.md and references/RUBRIC.md.
• Always include: Risks, Open questions, Next steps.

Examples