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Purpose

Design specifications, like blueprints, provide detailed guidance on what the project outputs will look like and how they will be expected to perform. The key difference is that design specifications provide that guidance through the written word, coupled with graphics and drawings, whereas blueprints are strictly graphic in nature.

The purpose is to provide clear direction to the project organization on what the final outputs of the project must look like and the tolerances and standards those outputs must meet.

Application

Design specifications are used as soon as they are available to determine some components of the work to be performed and to prepare for the purchasing and allocation of materials to the project. Because design specifications incorporate information about certain performance standards, the specifications can even be helpful in determining which resources are best suited to assist in or perform some of the work, because some work requires more highly specialized workers than others. The design specifications are used to flesh out the customers’ functional requirements and technical requirements, expressing specifically how those needs will be addressed by the look and feel of the final deliverables. The components of the design specification should be traceable back to the functional and technical requirements, and there should be evidence that each component of the design specification will be addressed by some component of the work breakdown structure.

In deliverables-oriented organizations (in contrast to service organizations), the design specifications often become the document used to define project intent, expectations, and commitments. They are often referenced in project litigation as the rationale for certain approaches.

Content

As with many project documents, the differences in design specifications may vary widely with the type of project being created. Since the design specifications are often the most detailed of the project documents, they can span dozens of pages (or even volumes) in larger projects. The common elements of design specifications are discussed in the following subsections.

1.0 Introduction/Overview

This normally consists of the scope statement for the project, coupled with any references to outside documentation or sources. If certain standards or protocols common to the industry must be applied, this is where they would be identified as well.

2.0 Performance Criteria

Drawn from the technical and functional requirements, the design specifications highlight what performance criteria must be met. If the criteria can be supported by drawings or graphic representations, those are incorporated here as well. As with most of the design specifications document, cross-references to external sources should be included here, as appropriate.

3.0 Design Requirements

Often the longest component of the document, the design requirements provide specific detail on what the project outputs will look, feel, and operate like. They will define what needs must be served in a variety of areas, from appearance to test performance. Any special characteristics that must be present in the final deliverables are delineated here.

While the material components of a project deliverable are frequently called out in the design requirements, some design specifications will incorporate a separate heading to ensure that there is no ambiguity on how those components must function and what parameters they must meet.

5.0 Glossary of Terms

Because design specifications are highly specialized and technical documents, a glossary of terms affords a consistent application of the technical language.

Approaches

In deliverables-oriented organizations, design specifications are sometimes referred to as detailed design specifications. That reinforces the perspective that these docu
ments provide extensive detail. In some organizations, team members may strive to intentionally omit certain details from the design specifications in order to allow greater flexibility in design. This is not uncommon in the software industry, but is not a best practice in project management. The more detail that can be afforded the team in terms of how the customer needs can best be served by the project, the higher the likelihood of success.

Considerations

Design specifications have their roots in industry where physical deliverables are produced. As such, the orientation with design specifications is to provide physical descriptions of objects, components, and all aspects of the deliverable. Design specifications can still be employed on service projects, however. By defining how processes should perform and graphically representing any specific needs of the customer organization, the same processes that have served product industries for decades can be applied in those organizations providing services, rather than products.