Product Development Specification
The product development specification (PDS) is a written
document that lists what your product needs to do.
Follow the process below to identify and prioritize all user
requirements for yourproduct.
What Problem Does This Idea Solve?
Answer the following questions about your idea.
Who is going to use it? Who is it going to be What does the current market for this product
used on? Who is your ideal customer? look like? What is the ideal price point?
Where is it going to be used? E.g. underwater, What is the expected product lifetime? How
in a human body, on an airplane, etc. will it be cleaned between uses?
What regulatory or federal agencies regulate How will this product be packaged and
this product? shipped? How will it be stored?
User Requirements
User requirements define what is needed to solve the problem. At this stage, the user requirements
outline what the product needs to do, not how the problem will be solved. For example, writing "must
be made out of carbon fiber" restricts the scope of your product development to that specific feature.
Later on, you may find that carbon fiber is not the best material for your product, but you have now
wasted time and effort trying to design a product around that requirement. A better user requirement
is "must be lightweight" as there are numerous ways to achieve that goal.
Using your answers to the questions in the previous section, write down everything your
product needs to do.
Requirement Justification
Now that you've identified all the user requirements, it's time to justify the reasoning behind them.
This exercise ensures that all user requirements align with solving the problem defined in the first
section.
Take each user requirement identified in the previous section, and write them in the
boxes under user requirement. Next to each user requirement write a justification.
We've included an example below
User Requirement Justification User Requirement Justification
Used by the elderly
Must be lightweight
and children
The MoSCoW analysis is a way of prioritizing your user requirements
to focus your product's design process. Must have requirements are
MoSCoW
those most critical to the design and will be the focus of your first
prototype. These include regulatory requirements as well as your
product's main intended use. Should have features are important,
but not necessary to solve the problem and can be addressed in
Analysis
secondary prototypes. Could have requirements are addressed in
final prototypes and include desirable features that can improve
customer satisfaction and user experience. Would like are all the
features that would make your product exceptional, but may not be
practical at this time.
Based on the justifications you gave in the previous section, assign each user requirement to
a category below.
Must Have Should Have
Could Have Would Like
Example
Product Development Specification
To help get you started, we've
put together a few examples for
each section.
What Problem Does This Idea Solve?
Children's strollers are bulky, heavy, difficult to fold, and can only
accommodate one or two children at a time. The solution is a stroller that is
lightweight, can grow with the family, and can fold to a compact size easily.
Answer the following questions about your idea.
Who is going to use it? Who is it going to be What does the current market for this product
used on? Who is your ideal customer? look like? What is the ideal price point?
Used by: parents, grandparents, & The market is very competitive and price
caregivers. Used on: infants & children up to sensitive. However, parents are willing to
50lbs. Ideal customer: a consumer who spend money on long-lasting safe products
appreciates good design, quality, & safety. that are easy to use.
Where is it going to be used? E.g. underwater, What is the expected product lifetime? How
in a human body, on an airplane, etc. will it be cleaned between uses?
Streets, sidewalks, grass, dirt paths, 3 to 10 years depending on family growth.
woodchips. Exposure to sun & light
precipitation. Loaded & unloaded from
vehicle. Maybe placed in plane cargo hold.
What regulatory or federal agencies regulate How will this product be packaged and
this product? shipped? How will it be stored?
Consumer Product Safety Commission Shipped via ups or fedex. Stored in garages,
vehicle trunks/backseats.
User Requirements
User requirements define what is needed to solve the problem. At this stage, the user requirements
outline what the product needs to do, not how the problem will be solved. For example, writing "must
be made out of carbon fiber" restricts the scope of your product development to that specific feature.
Later on, you may find that carbon fiber is not the best material for your product, but you have now
wasted time and effort trying to design a product around that requirement. A better user requirement
is "must be lightweight" as there are numerous ways to achieve that goal.
Using your answers to the questions in the previous section, write down everything your
product needs to do.
Lightweight
Small footprint
Meet Consumer Product Safety Commission's regulations for strollers & baby
carriages.
Little to no assembly required
Storage compartment for the diaper bag
A place to put a cell phone
Can accommodate up to three children at a time.
Sleek, modern design
Easy to clean
Easy to maneuver over a variety of surfaces including dirt, grass, and woodchips
Easy to fold
Abie to accommodate a wide variety of accessories.
Requirement Justification
Now that you've identified all the user requirements, it's time to justify the reasoning behind them.
This exercise ensures that all user requirements align with solving the problem defined in the first
section.
Take each user requirement identified in the previous section, and write them in the
boxes under user requirement. Next to each user requirement write a justification.
We've included an example below
User Requirement Justification User Requirement Justification
Required to solve the
Required to solve the original problem of
Accomodate up to three
Lightweight original problem of "only accommodates
children at a time
heavy strollers one to two children at a
time"
Required to solve the Ideal customer prefers
Small footprint original problem of Sleek, modern design products that have
bulky strollers these features
Meet Consumer Product
Used in messy
Safety Commission's Regulatory
Easy to clean environments. Children
regulations for strollers requirement
may be eat while riding.
and baby carriages.
Easy to maneuver over a
Used in parks,
Little to no assembly Parent's prefer easy to variety of surfaces
playgrounds, streets and
required use items including dirt, grass, and
sidewalks, and dirt paths.
woodchips.
Storage compartment for Parents prefer strollers Required to solve the
the diaper bag. that can hold Easy to fold
original problem of
items/supplies
"difficult to fold"
Users prefer to have
Users typically need a Able to accommodate a
A place to put a cell accessories that provide
place to put their phone wide variety of
phone solutions to their unique
when using the stroller. accessories
situation.
The MoSCoW analysis is a way of prioritizing your user requirements
to focus your product's design process. Must have requirements are
MoSCoW
those most critical to the design and will be the focus of your first
prototype. These include regulatory requirements as well as your
product's main intended use. Should have features are important,
but not necessary to solve the problem and can be addressed in
Analysis
secondary prototypes. Could have requirements are addressed in
final prototypes and include desirable features that can improve
customer satisfaction and user experience. Would like are all the
features that would make your product exceptional, but may not be
practical at this time.
Based on the justifications you gave in the previous section, assign each user requirement to
a category below.
Must Have Should Have
Lightweight Little to no assembly required
Small footprint Easy to clean
Meet Consumer Product Safety Easy to maneuver over a variety of
Commission's regulations for strollers surfaces including dirt, grass, and
and baby carriages. woodchips
Accommodate up to three children at a
time
Easy to fold
Could Have Would Like
Storage compartment for the diaper A place to put a cell phone
bag Able to accommodate a wide variety
Sleek, modern design of accessories