Hey everyone! I'm trying to find the correct English term used for detailing the required behavior and functionality of an app. For example, when a product manager specifies a new feature, like a new webpage, they might provide a detailed description such as: 'When you click the submit button, show a warning popup with this text: "XXX", along with a "confirm" button that will actually submit the form.' I remember at my previous job, the product manager wrote descriptions in great detail to help developers understand their tasks clearly, and there was software they used that managed this well. However, at my new job, things are a bit chaotic, and people often write these details in emails or texts, which can be confusing. I'd love to suggest the same software my old PM used, but I can't seem to recall its name. Any ideas?
3 Answers
You might be looking for terms like 'Specification' or 'User Stories'. User Stories are often framed like this: 'As a , when I , I should .' It's a neat way to ensure everyone understands the requirements clearly.
Thanks for the info! Do you have any recommendations for good software to help with writing those? I remember my old PM had something really useful.
Another term you could use is 'requirements', both functional and non-functional. There's a great book called 'Software Requirements' that can guide you on writing them concisely. Check it out if you want to refine your descriptions!
Thanks a bunch for the suggestion!
What you’re describing sounds like requirements—either functional or non-functional. There's some fantastic resources out there, like 'Writing Better Requirements' which breaks it down nicely. It suggests a format like, 'The [user] shall be able to [action] under [conditions].' This structuring helps capture the expected flow without getting too deep into implementation! You might find it very useful, along with user scenarios to gather insights.
That's a good point, but make sure whoever writes the user stories knows what they're doing! Too often, they can end up as long paragraphs with no real direction. Gherkin style stories work really well too!