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Part 1: Design

A lot of people argue that product specifications are no longer necessary. In a Web 2.0 world, people move from concept to implementation in a weekend. That’s true! But what if you don’t know how to write code, or don’t want to write the code yourself? In that case, you need to take the time to write a basic specification.

Even people who claim not to write specifications do in fact create them. It’s just that they do so in the form of hand-drawn sketches or notes on the whiteboard.

In it simplest form, a specification includes a basic description of your product or web site, along with some mocked up screenshots.

There is a big difference between writing the code yourself and having someone else write it. If you’re used to writing code yourself, outsourcing can be hard. This is because when you’re used to writing your own code, you think about what you want and then write the code. In that process, there’s no need to “translate” between what you want built and building it, because you’re doing both parts of the project.

What has changed since the pre “Web 2.0” days is that specifications can be a lot simpler than they used to be. It’s much easier and faster to get from concept to implementation. That’s because a lot of building blocks are already available to provide the basic pieces required for any web site or application.

The easiest way to create a specification is to grab a pencil and a few blank sheets of paper. Draw out the design of your web site or web application, and keep it simple. Think through the “flow” of your site. Do you want users to be able to use the site without first registering? What content are you going to offer them that will get them interested? Is your site more interactive or more static? More centered around graphics or text?

If your site is highly interactive and involves a lot of graphics and animation, you may want to consider using Flash. I’ll talk about Flash and other infrastructure decisions in Part 2 of this series.