What is product requirements document?
A product requirements document (PRD) contains the features a product should have for the product manager. It’s a document that tells a development team what to build, who will use it, and its benefit for users. A product requirements document indicates what a producer intends to achieve with a product or service. It further includes how users will interact with a product upon completion.
PRD is useful in agile development as it helps everyone stay aligned with the product’s key features under development. The document encompasses everything necessary to consider a project complete upon release — a detailed list of all forms of requirements. In most cases, PRD is used in software releases, yet it’s also usable for other product delivery forms.
PRD vs. MRD
Product requirements documents may be confused with a marketing requirements document (MRD), but they serve different purposes. PRD defines how developers will build a product and what criteria are to be met for a release to be successful. On the other hand, MRD focuses on the market size, target, and how to edge competitors. Ideally, MRD comes before PRD because the former will inform a producer of what a product should have.
What should a Product Requirements Document Contain
An Objective
The objective of a PRD outlines the goal of the project for the project manager, touching on the problem it would solve about customer needs. An objective covers the project’s vision, goals, strategy, and the details of the target audience.
A Release Plan
The release section informs team members of the timeframe and extent of the project. The milestones and delivery stages, and dates are in the release part of the PRD to keep the team abreast of the project target.
Features
The features section should include user value, user problem, project criteria, and a detailed description of every impact facet. The aim, the expected result of each task, and the conditions necessary for completion will guide the production team.
Design
Design is essential in a PRD as it has mockups that show what features in a design will look like after completion. Designers can produce mockups using a wireframe, and an interactive user model can be developed to depict a user’s journey. The benefit of the invention is evident in how an excellent user experience is created.
Creating a PRD
Since PRD follows MRD, the marketing team works closely with the PRD team to accurately document release requirements. The scope of the release and feedback on features in the release are essential details to capture in a PRD.
Next, the document undergoes a thorough check by the product team. All questions raised are answered during the review, and amendments are effected. The next step is to have stakeholders assess the document to verify that it aligns with their goal. Stakeholders will ask questions, and the product team will give clarifications at this stage. The product is approved for design and testing when everyone is on the same page.
