Project Toolkit

Product Description

Product Description

Defining project products clearly with quality criteria, enabling effective planning, development, and acceptance.

Product Description

A Product Description defines what a product must look like, do, and achieve to be acceptable. It provides the specification against which products are developed and approved.

Purpose

Product Descriptions:

  • Define what needs to be delivered
  • Set quality expectations
  • Enable accurate planning
  • Provide acceptance criteria
  • Support quality control
  • Reduce ambiguity and rework

Product Description Contents

Essential Elements

Element Description
Identifier Unique reference (e.g., PD-001)
Title Clear, descriptive name
Purpose Why the product is needed
Composition What the product contains
Derivation Source materials/inputs
Format Presentation requirements
Quality criteria Measurable standards
Quality method How quality is checked
Quality tolerance Acceptable variance
Quality responsibilities Who checks, who approves

Product Description Structure

flowchart TD A[Product Description] --> B[Identity] A --> C[Specification] A --> D[Quality] B --> E[ID & Title] B --> F[Purpose] C --> G[Composition] C --> H[Derivation] C --> I[Format] D --> J[Criteria] D --> K[Method] D --> L[Responsibilities] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L blue

Product Description Template

Example: Customer Portal Login Screen

Field Content
Product ID PD-101
Product Title Customer Portal Login Screen
Project Customer Portal Enhancement
Version 1.0
Author Jane Smith
Date 15 Jan 2026

Purpose

The login screen provides secure authentication for customers accessing the customer portal, supporting username/password and single sign-on methods.

Composition

Component Description
Username field Email address input with validation
Password field Masked input with show/hide toggle
Login button Primary action to authenticate
SSO options Google, Microsoft, Apple sign-in
Forgot password Link to password reset flow
Remember me Checkbox for persistent login
Error messaging Contextual validation feedback
Loading state Progress indicator during auth

Derivation

Source Information Used
UI Design mockups Visual design, layout
Security standards Authentication requirements
Accessibility guidelines WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
Brand guidelines Colours, typography
API specification Authentication endpoints

Format and Presentation

Aspect Requirement
Technology React component
Responsive Desktop, tablet, mobile breakpoints
Browser support Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge (latest 2 versions)
Accessibility WCAG 2.1 AA compliant
Performance <2 second load time

Quality Criteria

What Makes Good Quality Criteria

Characteristic Description
Specific Precisely defined
Measurable Can be objectively tested
Achievable Realistic to deliver
Relevant Matters to stakeholders
Testable Can be verified

Example Quality Criteria

ID Criterion Measure
QC-01 User can log in with valid credentials Successful authentication
QC-02 Invalid credentials show error message Error displayed within 2 seconds
QC-03 SSO authentication works Redirect to provider, return authenticated
QC-04 Password field masks input Characters hidden by default
QC-05 Forgot password initiates reset Email sent within 60 seconds
QC-06 Page meets accessibility standards Passes automated WCAG checker
QC-07 Works on supported browsers Manual test on each browser
QC-08 Responsive layout functions Visual check at breakpoints

Quality Method

How Quality Will Be Checked

Method Applied To Timing
Unit testing Individual components During development
Code review Source code Before merge
Automated testing Functional criteria After integration
Manual testing UI/UX criteria After development
Accessibility audit Compliance criteria Before acceptance
User acceptance All criteria Before handover

Quality Tolerance

Criterion Tolerance
Functionality 100% of criteria must pass
Performance Within 10% of target
Accessibility Zero critical/major issues
Browser compatibility Must work on all listed

Quality Responsibilities

RACI for Quality

Activity Developer QA Tech Lead Product Owner
Develop product R I C I
Unit testing R C I -
Code review I - R/A -
Integration testing C R I I
UAT I C I R/A
Final approval - I C R/A

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

Types of Products

Management Products

Product Purpose
Project Brief Initial project definition
PID Baseline project documentation
Stage Plan Detailed stage planning
Highlight Report Progress reporting
End Stage Report Stage completion
Lessons Log Learning capture

Specialist Products

Category Examples
Documents Requirements, design specs, user guides
Software Code, databases, configurations
Hardware Servers, devices, infrastructure
Services APIs, integrations, processes
Training Materials, sessions, certifications

Creating Product Descriptions

Process

flowchart LR A[Identify
Products] --> B[Draft
Description] B --> C[Define
Quality] C --> D[Review &
Agree] D --> E[Baseline] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E blue

Tips for Writing

Tip Rationale
Be specific Vague criteria lead to disputes
Make it testable If you can’t test it, remove it
Use examples Clarify expectations
Get input Involve those who build and use
Keep it current Update if requirements change

Product Breakdown Structure

Linking to PBS

PBS Level Products
Final product Customer Portal
Major components Login, Dashboard, Profile, Reports
Sub-components Login: Screen, API, Tests, Documentation

Product Flow Diagram

flowchart TD A[Requirements] --> B[Design] B --> C[Login Screen] B --> D[Dashboard] B --> E[Profile] C --> F[Integration Testing] D --> F E --> F F --> G[User Acceptance] G --> H[Deployed Portal] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H blue

Product Checklist

Quality Review Checklist

Criterion Pass Fail N/A Comments
QC-01: Valid login works ☐ ☐ ☐  
QC-02: Invalid login shows error ☐ ☐ ☐  
QC-03: SSO authentication ☐ ☐ ☐  
QC-04: Password masking ☐ ☐ ☐  
QC-05: Password reset ☐ ☐ ☐  
QC-06: Accessibility ☐ ☐ ☐  
QC-07: Browser compatibility ☐ ☐ ☐  
QC-08: Responsive layout ☐ ☐ ☐  

Sign-off

Role Name Signature Date
Developed by      
Reviewed by      
Approved by      

Common Issues

Issue Prevention
Vague criteria Use measurable, testable language
Missing criteria Review with developers and users
Over-specification Focus on what matters
No quality method Define how each criterion is tested
Outdated descriptions Update under change control
Unclear responsibilities Assign specific names/roles

Product Description Checklist

Creating

  • Unique ID assigned?
  • Purpose clearly stated?
  • Composition complete?
  • Sources identified?
  • Format specified?
  • Quality criteria SMART?
  • Quality method defined?
  • Tolerances set?
  • Responsibilities assigned?
  • Stakeholders reviewed?

Using

  • Referenced in Work Package?
  • Development team briefed?
  • Quality checks scheduled?
  • Checklist prepared?
  • Approval process clear?
Last updated: 13 January 2026
Themes

Quality

Planning