Save time - use a templateFor the actual document itself, using a functional specification document template is a no-brainer. In fact, we’ve even included a few functional specification document examples below that you can download and fill in immediately. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-documents-template-save-time.png" alt="Functional specification documents - timesaver, hourglass"> These templates already come with a table of contents and many come with all of the sections and headers you will need. From there, all you need to do is edit each field to include the relevant information from your own project. Most of them can even be copied and pasted into your favorite word processing tool. Create your use cases and user scenariosAs we mentioned above, you’ll need to have some use cases ready to add in to your functional specification document. These explain the rationale for each feature and provide some context as to how the feature should work. It doesn’t have to be a big long story, just something that highlights the problem the feature will solve. Imagine the following use case for a car rental app: “User goes to a parking lot only to discover the car they reserved isn’t there. They check the reservation on our app which tells them the car still hasn’t been returned by the previous user and offers them another vehicle in the parking lot at a reduced price. The user can then choose to accept that vehicle or reject it. “ Create your user flowsThe user flow will show how the user case and scenarios translates to the product. For this section, you should include a diagram of the different screens of your mockup or prototype to show how the user will navigate through your app. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-documents-user-flow.png" alt="Functional specification documents - user flow of an ecommerce"> In these flows, you should also make sure you include alternate flows and exception flows. Learn more about how to create user flows in Justinmind with our tutorial on the Scenarios module. The alternate flows might demonstrate the different ways the user can arrive at the car unavailable screen – either via a tapping on a notification or by opening the app and navigating to booking. An exception flow would be where the user navigates to the wrong part of the app, such as the “reserve new vehicle section”. Specify the product’s post conditionThe post condition will indicate the state of the app’s system after running a use case. In the case of the car rental app we mentioned above, the product’s post condition will depend on whether the user selects the new vehicle or not. If they do, the rental timer will begin. If not, the user might be returned to the booking screen. Include a link to prototype, CSS and assetsThe functional specifications document is also where you should include a link to your wireframe or prototype, as well as to your shared library of assets and any extra deliverables that will aid the developers, such as CSS stylesheets and element spacing and padding and color codes. Define a timeline for user testing and product roll-outYou may include a timeline or roadmap that establishes when user testing occurs, for example, after each feature design. Additionally, you may specify at what point you will have reached the MVP stage of your product that you will use with early adopters. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-documents-roadmap-gantt.png" alt="Functional specification documents - timeline roadmap using Gantt chart"> Lastly, once the developer has coded all of the feature specifications, then you have reached the end product. However, most of the time there will be some scope for further future iterations of the product in the form of features, new versions and updates. In this case, the cycle is merely repeated, for which you will start with a brand new requirements statement and flesh out a new feature specification document. Did you know that you can create your own functional specification document template with Justinmind? Find out how to do it in our tutorial on creating specifications templates. Functional specification document templatesHere are some great examples of functional specification documentation that you can also use as templates to start writing up your own. Quick and easy and no having to start everything from scratch! 1. Stanford universityThis functional specification document template from Stanford University is a 10-page document template that contains a complete table of contents with 10 items and an appendix. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-document-stanford.png" alt="Functional specification document - Stanford University"> It ticks all the boxes of a complete functional specification document in that it contains risks and assumptions, project scope, business need, functional specifications and actors (users in use cases). There’s even a suggested part of the document to leave a link to your mockup or prototype, as well as a table for the development team to fill in ticketing issues. 2. Smartsheet website functional requirements templateIf it’s a website you’re creating, be it an ecommerce or a blog, and you’re looking for a basic template – this functional specification document template from Smartsheet is the answer. This short template comes with questions that ask you to write in the details about your planned website without any technical knowledge required. It includes sections such as the purpose and business goals of the website, the target user personas and the organization of the website. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-document-smartsheet.png" alt="Functional specification document - Smartsheet"> It also has a section prompting you to sketch out the information architecture, along with how the features of the website should behave, as well other useful sections such as competitors’ websites. 3. PMP NextGenIf you’re looking for an exhaustive, well-structured template that has everything logically laid out and easy to find, then this is the functional specification document from the Project Management Institute you want to be copying. It’s based on a PMP software system to be used by pharmacists for prescription reporting. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-document-pmp.png" alt="Functional specification document - PMP NextGen"> It serves as a brilliant example of how to integrate use cases, screen mockups and user flows in one document. It’s clear hierarchical numerical layout means that anyone who reads the document can easily navigate to any element within the document using the index. 4. klariti.comKlariti is a website that offers various templates for sale for the many different document deliverables needed if you work in software, web and app development. They offer documents for software testing, development, business process design and case studies. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-document-klariti.png" alt="Functional specification document - Klariti"> Klariti’s 27-page functional specification document template comes in MS Word format. It helps you to define how a piece of software will function and how it will behave when the user provides it with certain inputs, or when certain conditions arise out of a specific situation. The Klariti template lets you enter in specifications for functions involving data manipulation, data processing, calculations, conditions and more. It’s available on their site for $9.99. 5. Almooc.comThis functional specification document template by Almooc is 11-pages and also comes with an appendix and glossary section where you can fill in special terms and abbreviations for your product. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-document-almooc.png" alt="Functional specification document - Almooc"> It includes five major sections, starting with the introduction that covers the purpose, scope, background and constraints. That section is followed by the methodology and then the functional requirements, where you lay down the context, user requirements and user flow diagrams. In the last section you’ll add in the UI requirements, system configuration requirements, data conversion and operational requirements – basically anything surplus to the functional specifications. Visualize functional specifications and generate documentsTest out functional specifications with prototypesDid you know that you can actually test out your functional specifications and validate them when you reach the prototype stage? Using Justinmind, you can quickly and easily test out your product’s functionality on your users before you get to the coding stage by using it in conjunction with integrated tools such as UserTesting and Hotjar. That’s just what one of our clients, Judit Casacuberta Bagó from Scytl does! Judit uses the Justinmind Events system to add complex interactions allowing her to recreate a workflow based on requirements. This in turn allows her and the team to evaluate how each touch point impacts the product as a whole. Her team then exports their prototypes to HTML. Subsequently, Judit typically walks her client through the main workflows, target users and the feature functionalities. Requirements moduleWhen it comes to requirements generation and functional specification documentation, you can also use a prototyping tool, such as Justinmind. Because prototyping tools are used before source code is written, the ability to generate documentation automatically is both useful and quick. Quick because you don’t need to spend time creating lengthy documents and useful because your developer will be able to understand exactly what you want. In the Justinmind interface, there’s a tab on the top right called Requirements. Here in the requirements module, you’ll find a comprehensive view of all the Requirements, including version histories, related components and comments. <img class="has-caption webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-documents-requirements-module-justinmind.png" alt="Functional specification documents - Justinmind Requirements module"> Requirements module in Justinmind The widgets you place on your canvas can be turned into requirements, simply by right clicking on them. These features enable teams to work in a truly collaborative manner, which is handy if you ever want to reach a consensus. It’s also possible to categorize requirements using colors and labels which results in a stronger grip on version control (because there’s nothing worse than being lost in twelve different versions of the same thing). To give your entire team full visibility and enhance collaboration, Justinmind lets you effortlessly integrate with JIRA, too. A click of the button (or more precisely: File > Export to Document) and you’ll have your documentation — visuals and all! The takeawayBest practice tells us that generating documentation will save you time, money and possibly work relationships. Functional specification documentation keeps all team players on the same page, working from one source of truth. Deviating from that can result in a poor project and frustrated individuals. So for the benefit of everyone’s stress levels, it’s best to create a well-thought out functional specification document!

Gather requirementsGather requirements by listening to the client and carrying out vigorous user research. At this stage, you’ll be writing down a lot of information. To manage all this information, you can use a requirements gathering tool. After your prototype is complete, you can then initiate your first round of user testing to test out you and your client’s initial assumptions, i.e. everything about the user flow, the users’ mental models, and how they use the software. Most importantly, though, you can test that these features are actually usable for your main personae. <img class=" webpexpress-processed" width='100%' src="https://assets.justinmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/functional-specification-documents-steps.png" alt="Steps to create functional specification documents"> If the testing confirms your assumptions, then you start to write up your functional specification document so that your developers can code the end product. Sit down with important members of your teamDon’t attempt to create a functional specification document in isolation. Rather, if it’s possible, try to include at least one person from each department involved in the product’s development, including the client. Co-writing is the way to go with functional specification documents, rather than working in a silo. Use software that lets you track changes easilyFirstly, it helps to use software that has good version control. Many functional specification documents are written in Microsoft Word, however, Google Docs tends to allow for better version control, something which is crucial in product development. Often, developers complain about messy version control in Word documents and not being able to see specifically when and where a certain change was made. There’s also the case that it’s far easier to keep changes to a document synced in the cloud using a Google Doc.

Roles involved in functional specifications definitionSo who exactly writes functional specification documents? The exact person or group whose role it is may vary in each company or organization, but it is seldom written by just one person.Usually, a product manager draws up the functional specification documents in the company of others, such as UXers, clients and other project stakeholders. By actually sitting down with members of other departments to write functional specification documents, you will be able to obtain buy-in at an early stage and make sure that everyone is onboard with the current direction.

Functional Specification Documents: your complete guide

Save time — use a templateFor the actual document itself, using a functional specification document template is a no-brainer. In fact, we’ve even included a few functional specification document examples below that you can download and fill in immediately.<img alt="Functional specification documents — choose templates for quick work" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*kaB1MP69oUYCX96eipvOFQ.png" width="750" height="530" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*kaB1MP69oUYCX96eipvOFQ.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*kaB1MP69oUYCX96eipvOFQ.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*kaB1MP69oUYCX96eipvOFQ.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*kaB1MP69oUYCX96eipvOFQ.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>These templates already come with a table of contents and many come with all of the sections and headers you will need. From there, all you need to do is edit each field to include the relevant information from your own project. Most of them can even be copied and pasted into your favorite word processing tool.Create your use cases and user scenariosAs we mentioned above, you’ll need to have some use cases ready to add in to your functional specification document. These explain the rationale for each feature and provide some context as to how the feature should work. It doesn’t have to be a big long story, just something that highlights the problem the feature will solve. Imagine the following use case for a car rental app:“User goes to a parking lot only to discover the car they reserved isn’t there. They check the reservation on our app which tells them the car still hasn’t been returned by the previous user and offers them another vehicle in the parking lot at a reduced price. The user can then choose to accept that vehicle or reject it. “Create your user flowsThe user flow will show how the user case and scenarios translates to the product. For this section, you should include a diagram of the different screens of your mockup or prototype to show how the user will navigate through your app.<img alt="Functional specification documents — user flow" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*I20mnhtwagmksauPWyIf_A.png" width="750" height="500" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*I20mnhtwagmksauPWyIf_A.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*I20mnhtwagmksauPWyIf_A.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*I20mnhtwagmksauPWyIf_A.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*I20mnhtwagmksauPWyIf_A.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>In these flows, you should also make sure you include alternate flows and exception flows.Learn more about how to create user flows in Justinmind with our tutorial on the Scenarios module.The alternate flows might demonstrate the different ways the user can arrive at the car unavailable screen — either via a tapping on a notification or by opening the app and navigating to booking. An exception flow would be where the user navigates to the wrong part of the app, such as the “reserve new vehicle section”.Specify the product’s post conditionThe post condition will indicate the state of the app’s system after running a use case. In the case of the car rental app we mentioned above, the product’s post condition will depend on whether the user selects the new vehicle or not. If they do, the rental timer will begin. If not, the user might be returned to the booking screen.Include a link to prototype, CSS and assetsThe functional specifications document is also where you should include a link to your mockup or prototype, as well as to your shared library of assets and any extra deliverables that will aid the developers, such as CSS stylesheets and element spacing and padding and color codes.Define a timeline for user testing and product roll-outYou may include a timeline or roadmap that establishes when user testing occurs, for example, after each feature design. Additionally, you may specify at what point you will have reached the MVP stage of your product that you will use with early adopters.<img alt="Functional specification documents — Gantt chart roadmap" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*nt1mA9km3lut1QEWMuijmw.png" width="750" height="620" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*nt1mA9km3lut1QEWMuijmw.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*nt1mA9km3lut1QEWMuijmw.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*nt1mA9km3lut1QEWMuijmw.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*nt1mA9km3lut1QEWMuijmw.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>Lastly, once the developer has coded all of the feature specifications, then you have reached the end product. However, most of the time there will be some scope for further future iterations of the product in the form of features, new versions and updates.In this case, the cycle is merely repeated, for which you will start with a brand new requirements statement and flesh out a new feature specification document.Did you know that you can create your own functional specification document template with Justinmind? Find out how to do it in our tutorial about creating specifications templates with MS Word!Functional specification document templatesHere are some great examples of functional specification documentation that you can also use as templates to start writing up your own quickly and easily without having to start everything from scratch and to make life just that little bit easier.1. Stanford universityThis functional specification document template from Stanford University is a 10-page document template that contains a complete table of contents with 10 items and an appendix.<img alt="Functional specification document — Stanford University" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*VqNe5po6s2DwlFQjX6jSVg.png" width="750" height="560" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*VqNe5po6s2DwlFQjX6jSVg.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*VqNe5po6s2DwlFQjX6jSVg.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*VqNe5po6s2DwlFQjX6jSVg.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*VqNe5po6s2DwlFQjX6jSVg.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>It ticks all the boxes of a complete functional specification document in that it contains risks and assumptions, project scope, business need, functional specifications and actors (users in use cases). There’s even a suggested part of the document to leave a link to your mockup or prototype, as well as a table for the development team to fill in ticketing issues.2. Smartsheet website functional requirements templateIf it’s a website you’re creating, be it an ecommerce or a blog, and you’re looking for a basic template — this functional specification document template from Smartsheet is the answer.This short template comes with questions that ask you to write in the details about your planned website without any technical knowledge required. It includes sections such as the purpose and business goals of the website, the target user personas and the organization of the website.<img alt="Functional specification document — Smartsheet" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*dMsKpH03ZH_lLwLmgM8oQw.png" width="750" height="550" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*dMsKpH03ZH_lLwLmgM8oQw.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*dMsKpH03ZH_lLwLmgM8oQw.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*dMsKpH03ZH_lLwLmgM8oQw.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*dMsKpH03ZH_lLwLmgM8oQw.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>It also has a section prompting you to sketch out the information architecture, along with how the features of the website should behave, as well other useful sections such as competitors’ websites.3. PMP NextGenIf you’re looking for an exhaustive, well-structured template that has everything logically laid out and easy to find, then this is the functional specification document from the Project Management Institute you want to be copying. It’s based on a PMP software system to be used by pharmacists for prescription reporting.<img alt="Functional specification document — PMP NextGen" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*9B86mDU_-PSudaRd8jjdzA.png" width="750" height="550" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*9B86mDU_-PSudaRd8jjdzA.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*9B86mDU_-PSudaRd8jjdzA.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*9B86mDU_-PSudaRd8jjdzA.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*9B86mDU_-PSudaRd8jjdzA.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>It serves as a brilliant example of how to integrate use cases, screen mockups and user flows in one document. It’s clear hierarchical numerical layout means that anyone who reads the document can easily navigate to any element within the document using the index.4. klariti.comKlariti is a website that offers various templates for sale for the many different document deliverables needed if you work in software, web and app development. They offer documents for software testing, development, business process design and case studies.<img alt="Functional specification document — Klariti" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*rjuMo6nQ0dORCBnr1YbIjw.png" width="750" height="570" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*rjuMo6nQ0dORCBnr1YbIjw.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*rjuMo6nQ0dORCBnr1YbIjw.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*rjuMo6nQ0dORCBnr1YbIjw.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*rjuMo6nQ0dORCBnr1YbIjw.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>Klariti’s 27-page functional specification document template comes in MS Word format. It helps you to define how a piece of software will function and how it will behave when the user provides it with certain inputs, or when certain conditions arise out of a specific situation.The Klariti template lets you enter in specifications for functions involving data manipulation, data processing, calculations, conditions and more. It’s available on their site for $9.99.5. Almooc.comThis functional specification document template by Almooc is 11-pages and also comes with an appendix and glossary section where you can fill in special terms and abbreviations for your product.<img alt="Functional specification document — Almooc" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*KgkIVXbz4GI13q6E16ZGFA.png" width="750" height="650" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*KgkIVXbz4GI13q6E16ZGFA.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*KgkIVXbz4GI13q6E16ZGFA.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*KgkIVXbz4GI13q6E16ZGFA.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*KgkIVXbz4GI13q6E16ZGFA.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>It includes five major sections, starting with the introduction that covers the purpose, scope, background and constraints. That section is followed by the methodology and then the functional requirements, where you lay down the context, user requirements and user flow diagrams.In the last section you’ll add in the UI requirements, system configuration requirements, data conversion and operational requirements — basically anything surplus to the functional specifications.Visualize functional specifications and generate documentsTest out functional specifications with prototypesDid you know that you can actually test out your functional specifications and validate them when you reach the prototype stage?Using Justinmind, you can quickly and easily test out your product’s functionality on your users before you get to the coding stage by using it in conjunction with integrated tools such as UserTesting and Hotjar. That’s just what one of our clients, Judit Casacuberta Bagó from Scytl does!Judit uses the Justinmind Events system to add complex interactions allowing her to recreate a workflow based on requirements. This in turn allows her and the team to evaluate how each touch point impacts the product as a whole.Her team then exports their prototypes to HTML. Subsequently, Judit typically walks her client through the main workflows, target users and the feature functionalities.Requirements moduleWhen it comes to requirements generation and functional specification documentation, you can also use a prototyping tool, such as Justinmind.Because prototyping tools are used before source code is written, the ability to generate documentation automatically is both useful and quick. Quick because you don’t need to spend time creating lengthy documents and useful because your developer will be able to understand exactly what you want.In the Justinmind interface, there’s a tab on the top right called Requirements. Here in the requirements module, you’ll find a comprehensive view of all the Requirements, including version histories, related components and comments.<img alt="Functional specification documents — Justinmind Requirements module" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*8NpeGS00MRMytWzmlY3TMw.png" width="750" height="550" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*8NpeGS00MRMytWzmlY3TMw.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*8NpeGS00MRMytWzmlY3TMw.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*8NpeGS00MRMytWzmlY3TMw.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*8NpeGS00MRMytWzmlY3TMw.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>Requirements module in JustinmindThe widgets you place on your canvas can be turned into requirements, simply by right clicking on them. These features enable teams to work in a truly collaborative manner, which is handy if you ever want to reach a consensus.It’s also possible to categorize requirements using colors and labels which results in a stronger grip on version control (because there’s nothing worse than being lost in twelve different versions of the same thing).To give your entire team full visibility and enhance collaboration, Justinmind lets you effortlessly integrate with JIRA, too. A click of the button (or more precisely: File > Export to Document) and you’ll have your documentation — visuals and all!The takeawayBest practice tells us that generating documentation will save you time, money and possibly work relationships. Functional specification documentation keeps all team players on the same page, working from one source of truth.Deviating from that can result in a poor project and frustrated individuals. So for the benefit of everyone’s stress levels, it’s best to create a well-thought out functional specification document!

Error reporting and exception handlingHere you will specify how the product will handle errors from the users’ input but also how it will behave when the user makes a “mistake” rather than merely embarking on an alternative flow.Ticketing system requirementHere you’ll show how the ticketing will be done to handle any bugs or issues that crop up during the development phase and even afterwards.

ApprovalsUnder the approvals category, you’ll have all the features that were given the go-ahead by the client and other stakeholders, like the product manager.

Gather requirementsGather requirements by listening to the client and carrying out vigorous user research. At this stage, you’ll be writing down a lot of information. To manage all this information, you can use a requirements gathering tool.After your prototype is complete, you can then initiate your first round of user testing to test out you and your client’s initial assumptions, i.e. everything about the user flow, the users’ mental models, and how they use the software. Most importantly, though, you can test that these features are actually usable for your main personae.<img alt="Steps to create functional specification documents" class="t u v if aj" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1500/1*sws8vNiOLNsQ010WN19bDw.png" width="750" height="450" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/max/552/1*sws8vNiOLNsQ010WN19bDw.png 276w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1104/1*sws8vNiOLNsQ010WN19bDw.png 552w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1280/1*sws8vNiOLNsQ010WN19bDw.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*sws8vNiOLNsQ010WN19bDw.png 700w" sizes="700px"/>If the testing confirms your assumptions, then you start to write up your functional specification document so that your developers can code the end product.Sit down with important members of your teamDon’t attempt to create a functional specification document in isolation. Rather, if it’s possible, try to include at least one person from each department involved in the product’s development, including the client.Co-writing is the way to go with functional specification documents, rather than working in a silo.Use software that lets you track changes easilyFirstly, it helps to use software that has good version control. Many functional specification documents are written in Microsoft Word, however, Google Docs tends to allow for better version control, something which is crucial in product development.Often, developers complain about messy version control in Word documents and not being able to see specifically when and where a certain change was made. There’s also the case that it’s far easier to keep changes to a document synced in the cloud using a Google Doc.

not having a functional specification document means spending way more time on coding and producing code that’s less efficient and of a lower quality and that will make it harder to fix bugs at a later time.

Functional specification documents are mainly for developers, as they are going to be the ones who code your product to provide the ultimate solution for the user.

System configurationsHere you’ll list out in detail the steps required to configure the future product. An example of this might be what is needed in order to create a user account.

Use casesA use case or user case is an overview of the situation that the user finds themselves in, that is, the problem they have and how your product helps them solve it. You can break a use case down further into user scenarios and user flows that describe, using diagrams, each stage in the process of using a feature.

StakeholdersUnder stakeholders, you’ll put down the names and job descriptions of everyone involved in the project.

As the first battleground of the Cold War, Korea was a laboratory for new military technologies, and strategies of counterinsurgency and regime installation crucial to the development of modern interventionist wars.

Washington’s insistence that denuclearization be a precondition to further negotiations puts the D.P.R.K. in the position of accepting military vulnerability with no guarantee of successful talks.

demilitarization and peace

disarmament and permanent military occupation

R.O.K.-D.P.R.K. Panmunjom Declaration and U.S.-D.P.R.K. Singapore Summit of 2018 represented significant progress

Korean Armistice Agreement

In the absence of a peace treaty, an unresolved state of war persists.

incomplete conquest sustained by the U.S.’ geopolitical investment in the ongoing state of division, war, and occupation

heroic struggle for the globalization of liberal freedoms

military hegemony as moral hegemony

yellow peril

model minority

a permanently abjected enemy whose depravity eclipses and necessitates the domestic and international brutalities of the U.S. world order

emergence of the contemporary liberal republic in South Korea (itself the imperfect achievement of decades of protracted working-class struggle) is retroactively presented as proof of how the U.S. “saved” Korea

“just war.”

U.S. experience with napalm in Korea preceded and informed its use in the First and Second Indochina Wars, the Algerian Revolution, the First and Second Gulf Wars, and the U.S. War in Afghanistan.

U.S. military frequently ordered soldiers to shoot internal refugees, leading to hundreds of massacres.

By 1953, 5 million people were dead, more than half of them civilians

“forgotten war,”

resulting delays and shortfalls affecting U.N. health programs alone resulted in 3,968 deaths in 2018

bans on items containing metal by the U.S. and U.N. have deprived the D.P.R.K.’s agricultural and medical sectors (along with all other sectors) of basic supplies and funds, and stymied efforts to deliver aid to the more than 15 million people living in poverty

escalating sanctions regime critically refurbished by the Obama administration

ongoing war

R.O.K. police officers were deployed to the remote village of Soseong-ri to escort the delivery of replacement interception missiles for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, a U.S.-installed and U.S.-operated missile shield.

ongoing militarization of the peninsula

narratives of the pandemic

paragon of technocratic governance, a liberal-democratic foil in villainizing narratives of China, and a stage for classic Orientalist bloviations on Eastern collectivity and automatism versus Western individualism and indomitability

MAXQDA

NVivo

Atlas.ti

America

England

19th century

Nottinghamshire, England

late 1700s

3,000 years ago

Cyrene (Libya)

Mediterranean

Middle East

Sicily

back much further

China’s Han Dynasty (c. 206 b.c.)

possibly oldest

1896

Wonalancet, New Hampshire

goes back more than 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty

China’s southern provinces

China

Africa

China

ancient times

prehistory

Mexico

ancient

19th century

Chesapeake Bay

mid 20th century

Czech

Russia

Central Asia

timeline can be found by tracing the history of the ancient Silk Road

over 5,000 years

oldest known group of dogs in existence today

17th-century

United Kingdom

American

1920s

since ancient times

Germany

1930s

Caucasus mountains

Louisiana

Catahoula Lake

1539

Southeastern United States

eastern United States

Central and South America

Southwest Indians

When primitive humans migrated across the Bering land bridge from Asia into North America

1200 BC

medieval

ancient

Cardiganshire, Wales

At the height of the Roman Empire’s power

Italy

Israelites of biblical times

4,000 years

thousands of years

today Israel, Lebanon, and parts of bordering countries

Canaan

Western Highlands

from at least the 1600s

English

mid- to late 19th century

England

13th-century

Britain

1800s

early 1800s

Brussels, Belgium

since the Middle Ages

17th century

hundreds of years ago

France

Brittany

since the time of Charlemagne

Brie

northern France

Pyrenean

France

the 15th century

province of Bourbon

as early as the late 1500s

France

ancient

Lombardy

Piedmont

northern Italy

fourth or fifth century BC.

around 1900

South Carolina

Boykin

the 20th century

as far as 2,500 B.C.

Assyrian empire

late 1800s and early 20th century

Germany

when the Bouvier was first conceived, Flanders was a principality encompassing parts of modern-day France, Belgium, and The Netherlands

medieval times

Belgium

Flanders

Boston

Liverpool

late 1860s

Russia

During the centuries of Romanov rule in Russia

old-time

Northumberland

north of England

Wales

highlands of Scotland

Viking raiders took their turn invading Britain

Roman occupation of Britain

glory days of the Roman Empire

year 43

as early as the Eleventh and Twelfth centuries

centuries ago

Bologna, Italy

1325

borders between Bohemia and Bavaria

Kingdom of Bohemia

European

South Africa

mid-1600s

French staghounds given to George Washington

before the founding of the country

American

about a thousand years ago

Western Europe

third-century

ancient Mediterranean

after World War II

1930s

near Moscow

The frontiersmen who lit out for the western and southern territories in post-Revolutionary times hoping to carve their fortune out of the wilderness

American

1986

January 20, 1984

sometime in the 13th century

Canary Islands

Tenerife

ancient

the days before mechanized farming and ranching, by the late 1800s

Switzerland

canton of Bern

Hauts-de-France region

Picardy

great antiquity

reputedly brought to northern France by the central-European Celts who invaded Gaul in prehistory

northern France

late Middle Ages

agricultural region southwest of Paris

Italian Alps

Italy

pre-Roman ancient world

distant past

Middle-Eastern