This week in pm-clinic: thick vs. thin specs
This week in the pm-clinic discussion forum:
One ongoing debate in my world is thick vs. thin specs. The thick camp believes that specs need to be detailed (thick) and that specifications should be comprehensive to the point that most issues are well covered and that the spec can answer most questions programmers and testers have. The thin camp believes no one reads big specs and at best a spec should cover points of contention and basic principles, leaving the rest for the programmer/tester/etc. to interpret or ask for clarification.
Where do people stand on the thin vs. thick spec issue? Do specs in your org typically go for more than 10 pages (thick)? or less (thin)?
– Signed, Thick vs. thin
My answer is “as thin as possible”. I don’t think it is wise to go down the no-spec, 37 Signals route, but at the same time an over-complex spec can cripple a project.
I try to keep my documentation as thin as possible, but no thinner.