Why This Step Matters

  • Clarity & Alignment: Documents the “what” and “why,” avoiding scope creep.
  • Efficient Design: Helps UX/UI teams focus on essential features.
  • Accessibility from Day 1: Embeds WCAG 2.2 guidelines early, saving time and cost later.

Key Activities

Activity Purpose Accessibility Check
Stakeholder Workshops Collect business objectives and constraints Provide captioned recordings and written notes
User Personas & Journeys Define primary audience and pain points Include personas with diverse abilities
Functional & Non-functional Requirements Detail features, performance, and security
Pa11y Command Line / CI Specify WCAG conformance level
Success Metrics Identify measurable outcomes Track KPIs for inclusive experience

Example Project: FitTrack (Fitness Tracking App)

Business Goals

  • Increase daily active users by 15% in 6 months.

User Personas

  • “Busy Professionals” seeking quick progress updates.
  • “Fitness Enthusiasts” wanting detailed analytics.

Core Requirements

  • Step counter, weekly progress charts, social sharing.
  • VoiceOver compatibility and color-contrast compliance.

KPIss

  • Retention rate, average session time, accessibility audit score.

By documenting these items in a shared requirements brief, designers and developers can proceed with confidence.


Tips for Success

  • Use collaborative tools like Notion or Confluence for version control.
  • Add ARIA specifications to requirements for early accessibility planning.
  • Schedule a stakeholder sign-off meeting to lock the scope.

Free AI Tools to Speed the Process

  • ChatGPT / Claude – Draft user stories and acceptance criteria.
  • Miro AI – Summarize workshop notes into structured requirements.
  • Notion AI – Auto-generate requirement templates with headings and checklists.

✅ Conclusion

Defining requirements is more than documentation—it’s the foundation of a successful, inclusive product. A clear, accessible requirements brief ensures that every design and code decision supports both user needs and business goals.