To answer the question “is there a difference between Requirements and Design?” we need to understand what these terms mean.
Let’s look at this grid below as represented by the IIBA:
| Key Concepts | Alignment to Core Concepts (starting with strongest alignment) |
| Requirement | Need, Value, Stakeholder |
| Design | Solution, Need, Context |
A Requirement represents a Need primarily. This is a need from the business or stakeholder vs a Design represents a solution primarily.
Is the line blurry between the two?
The answer to that is “it depends” on the context and what the needs of the stakeholders are. \
For example:
A requirement for an upgrade could be the the enterprise shall update the software (SAP etc) for the financial systems to 2.0, however the Design could be the actual method of implementation and how the upgrade needs to happen.
In the example above, you are starting with technology as a requirement.
Another example could be
A requirements for a report could be, the xyz department needs a report that will have xyz fields, however the design is the how could be the report must use cognos or something to that effect.
In the example above there is a much more clearer demarcation between the what and the how.
In conclusion:
There may be instances where the requirement and design have a blurred line. Always contextualize the work.
How do you handle the differences between a requirement and a design?
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