Specifications

Specifications are the heart of Xpec - detailed technical documents that describe what you want to build. Using AI, Xpec transforms your ideas into comprehensive, professional specifications that development teams can follow.

What is a Specification?

A specification in Xpec is a structured document that includes:

• Overview - What you're building and why
• Features - Detailed feature descriptions and user stories
• Feature Requirements - Key requirements, constraints, and dependencies
• User Experience - Interface mockups and user flows
• Acceptance Criteria - Clear criteria for feature completion
• Testing Criteria - How to validate the implementation

Getting Started with Specifications

Creating Your First Specification

1. Navigate to Specifications - Click "Specifications" in the main navigation
2. Click "New Specification" - Start the creation process
3. Choose Your Method:
   • Quick Start Templates - Pre-built prompts for common patterns
   • Custom Description - Describe your idea in plain English
4. Select a Product (optional) - Organize under a product for better structure
5. Generate - Let AI create your specification

Quick Start Templates

Xpec provides templates for common development patterns:

Web Applications

• 📊 Analytics Dashboard - Real-time metrics and data visualization
• ✍️ Blog Content Management - Full-featured CMS with SEO
• 🔍 Advanced Search & Filters - Full-text search with faceted filtering

Mobile Applications

• 📱 Mobile App Onboarding - User registration and tutorial flows
• 🔔 Notification System - Multi-channel notification delivery

Backend Systems

• 🔌 API Gateway Service - RESTful APIs with authentication
• 🔐 User Authentication System - Complete auth with OAuth

E-commerce & Business

• 🛒 E-commerce Checkout Flow - Shopping cart and payment processing
• 📋 Task Management Board - Kanban-style project management

Communication & Social

• 💬 Real-time Chat System - Instant messaging with file sharing

Working with Specifications

The Specification Editor

The editor combines rich text editing with AI-powered assistance:

Document Structure

• Auto-generated sections based on your requirements
• Rich formatting with headers, lists, tables, and code blocks
• Real-time collaboration with team members
• Version history to track changes over time

AI Chat Integration

• Contextual assistance - Ask questions about any part of your spec
• Content generation - Request new sections or expansions
• Refinements - Ask for more detail, clarity, or technical depth
• Examples - Get code samples, API designs, or user stories

Common AI Prompts for Refinement

Adding Technical Detail

• "Add more detail about the database schema"
• "Explain the API endpoints needed for this feature"
• "Include security considerations for user authentication"
• "Add mobile-specific implementation notes"

User Experience Focus

• "Create user stories for each major feature"
• "Add wireframes or UI descriptions"
• "Include accessibility requirements"
• "Describe the user onboarding flow"

Development Guidance

• "Break this feature into smaller development tasks"
• "Add acceptance criteria for testing"
• "Include third-party integrations needed"
• "Explain the deployment requirements"

Specification Views

List View

• See all specifications at a glance
• Search and filter by content, product, or status
• Quick access to recent modifications
• Shared specification indicators

Kanban View

• Drag and drop specifications between status columns
• Visual workflow management
• Track progress across multiple specs
• Perfect for team planning sessions

Specification Status Management

Track your specifications through development stages:

Draft - Work in progress, not ready for implementation

• Use for initial brainstorming and content generation
• Perfect for iterating on ideas before finalizing

Ready - Complete and ready for development team review

• All major sections completed
• Feature requirements clearly defined
• Ready for estimation and planning

In Progress - Currently being implemented by developers

• Implementation has started
• Use for tracking active development work

Completed - Implementation finished and delivered

• Development work is complete
• Specification served its purpose

Archived - No longer active but preserved for reference

• Deprecated features or cancelled projects
• Historical reference for future work

Advanced Features

Real-time Collaboration

Multi-user Editing

• See team members' cursors and selections
• Real-time text changes
• Conflict resolution for simultaneous edits
• Activity feed showing who changed what

Comments and Reviews

• Add comments to specific sections
• @ mention team members for attention
• Resolve discussions when addressed
• Track review completion status

Sharing and Export

Public Sharing

• Generate secure links for external stakeholders
• No Xpec account required for viewers
• Optional password protection
• Expiring links for time-sensitive reviews

Export Options

• PDF export for offline review
• Markdown export for integration with other tools
• Print-friendly formatting
• Copy specific sections to clipboard

Persona Integration

Context-Aware Specifications

• Include user personas directly in specifications
• Generate user stories based on persona needs
• Reference persona pain points in feature descriptions
• Align technical decisions with user research

Insight Integration

• Apply insights from persona interviews
• Reference specific user feedback in requirements
• Connect features to validated user needs
• Track which insights influenced which features

v0 Platform Integration

UI Generation (when v0 is connected)

• Generate interactive prototypes from specifications
• Real-time UI preview within Xpec
• Export generated code for development
• Iterate on designs with chat-based refinements

Organization and Management

Products and Projects

Product-level Organization

• Group related specifications under products
• Shared context across specifications
• Product-wide personas and insights
• Consistent branding and requirements

Project Grouping

• Organize specifications by development phase
• Sprint planning and milestone tracking
• Feature grouping for release planning
• Cross-specification dependencies

Search and Discovery

Powerful Search

• Full-text search across all content
• Filter by product, project, or status
• Search within specific sections
• Find specifications by keywords or concepts

Smart Filtering

• Filter by creation date or last modified
• Show only shared specifications
• Filter by team member contributions
• Status-based filtering for workflow management

Best Practices

Writing Effective Specifications

Start Simple, Iterate

1. Begin with a clear, simple description
2. Let AI generate the initial structure
3. Use chat to add detail and refinement
4. Review and adjust based on team feedback

Be Specific About Requirements

• Include target platforms (web, mobile, desktop)
• Specify user types and permissions
• Detail integration requirements
• Mention performance and scalability needs

Focus on User Value

• Start each feature with user benefit
• Include user stories and acceptance criteria
• Reference persona research and insights
• Validate assumptions with user feedback

Collaboration Guidelines

Team Workflow

1. Draft Phase - Individual creation and initial AI refinement
2. Review Phase - Team collaboration and feedback
3. Ready Phase - Final approval and handoff to development
4. Development Tracking - Status updates and implementation notes

Communication Best Practices

• Use comments for questions and suggestions
• @ mention team members for urgent items
• Keep status updated for team visibility
• Share links for stakeholder reviews

Quality Checklist

Before marking a specification as "Ready":

• ✅ Clear problem statement and objectives
• ✅ Complete feature list with user stories
• ✅ Feature requirements and acceptance criteria
• ✅ User interface descriptions or mockups
• ✅ Acceptance criteria for each feature
• ✅ Security and performance considerations
• ✅ Integration requirements clearly defined
• ✅ Team review completed

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

AI Generation Problems

• Issue: Specification seems too generic
• Solution: Provide more specific context about your users, platform, and unique requirements

Issue: Missing technical details

• Solution: Use chat to request specific technical sections: "Add database schema details" or "Include API endpoint specifications"

Issue: Features don't match user needs

• Solution: Create personas first, then reference them when generating specifications

Performance Tips

Faster Generation

• Be specific in your initial description
• Use templates as starting points
• Break complex projects into smaller specifications
• Iterate on sections rather than regenerating everything

Better Collaboration

• Establish clear status meanings with your team
• Use comments instead of direct edits for suggestions
• Set up regular review cycles
• Keep specifications focused and scoped

Integration with Other Features

Persona-Driven Development

1. Create detailed personas for your product
2. Reference personas when generating specifications
3. Include persona-specific user stories
4. Validate features against persona needs

Insight Application

1. Extract insights from persona interviews
2. Apply insights to specification requirements
3. Reference specific user feedback in features
4. Track insight-to-feature relationships

Development Handoff

1. Mark specifications as "Ready" when complete
2. Share with development team for estimation
3. Update status to "In Progress" when development starts
4. Use comments for developer questions and clarifications

Advanced Tips

Power User Features

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl/Cmd + K - Quick command search
• Ctrl/Cmd + / - Toggle AI chat
• Ctrl/Cmd + Enter - Send chat message
• Ctrl/Cmd + S - Manual save (auto-save is enabled)

Advanced Prompting

• "Create a feature specification section for [specific functionality]"
• "Generate user acceptance criteria in Gherkin format"
• "Add security considerations following OWASP guidelines"
• "Include database migration scripts for this schema"

Bulk Operations

• Multi-select specifications for batch status updates
• Bulk export multiple specifications
• Mass sharing link generation
• Batch archive for completed projects

Automation Ideas

Development Workflow Integration

• Export specifications to project management tools
• Generate development tickets from user stories
• Sync specification status with development progress
• Automated stakeholder notifications on status changes

Quality Assurance

• Create test plans from acceptance criteria
• Generate QA checklists from specifications
• Link bug reports back to specification sections
• Track requirement coverage in testing

Remember: Great specifications come from iteration. Start simple, get feedback early, and refine based on real user needs and development constraints.