While it is not the typical task of a UX designer to develop a Business Requirements Document (BRD), it is important to be cognizant of the business requirements as part of the process of thinking about the user experience. By understanding the business requirements, I can most effectively work with my team to deliver a UX with a user-first approach that delivers the project in keeping with the goals of the business.

The business requirements help focus thinking on the target audience, competition, and the risk/opportunity with respect to the product being developed. With these areas identified, SMART goals are applied.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. This forces the business to think about objectives, how those objectives will be measured, and when the objectives will be delivered.

It is then important to describe the scope of the project, list the functionality of the product, and provide a high-level delivery schedule.

With these in hand, a UX designer, and the rest of the product team, have clear guidance as to what is required from a business perspective.

I developed a BRD for the Ahoy! app in my UX Design course with CareerFoundry. Here are some key excerpts from my business requirements exercise (you can access the complete exercise at the end of this article).

Ahoy! Business Requirements for UX Design

Target Audience

As 12 is the minimum age for obtaining a boating safety certificate in many states, the demographics for the Ahoy! app are recreational boaters of all ages. Practically speaking, however, our focus should be on recreational boaters at least 18 years old as they are most likely the boaters making the decisions. Our recreational boaters are looking to get informative marine weather reports and forecasts quickly. With a glance, they want to be able to determine if weather conditions are ideal for a safe and pleasurable day on the water.

Competition

There are dozens of boating weather apps on the market, both free and for purchase. The obvious competitors with the greatest market share and name recognition are apps such as BoatUS, Buoyweather, and NOAA Marine Forecast. As they all offer at least basic marine weather reports and forecasts, it is imperative Ahoy! offers at least one unique, value-added, feature to solve a problem faced by recreational boaters.

Risk/Opportunity

The main risk is that the Ahoy! app will not stand out in a crowded market for boating weather apps, especially when apps like BoatUS are backed by well-known and respected boating organizations. Nonetheless, there is opportunity in that none of the apps on the market currently feature a personalized feature to quickly assess if weather conditions fall within a customized set of parameters for a pleasant day of boating. Also, weather is not a primary feature of the BoatUS app, and most marine weather apps can be hard to read due to basic text feeds.

SMART Goals

1.Objective: Create Ahoy! responsive web app that is a strong competitor in the boating weather app market.
Measured by usability testing prior to launch and user testing after launch. Delivered 3 months after product launch.

2.Objective: Develop an online marketing campaign through targeted Facebook ads and ads with online boating magazines. Measured by ads deployed through the Facebook advertising campaign and ads placed with online boating magazines. Delivered at product launch and running for an initial 2 months.

3.Objective: Gain 1,000 users within 2 months of launch. Measured by the number of users within 2 months of launch. Delivered 60 days after launch.

The Scope of the Ahoy! Project:

Web Application: The design and development of the Ahoy! responsive web app (product) itself.

Marketing Plan: Our online strategy for acquiring users over the first 2 months after product launch.

Website: A website to help promote Ahoy! that will showcase features of the app, provide informational and instructional videos, and encourage recreational boaters to use Ahoy!.

Video Content: Part of our marketing plan includes short promotional and instructional videos about Ahoy! To post on the product website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. The videos can also be used as Facebook and YouTube video ads.

The Functional Requirements of the Ahoy! App:

• Splash Screen
• Account Creation / Login (including social login option)
• Navigation Menu
• Onboarding Sequence
• Home Screen
• Weather Dashboard with Real-Time Wind, Weather, and Algae Reports
• Search Weather Reports and Forecasts by Location
• Weather Reports and Forecasts Search Results
• Set Weather Conditions Preferences
• Weather Conditions Rating (based on set preferences)
• Recommendations to help users stay safe
• Profile with account information, saved locations, and saved weather conditions preferences

High-Level Delivery Schedule

Weeks 1-2

• User Research

Weeks 3-4

• User stories
• Personas
• Flowcharts

Weeks 5-6

• Low-fidelity wireframes
• Low-fidelity interactive prototype

Weeks 7-8

• Mid-fidelity interactive prototype
• UI Design
• Usability Testing

Weeks 9-10

• High-fidelity interactive prototype
• Final UI design
• Usability testing
• Begin creatives for marketing campaign

Weeks 11-12

• Developer coding
• Begin work on website and videos

Weeks 13-14

• Responsive web and mobile app completed
• Initial user testing

Week 15

• App launched
• Website launched
• Marketing campaign begins