Product requirements document (PRD) template

Amazing products are built by amazing teams, and the most successful teams have a clear, cohesive plan. The product requirements document (PRD) is the single source of truth for the key aspects of your product.

About this product requirements document (PRD) template

Our product requirements document template was created in partnership with Mike Edmonds, chief experience officer at Moonshot by Pactera EDGE, to help product teams make their PRDs more visual and collaborative.

What is a product requirement document?

A product requirements document is an outline used to communicate new information and capabilities to product teams. PRDs help teams develop product features and plan for a successful release. The product development team will use this document to describe a new product's what, who, why, and how, as well as any challenges that could slow progress along the way.

A PRD typically includes:

• A product vision
• Scope
• Objectives
• Target audience
• Requirements

PRDs typically include a high-level overview of the product and detailed information on requirements, such as user flows, functional specifications, and UI/UX design. Product managers should regularly review and update product requirements to remain relevant and achievable. Doing so ensures the product meets a customer's ever-changing needs.

Why use a product requirement document?

Product requirement documents are a vital tool in project management that ensures technical teams create a great product and work within a given timeframe. This document is research-based and reduces the risk of misunderstandings between team members. It covers everything from the initial vision, to possible iterations once the project is completed and shipped.

The product requirement document allows product managers to create a living document that informs team members on the purpose of a new product. Designers and developers can use this document to inspire mockups, develop prototypes, guide work, and revisit essential information at any time.

Benefits of creating a product requirements document

Without a common framework for understanding the product, it can be difficult to make progress towards the same goal. A PRD can also help to prevent scope creep by clearly defining what is out of scope for the product. Ultimately, a well-crafted product requirements document is essential for ensuring that everyone on the team is on the same page and working towards the same goal.

Product requirements help to guide the development of a product and ensure that it meets the needs of the customer. PRDs are typically created by product managers and then shared with the engineering team. They should be aligned with the overall product strategy and provide a framework for development.

This product requirements document template creates one source of truth for the research behind your product and the requirements to build it. Product managers can create this template alone or have team members work online collectively. You'll work with several key sections when making a product requirements document with Mural.

These sections are:

• What
• Who
• Why
• How
• Questions and iterations

1. What

This section is the foundation of product development. Here you'll write the product name and the overview. The overview should briefly describe what the product is about in three key points:

1a) The Problem

Describe the problem (or opportunity) you're trying to solve. Why is it important for customers and your business? What insights are you operating on? And if relevant, what problems are you not trying to solve?

1b) High-Level Approach

Describe the approach you're taking to solve the problem. This should be enough for the reader to imagine possible solutions and gain a rough sense of this project.

1c) Define the Product's Purpose

Creating your product story starts with three simple questions: What is your product? Why do you exist? How are you doing it? The template provides an engaging diagram to collect your thoughts on these critical questions and a table to place information to guide the development process.

2. Who

This section defines the product's primary and secondary personas. The template provides two areas where primary and secondary personas can be developed:

2a) Primary Personas

Here you will develop two personas that closely resemble the main target of your product or service. Their needs, challenges, and goals should inform your product design.

2b) Secondary Personas

Secondary personas represent individuals who aren’t your key target but may also use your product or service. Secondary personas can share core needs with your primary personas but differ in demographics, behaviours and attitudes.

3. Why

This section defines goals and success metrics, and value proposition. Together, these two sectors cover the following:

3a) Define Goals

If everything goes according to plan, what will you be doing six months and two years from now? The template provides a diagram to organize your current goals and goals for month six, year one, year two, and year 5.

3b) Define Success Metrics

Here you'll organize what key metrics you'll measure your success on. This can include product KPIs (key performance indicators) such as new feature adoption and daily active users.

3c) Value Proposition

Mural's template provides an easy-to-use value proposition canvas that will make defining the value proposition simple. The canvas allows you to compare the primary persona to your product or service.

On this canvas, you'll write your primary persona's pains and gains. On the other half of the canvas, you'll answer the following questions: How does your product relieve pain points, frustrations, and challenges for your primary persona? What benefits or solutions does your product create for your primary persona?

This information will act as the building blocks for your value proposition. Once you've completed the canvas, distill the data into a strong value proposition.

4. How

Give an overview of what you're building. Provide an organized list of features, with priorities if relevant. This section has four main components:

4a) What's In

In this table, note features used in the final product. These are the distinct, prioritized features and a short explanation of why each element is essential. This is a great place for development teams to sell their product feature ideas.

4b) What's out

In this table, note features that will not be used in the final product. Include what features you have decided not to use and why. This table can serve as a reminder of why certain product features didn't work in the past. This information can inspire team members to add more value-added features to the final product.

4c) Timeline release planning

Identify any relevant milestones that people should know about. Here you can plan the dates, milestones, audience and description of each event before the product release date. Make sure to show when you're expecting to launch the product publicly.

4d) Key Design Flows/Mockups

Show some mockups of the product. Link to other documentation if necessary. In general, it's helpful to organize these around specific journeys or use cases. Show enough of a clickthrough where people can walk away with a reasonable understanding of how the product works.

This section provides blank phone diagrams where you can place your mockup inside or insert your images.

5. Questions and iterations

Use this space to write any questions or topics that require additional work. You can create a Q&A for your product and note any other considerations that may be useful to the development team.