THE MALICIOUS LABYRINTH OF REQUIREMENTS - THREE TYPES OF REQUIREMENTS FOR A SYSTEMATIC DETERMINATION OF PRODUCT PROPERTIES

Product designers face the challenge of translating customer needs and expectations into requirements to define appropriate desired product properties that satisfy customers. Various conceptual requirement definitions are existing in literature. The definitions allow a great room for interpretation and are partially contradictory for which reason it lacks a differentiated conceptual understanding. Therefore, the paper presents the results of a systematic literature analysis of existing requirement definitions by analysing their causal dependencies. Often, the terminology refers to the purpose of requirements in development processes. The paper provides a critically reflected conceptual differentiation of existing requirement terms. Resulting from the differentiated conceptual understanding, three major types of requirements need to be distinguished. They support an effective transformation of requirements into desired product properties. Thus, a valuable base for methodological support of the requirement acquisition process is provided.