In the software industry, requirements are the set of features and capabilities that the stakeholders of a software application expect it to perform. Software design is then the technical implementation of these requirements. Requirements are typically non-technical in nature and describe the application’s function, as comprehensively and with as much detail as possible, through the lens of a layperson.

Requirements are determined through a process known as a requirements analysis or requirements gathering. For most applications, larger ones especially, this process can be long and drawn out, and the resulting requirements can be complex. This is because the demands we as a society place on software in the modern world are inherently complex. A multitude of decisions need to be made between conceptualization and development, and a requirements analysis captures these decisions so that project managers and software designers know how to proceed with implementation....read more.