Practical hint : If you can think of several possible alternative specifications for getting what you want, then what you are specifying is solutions. Ask yourself, ‘What do I really want?’ These are your real goals. Alternatively, if you can ask, ‘Would I be willing to drop this specification if I got what I really want, or if this specification were in conflict with what I really want?,’ then your specification is probably just a solution, not a real requirement.