Course Curriculum

5 Sections
00

Why Your Role as a Designer Has Changed

3 Lessons 14 min
  • The Bottleneck Has Shifted: From Code to Design Intent 4 min
  • Specs: The New Design Artifact 4 min
  • What Makes a Spec Effective 6 min

Resources Provided

  • 0.0_CheatSheet_Writing-Specs-for-AI-Built-Products (PDF)
01

Writing the Foundational Spec

6 Lessons 44 min
  • Start With What You Know 5 min
  • The Anatomy of a Foundational Spec, Part 1 7 min
  • The Anatomy of a Foundational Spec, Part 2 7 min
  • Choosing Your Medium: Words, Diagram, and Mockups 5 min
  • A Complete Fieldwork Spec 1 min
  • The NN/G Brain Dump Agent Skill 1 min

Practice Activities

  • Write a Foundational Spec (Instructions) 16 min
  • Write a Foundational Spec (Walkthrough) 2 min

Resources Provided

  • 1.7_Demo_Fieldwork-Design-Spec (ZIP)
  • 1.8_Skill_NNG-Brain-Dump (ZIP)
02

Keeping the Spec Alive

3 Lessons 37 min
  • Identifying Spec-Worthy Gaps 6 min
  • Writing and Maintaining Iterative Specs 7 min
  • When and How to Split a Spec 6 min

Practice Activities

  • Instructions 16 min
  • Walkthrough 2 min
03

Reviewing the Build for Design Intent

3 Lessons 36 min
  • Conducting an Intent Audit 6 min
  • Interpreting What You Find 6 min
  • The Collaborative Review Session 6 min

Practice Activities

  • Audit a Built Product (Instructions) 16 min
  • Audit a Built Product (Walkthrough) 2 min
04

Working Within Your Team

3 Lessons 33 min
  • How Your Team Is Using AI (and Why It Matters for Specs) 5 min
  • Where Specs Live and How to Organize Them 4 min
  • The Feedback Loop: Learning From Each Build 3 min

Practice Activities

  • Map Your Team’s Workflow (Instructions) 16 min
  • Adapting to a Real Team Context and Conclusion (Walkthrough) 5 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Produce both a foundational specification document that developers and AI tools can build from
  • Decide which gaps are worth documenting, and update the spec without disrupting dev work
  • Evaluate a built product against specifications and design intent
  • Adapt spec-writing practice to your team’s AI-development workflow

Course Preview

 to watch NN/g videos

Tools Used in This Course

To complete activities in this course, you will need access to a plain text editor. This tool is included in most computers (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac).

All other resources can be accessed through a standard PDF reader.

This course features unique interactive files that let you practice what you’ve learned. These can be accessed through any browser, although we recommend using your desktop.

Turn Problems Into Solutions

Make structural decisions that recognizes design work and intent

  • Externalize what you know, what you don't, and what still needs deciding before spec writing begins
  • Write a spec that defines the objects, roles, behavioral rules, and edge cases developers can build from
  • Choose between words, diagrams, and annotated mockups to close the context gaps

Maintain one trustworthy source of truth throughout the project’s lifecycle

  • Triage which developer questions and mid-cycle changes are worth documenting, and which aren't
  • Write targeted updates that resolve gaps while staying true to previous guidance
  • Split a spec into separate, navigable documents when one has grown too large

Catch coherence problems before they ship

  • Audit a built product against design intent rather than spec compliance alone
  • Distinguish a surface visual issue from a structural coherence failure
  • Decide whether a finding calls for changing the build, the spec, or the intent itself

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will I have access to this course?
Once purchased, your access will never expire. This ensures you can learn at your own pace and return to review content as often as you'd like, whenever you need.
Will I get personalized instructor feedback on course activities?
No, personalized feedback is not provided for activities completed during the course. Most courses provide answer keys to activities that help learners reflect on their progress and understanding of course materials and examples.
What content can I download?
You can download a variety of resources provided with each course, including templates, how-to guides, cheat sheets, posters, reading lists, and more. Video lessons provided in all courses will not be available for download.
Can I access this course offline or on a mobile device?
Offline access isn't available yet, although we plan to add it. Most courses offer downloadable resources for offline reference.

For the best experience, mobile devices are not recommended.
Is this course eligible for the NNGroup UX Certification Program?
Unfortunately, self-paced courses do not count toward UX Certification. However, learners who complete the final exam will receive a “Recognition of Completion” to demonstrate their achievement.

See our Live Online courses for options that count toward UX Certification.
What can I share with my employer to show I’ve completed the training?
Upon completing a course’s final assessment, you will receive a “Recognition of Completion” showcasing your dedication to learning the topic. This document can be shared with your employer or professional network to demonstrate your new skills and commitment to professional development.