How to create a Technical Specification Document with Claude - Learning in Public day 5

Introduction

When working on a complex web development project, having a clear technical roadmap is crucial. Without proper guidelines, your developers may make decisions that lead to messy code, inconsistencies across the platform, and issues down the line. That's why creating a detailed technical specification document upfront is so important.

In this post, I'll walk you through the process I use to map out the technical requirements before any code is written. This helps ensure my developers and I are always on the same page as we build products like the new Bali travel directory I'm currently working on.

The Challenge

When I started my last project without a proper technical spec, the codebase quickly became disorganized. Components were scattered across random folders, there were no consistent naming conventions, and the overall architecture felt like a tangled mess. Not an ideal situation!

For my new directory website, I wanted to avoid those headaches from the start. My goal was to create a clear, comprehensive guide that developers could reference to build the platform in a consistent, structured way.

Our Approach

To tackle this, I decided to leverage the power of AI tools like Claude from Anthropic. By describing my requirements and having Claude generate a technical specification document, I could ensure all the key elements were covered from the outset.

Here's a quick overview of what we'll be mapping out:

Tech Stack: The core frameworks and tools we'll use to build the project
Folder Structure: How files and components will be organized across the codebase
Naming Conventions: Rules for naming files, components, and other assets
User Roles: Different user types and their permissions within the platform
Functional Requirements: Core features like listing management, user profiles, and more

With this document in place, both my developers and I will have a single source of truth to follow as we bring the travel directory to life.

Step 1: Define the Tech Stack

The first step was to clearly outline the technology stack we'll be using. For this project, I chose:

React for the front-end
Next.js 15 for back-end rendering
Supabase for the database
Vercel for deployment and hosting

I've had good experiences with this modern stack on previous projects. React allows for building fast, interactive user interfaces. Next.js simplifies server-side rendering and static site generation. Supabase provides a robust backend with authentication and database tools. And Vercel makes deployment a breeze.

Of course, you can use whatever frameworks you're most comfortable with. The key is ensuring everyone is aligned on the core technologies from day one.

Step 2: Map Out the Project Structure

With the tech stack defined, we needed to establish how the project would be structured in terms of folders, files, and components. Clear organization is vital for maintainability and scalability.

Claude generated a proposed structure that separates concerns into logical sections:

/admin: For the admin dashboard, user management, and settings
/public: For the customer-facing website (homepage, category pages, etc.)
/components: Reusable components like headers, footers, and listing cards
/middleware: For handling authentication, redirects, and routing logic
/styles: For global and utility styles
/utils: For shared utility functions and configurations

This separation of concerns makes it easier for developers to navigate the codebase and understand where different parts of the application live.

Within each section, Claude also suggested guidelines for naming files, such as using PascalCase for React components and following a consistent pattern for routes and API endpoints.

Step 3: Define User Roles and Permissions

For a platform like a travel directory, we need different user roles with varying levels of access. An admin should be able to manage all aspects of the site, while general users may only be able to leave reviews or save favorite listings.

Claude helped map out a basic role hierarchy:

Guest: Default role for non-authenticated visitors (read-only access)
User: Authenticated users can leave reviews, save favorites, etc.
Editor: Can manage certain aspects of listings and content
Admin: Full access to manage all data, users, and settings

With these roles defined early, we can bake in the appropriate permissions and access controls from the start. This helps maintain data integrity and security as the platform grows.

Step 4: Outline Core Features and Requirements

Finally, we outlined the key features and functional requirements the platform needs to have:

Listing Management: Create, edit, and delete listings for stays, dining, activities, etc.
User Profiles: Allow users to create accounts, manage saved listings, and leave reviews
Admin Dashboard: Central hub for admins to moderate all data and user activity
Partner Portal: Potentially allow partners to manage their own listings in the future
Search and Filtering: Robust search across listings with filtering by category, amenities, etc.

By defining these requirements upfront, we ensure the developers understand exactly what core functionality needs to be built into the initial versions of the platform.

Challenges We Faced

While this process was extremely helpful, there were a few challenges I ran into:

Adapting AI-Generated Content: Claude provided a great starting point, but I still needed to review, tweak, and adapt parts of the spec to fully align with my specific needs and preferences.
Handling Advanced Concepts: For more complex technical areas like authentication flows and middleware logic, I realized I needed to do additional research and learning before finalizing those sections.
Defining Project-Specific Rules: Setting up custom rules for Claude to follow within the project initially proved tricky, though this is something I plan to improve for future projects.

How We Overcame Them

To work through these challenges:

I reviewed and revised the spec myself to incorporate my own knowledge and make it truly tailored to this project.
I made notes on areas I needed to learn more about, like authentication best practices with Next.js, so I could revisit and update those sections later.
I put the rules setup on hold for now, but will come back to define clear AI rules as the project progresses.

The key was understanding that the AI assistance is a powerful tool, but not a complete substitute for my own expertise and oversight. By combining Claude's output with my own reviews and additions, we created a robust, comprehensive specification.

Results So Far

With this 10-page technical specification document complete, I now have a crystal clear guide for how the Bali travel directory website should be architected and built.

This upfront investment will pay major dividends as we move into active development. My developers and I are on the same page in terms of tech stack, project structure, and core requirements. We have established conventions for naming, roles, and permissions.

Instead of building in an ad-hoc way that leads to technical debt, we're laying a strong foundation for an organized, maintainable, and scalable codebase. This is a game-changer!

Key Takeaways

Define your technical specifications upfront before writing any code
Leverage AI tools to generate a solid starter framework, then adapt it to your needs
Cover key areas like tech stack, folder structure, naming rules, user roles, and core features
Don't let AI output replace your own expertise - review and refine the AI-generated content
Establish a single source of truth that your entire team can reference as you build

What's Next

With this technical specification locked in, I'm going to spend the next couple of days mapping out the specific pages, components, and data architecture we'll need for the travel directory.

Then, it's time to set up the actual development environment and start turning these plans into reality! I can't wait to share the process of building out the initial versions of the platform.

Conclusion

If you want to build a high-quality, maintainable web application while avoiding headaches down the road, do not skip the critical step of creating a technical specification document. It takes time upfront, but will save you countless hours and ensure your project stays on track.

By combining AI tools with your own expertise, you can develop a comprehensive guide that covers all the key technical areas. With this roadmap in place, both you and your developers can work in lockstep toward the same goals. Trust me, your future self will thank you!

Want to follow along with my journey of building the Bali travel directory in public? Subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on Twitter for real-time updates!