VibeSpec Score 20: Ambiguous Language

Score 20 indicates that a requirement uses vague language or terms that can be interpreted in multiple ways. Ambiguity leads to inconsistent implementations and confusion among teams.

Example requirements

1. “The app should open quickly under normal conditions.”
   • Project manager interpretation: “Quickly” means less than one second.
   • Developer interpretation: Could be anything under five seconds.
   • Fix: “The app should open within two seconds on standard hardware.”
2. “The interface must be intuitive for the average user.”
   • Designer interpretation: Minimal training should be required.
   • Tester interpretation: Needs defined usability metrics.
   • Fix: “Users should complete onboarding tasks in under three minutes without a manual.”
3. “The system should handle large data sets without issues.”
   • Data engineer interpretation: Means gigabytes of data.
   • Analyst interpretation: Could imply tens of terabytes.
   • Fix: “The system should process data sets up to 10 GB with a response time under five seconds.”

How VibeSpec detects and explains

VibeSpec highlights phrases like “quickly” or “large” and explains why they lack measurable criteria. The guidance encourages replacing them with specific thresholds or definitions.

Why interpretations differ

A project manager might assume “quickly” means under one second, while a developer could consider five seconds acceptable. Likewise, “large data sets” might mean gigabytes to one engineer but terabytes to another. By exposing these differing views, VibeSpec prompts teams to define clear metrics.