Verification and Validation (Design)

Updated 06 Sep 2026

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What it is
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  applying the standard verification/validation distinction specifically to design artifacts, rather than requirements documents
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Verification — "was the design built correctly?"
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  checks that the design matches the agreed requirements; done via requirements tracing, design walkthroughs, and coverage checklists
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  example: a requirement says "book up to 5 seats at once"; verification checks the booking module actually has that parameter/limit
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Validation — "was the correct design built?"
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  checks that the design genuinely satisfies what users/stakeholders actually need, even if it technically matches the written requirement
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  example: the design meets the written requirement, but users find the seat-selection UI too confusing in practice
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Note
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  this mirrors Requirements Validation's verification-vs-validation distinction, just applied one stage later — to the design rather than the requirements themselves
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Related
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  Certification (Software)

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