Design documents play a crucial role in ensuring the technical success of a project. Unlike project documents that cover timelines, goals, and stakeholders, a design doc is all about technical details and decision-making. It's the blueprint for developers, capturing how the system will be built and why certain decisions were made.
What Should a Design Doc Include?
1. Overivew
I like to start with a high level overview of the project, along with any key links - that could be the main figma project file, it could be user research documents, anything you think is critical.
2. Problem Statement
Start by clearly defining the problem you're solving. The problem statement anchors the entire design and helps keep the focus sharp.
3. Goals
Outline the technical objectives. What are the system requirements? Is scalability a concern? Do you have performance constraints? Setting clear goals helps guide decisions and trade-offs during the design process.
4. Detailed Design Breakdown
Now comes the core of the design doc: a detailed explanation of the architecture and its components. Discuss key modules, their functions, how they interact, and their data flow. Include annotated visuals where necessary.
I'll make strong use of headings and bullet points to try and keep it as easy to read as possible.
5. Alternatives Considered
Good design docs also explore alternative approaches. Briefly mention other solutions you considered, along with their pros and cons. This shows that you've thought through the design and are aware of trade-offs.
Within notion, you can collapse sections to make it easier to keep focus on the actual designs, and i'll often do that for any visuals within here. You don't want someone quickly scanning the document, seeing an alternative design and thinking that's the one you've gone with.
6. Challenges and Risks
Every design has its risks. Highlight potential challenges—whether technical limitations, performance bottlenecks, or external dependencies—and suggest mitigation strategies to address them.
7. Actions
I like to end with a clear list of actions that need to be taken. This could be a list of tasks that need to be completed, or a list of questions that need to be answered. The real task management will usually sit outside of here, but it's good to have a clear list of what needs to be done.
Conclusion
A well-written design doc is focused and technical. By clearly laying out the problem, design choices, and risks, it serves as a valuable guide for both developers and stakeholders throughout the project. It's not just about what you're building, but why you're building it that way.
I've found that the more time I spend on a design doc, the smoother the project runs. It's a small investment that you can do along side designing, that really pays off in the long run.
I've pulled together a simple Notion template that you can use to get started with your own design docs. It's a great starting point, but feel free to tweak it to suit your own needs.