Design Documents

This directory contains design documents for complex systems and workflows in the Facility Reservation System.

Design Doc Index

Number Title Status
001 Code Generation Pipeline Active
002 API Contract Ecosystem Active
003 Development Workflow Active

What is a Design Doc?

Design documents explain how complex systems work and provide implementation guidance. Unlike ADRs which document specific decisions, design docs cover entire features or workflows.

Each design doc typically includes:

  • Goals and Non-Goals: What the system should and shouldn’t do
  • Overview: High-level system description
  • Detailed Design: Implementation specifics
  • Alternatives Considered: Other approaches and why they weren’t chosen
  • Testing Plan: How to verify the system works correctly

Design Doc Format

We use a modified Google-style design doc template:

# [Number]. [Title]

**Author**: [Name]  
**Status**: [Draft | Active | Deprecated]  
**Last Updated**: [YYYY-MM-DD]

## Goals

[What this system should accomplish]

## Non-Goals

[What this system explicitly does NOT do]

## Overview

[High-level description of the system]

## Detailed Design

[Implementation specifics, diagrams, code examples]

## Alternatives Considered

[Other approaches and why they weren't chosen]

## Testing Strategy

[How to verify the system works]

## Future Considerations

[Known limitations and potential improvements]

Creating a New Design Doc

  1. Copy the template format above
  2. Use the next sequential number (001, 002, etc.)
  3. Write a clear, descriptive title
  4. Start with status “Draft”
  5. Get feedback from the team
  6. Change to “Active” once agreed upon

Principles

  • Focus on complex systems: Only document things that need explanation
  • Living documents: Update as systems evolve
  • Implementation guidance: Provide enough detail for implementation
  • Honest about tradeoffs: Document alternatives and their pros/cons
  • Visual aids: Use diagrams and code examples liberally

Table of contents