design-documentation

# Design Documentation

Create technical blueprints that bridge requirements and implementation. This skill teaches how to document architecture decisions, component design, and system interactions.

## When to Use This Skill

Use design documentation when:
- Requirements phase is complete and approved
- You need to plan technical implementation
- Multiple developers will work on the feature
- Architecture decisions need documentation
- The feature involves complex integrations

## Design Document Structure

### Standard Template

```markdown
# Design Document: [Feature Name]

## Overview
[High-level summary of the feature and approach]

## Architecture
[System architecture and component overview]

## Components and Interfaces
[Detailed component descriptions and interactions]

## Data Models
[Data structures and relationships]

## Error Handling
[Error scenarios and response strategies]

## Testing Strategy
[Testing approach and quality assurance]
```

## Step-by-Step Process

### Step 1: Requirements Analysis

Before designing, ensure you understand:
- All functional requirements
- Non-functional requirements (performance, security, scalability)
- Constraints (technology stack, timeline, resources)
- Integration points with existing systems

**Analysis Questions:**
- What does the system need to do?
- What are the performance expectations?
- What existing code/systems does this touch?
- What are the security requirements?
- What could go wrong?

### Step 2: Research and Context Building

Identify areas needing research:
- Technology choices and alternatives
- Third-party integrations and APIs
- Best practices for similar systems
- Security and compliance considerations

**Research Documentation:**
```markdown
## Research Findings

### [Topic]
**Sources:** [Links/references]
**Key Insights:**
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
**Impact on Design:** [How this affects our approach]
```

### Step 3: Define System Architecture

Document the high-level structure:

```markdown