[DevDojo] Mercari Design Doc - 2024

This session teaches the basics of the design docs (also known as technical specifications) needed for product development. It also explains how to write a good design doc and how design docs are used at Mercari.

Transcript

1. Design Doc April 2024 Dev Dojo @ashish
2. Design Doc - Definition A technical spec about a feature or a system that outlines the technical directions, design decisions, and implementation details of the system or feature
3. Design Doc - Purpose? - Blueprint - Provides a roadmap for developers and other stakeholders, guiding them through the design and implementation process - Communicate Decisions - Documents the logic behind architectural design choices, ensuring clarity and understanding among team members
4. Design Doc - Why? • Clarity and Communication ◦ Requirements, system’s architecture & design • Roadmap for Development ◦ Implementation roadmap, components interaction, technical details ◦ Speed up development • Risk Mitigation ◦ Identify potential risks and challenges early • Documentation ◦ Reference doc throughout the development ◦ Aiding in maintenance and future enhancements • Deliver with Quality ◦ Getting feedback from various stakeholders ◦ Improve code review quality
5. Design Doc - When? Spec Discussion Design doc Development PM plans/create a new idea Design and functionalities are fixed Start development after getting approval for design doc
6. Design Doc - Process Design Discussion Review Code Before writing code,and/or while prototyping By people having an insight for the domain Incorporate insight and idea Similar to “develop/review code” but It costs much less if written before actual code
7. Design Doc - Lifespan • Draft version and iteration ◦ Shared initial draft with teammates ◦ Update until find a stable version • Review ◦ Shared with wider audience • Implementation and Iteration ◦ Start implementation when reviews are done or almost done ◦ Update if anything minor changes while implementation ◦ For major changes create another version • Maintenance and Learning
8. Design Doc - How? • Gather Requirements • Define Scope • Outline Structure • Architecture • Include Visuals • Release plan
9. Design Doc - Teams • Each team may have a different process ◦ Design Docs may be required before implementation of some features ◦ Other engineers or the tech lead may need to approve ◦ Templates might be different ◦ Some teams may not have a design doc flow • Individual ◦ Even if your team does not require it, you might write design docs for your own learning
10. Thank you!