How can you document the rationale and justification for system design?

1 Benefits of documenting rationale and justification

Documenting the rationale and justification for system design can be incredibly beneficial, as it allows you to communicate the design vision to stakeholders, developers, testers, and users. Furthermore, it provides a reference for future changes, maintenance, and evaluation of the system. Additionally, it helps to avoid rework, conflicts, and misunderstandings while also supporting the validation and verification of the system. Ultimately, this will result in an improved quality, reliability, and usability of the system.

2 Methods of documenting rationale and justification

There are various methods for documenting the rationale and justification for system design, depending on the level of detail, formality, and audience. Design rationale documents are written in natural language, structured language, or graphical notation and describe the problem, alternatives, criteria, trade-offs, assumptions, and arguments that led to the design solution. Annotations can also be embedded in the design artifacts such as diagrams, models, or code to explain the design choices and their implications. Additionally, design rationale tools can be integrated with design tools or standalone applications using databases, ontologies, or argumentation frameworks to support capture, representation, and retrieval of design rationale.

3 Best practices for documenting rationale and justification

Documenting the rationale and justification for system design is not an easy task. To help with the process, there are some best practices to consider. Firstly, you should define the scope and purpose of the documentation, including the level of detail, formality, and audience. Additionally, it's important to use a consistent and clear format and style that conforms to the standards of your domain and organization. Furthermore, you should document the rationale and justification as you go through the design process, rather than after it's completed. This allows you to capture the design thinking and reasoning while they are still fresh. Additionally, document the rationale and justification from different perspectives such as functional, non-functional, architectural, behavioral, and user in order to address all stakeholders’ concerns. Lastly, review and update the documentation regularly to ensure accuracy, consistency, and completeness.

4 Challenges of documenting rationale and justification

Documenting the rationale and justification for system design can be challenging, as it can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, and may involve subjective and ambiguous opinions. Additionally, it can lead to overload and redundancy, as too much information can be overwhelming and some may be duplicated or irrelevant. Furthermore, it can be inaccessible and unusable if the documentation is not stored, organized, and presented in a way that facilitates access and use of the information. All these barriers and limitations need to be taken into consideration when documenting the rationale and justification of a system design.

5 Tips for overcoming the challenges

Documenting the rationale and justification for system design can be challenging, but it is worth the effort since it can improve the design quality and outcome. To overcome these challenges, prioritize and focus on the most important design choices that have significant impact on the system performance, functionality, and usability. Additionally, use multiple methods and sources of documentation such as documents, annotations, tools, diagrams, models, code, and prototypes. Collaborate with stakeholders to elicit, validate, and share the design rationale and justification. Utilize tools and techniques that support the documentation process such as templates, checklists, guidelines, patterns, principles, and best practices. Moreover, use tools and techniques that automate or simplify the documentation process like editors, generators, analyzers, and visualizers.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?