How do you gather information for systems design?

1 Identify the problem

The first step is to understand the problem that the system is intended to solve, the goals and objectives of the system, and the scope and boundaries of the system. You can use techniques such as interviews, surveys, questionnaires, observations, and document analysis to elicit the problem statement from the stakeholders and users. You should also identify the assumptions, constraints, risks, and dependencies that affect the system design.

2 Analyze the requirements

The second step is to analyze the requirements that the system must satisfy, both functional and non-functional. Functional requirements specify what the system should do, such as features, functions, and behaviors. Non-functional requirements specify how the system should do it, such as performance, reliability, security, and usability. You can use techniques such as use cases, user stories, scenarios, and models to capture and validate the requirements from the stakeholders and users.

3 Define the system context

The third step is to define the system context, which is the set of external entities and interactions that affect the system or are affected by the system. External entities can be other systems, subsystems, devices, actors, or environments. Interactions can be data flows, events, messages, or protocols. You can use techniques such as context diagrams, data flow diagrams, entity relationship diagrams, and sequence diagrams to represent and communicate the system context.

4 Design the system architecture

The fourth step is to design the system architecture, which is the high-level structure and organization of the system components and their relationships. Components can be modules, classes, objects, functions, or services. Relationships can be inheritance, composition, aggregation, association, or dependency. You can use techniques such as architectural styles, patterns, principles, and frameworks to guide and constrain the system architecture.

5 Design the system components

The fifth step is to design the system components, which is the low-level specification and implementation of the system functionality and behavior. Components can be algorithms, data structures, protocols, interfaces, or code. You can use techniques such as pseudocode, flowcharts, state diagrams, UML diagrams, and programming languages to design and document the system components.

6 Review and refine the system design

The sixth step is to review and refine the system design, which is the iterative and incremental process of evaluating and improving the system design based on feedback, testing, and verification. Feedback can be from stakeholders, users, domain experts, or peers. Testing can be unit testing, integration testing, system testing, or user acceptance testing. Verification can be formal methods, static analysis, or dynamic analysis. You can use techniques such as reviews, inspections, walkthroughs, checklists, metrics, and tools to review and refine the system design.

7 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?