Design docs, RFCs and ADRs · Proficient · Lesson 83 of 98 · about 2 weeks
Project: write, circulate and land a real design doc
After this you can show a reviewed design document and ADRs for a real change, with evidence that review improved the design.
Why it matters
Pick a real, significant change in a system you work on: a migration, a new service, a redesign of a painful area. Write the design doc using the structure from this phase, keeping it as short as possible. Send it to two or more reviewers, at least one of whom you expect to disagree. Record each comment and how you resolved it. Write ADRs for the main decisions once agreed. If you have no workplace system, write the doc for a significant change to your portfolio project or an open-source project, and ask maintainers or experienced engineers in a community to review it.
How to use this resource
Use as the checklist for structure before you send the doc for review.