Software Design

Software design is a mechanism to transform user requirements into some suitable form,
which helps the programmer in software coding and implementation. It deals with
representing the client's requirement, as described in SRS (Software Requirement
Specification) document, into a form, i.e., easily implementable using programming language.

The software design phase is the first step in SDLC (Software Design Life Cycle), which moves
the concentration from the problem domain to the solution domain. In software design, we
consider the system to be a set of components or modules with clearly defined behaviors &
boundaries.

Objectives of Software Design

Following are the purposes of Software design:

1. Correctness: Software design should be correct as per requirement.

2. Completeness: The design should have all components like data structures, modules,
and external interfaces, etc.

3. Efficiency: Resources should be used efficiently by the program.

4. Flexibility: Able to modify on changing needs.

5. Consistency: There should not be any inconsistency in the design.

6. Maintainability: The design should be so simple so that it can be easily maintainable

by other designers.
Software Design Process – Software Engineering

The design phase of software development deals with transforming the customer
requirements as described in the SRS documents into a form implementable using a
programming language. The software design process can be divided into the following three
levels or phases of design:

1. Interface Design

2. Architectural Design

3. Detailed Design

Elements of a System

1. Architecture: This is the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and
views of a system. We can use flowcharts to represent and illustrate the architecture.

2. Modules: These are components that handle one specific task in a system. A
combination of the modules makes up the system.

3. Components: This provides a particular function or group of related functions. They

are made up of modules.

4. Interfaces: This is the shared boundary across which the components of a system
exchange information and relate.

5. Data: This is the management of the information and data flow.

Interface Design

Interface design is the specification of the interaction between a system and its environment.
This phase proceeds at a high level of abstraction with respect to the inner workings of the
system i.e, during interface design, the internal of the systems are completely ignored, and
the system is treated as a black box. Attention is focused on the dialogue between the target
system and the users, devices, and other systems with which it interacts. The design problem
statement produced during the problem analysis step should identify the people, other
systems, and devices which are collectively called agents.

Interface design should include the following details:

1. Precise description of events in the environment, or messages from agents to which

the system must respond.

2. Precise description of the events or messages that the system must produce.
 3. Specification of the data, and the formats of the data coming into and going out of the
system.

4. Specification of the ordering and timing relationships between incoming events or

messages, and outgoing events or outputs.

Architectural Design

Architectural design is the specification of the major components of a system, their

responsibilities, properties, interfaces, and the relationships and interactions between them.
In architectural design, the overall structure of the system is chosen, but the internal details
of major components are ignored. Issues in architectural design includes:

1. Gross decomposition of the systems into major components.

2. Allocation of functional responsibilities to components.

3. Component Interfaces.

4. Component scaling and performance properties, resource consumption properties,

reliability properties, and so forth.

5. Communication and interaction between components.

The architectural design adds important details ignored during the interface design. Design of
the internals of the major components is ignored until the last phase of the design.

Detailed Design

Detailed design is the specification of the internal elements of all major system components,
their properties, relationships, processing, and often their algorithms and the data structures.
The detailed design may include:

1. Decomposition of major system components into program units.

2. Allocation of functional responsibilities to units.

3. User interfaces.

4. Unit states and state changes.

5. Data and control interaction between units.

6. Data packaging and implementation, including issues of scope and visibility of program
elements.

7. Algorithms and data structures.

Software Design Process
Software Design Principles
Software design principles are concerned with providing means to handle the complexity of
the design process effectively. Effectively managing the complexity will not only reduce the
effort needed for design but can also reduce the scope of introducing errors during design.

Following are the principles of Software Design

Problem Partitioning

For small problem, we can handle the entire problem at once but for the significant problem,
divide the problems and conquer the problem it means to divide the problem into smaller
pieces so that each piece can be captured separately.

For software design, the goal is to divide the problem into manageable pieces.

Benefits of Problem Partitioning

1. Software is easy to understand

2. Software becomes simple

3. Software is easy to test

4. Software is easy to modify

5. Software is easy to maintain

6. Software is easy to expand

These pieces cannot be entirely independent of each other as they together form the system.
They have to cooperate and communicate to solve the problem. This communication adds
complexity.

Abstraction

An abstraction is a tool that enables a designer to consider a component at an abstract level

without bothering about the internal details of the implementation. Abstraction can be used
for existing element as well as the component being designed.

Here, there are two common abstraction mechanisms

1. Functional Abstraction

2. Data Abstraction

Functional Abstraction

i. A module is specified by the method it performs.

ii. The details of the algorithm to accomplish the functions are not visible to the user of
the function.

Functional abstraction forms the basis for Function oriented design approaches.

Data Abstraction

Details of the data elements are not visible to the users of data. Data Abstraction forms the
basis for Object Oriented design approaches.

Modularity
Modularity specifies to the division of software into separate modules which are differently
named and addressed and are integrated later on in to obtain the completely functional
software. It is the only property that allows a program to be intellectually manageable. Single
large programs are difficult to understand and read due to a large number of reference
variables, control paths, global variables, etc.

The desirable properties of a modular system are:

o Each module is a well-defined system that can be used with other applications.

o Each module has single specified objectives.

o Modules can be separately compiled and saved in the library.

o Modules should be easier to use than to build.

o Modules are simpler from outside than inside.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Modularity

In this topic, we will discuss various advantage and disadvantage of Modularity.

Advantages of Modularity

There are several advantages of Modularity

o It allows large programs to be written by several or different people

o It encourages the creation of commonly used routines to be placed in the library and
used by other programs.

o It simplifies the overlay procedure of loading a large program into main storage.

o It provides more checkpoints to measure progress.

o It provides a framework for complete testing, more accessible to test

o It produced the well designed and more readable program.

Disadvantages of Modularity

There are several disadvantages of Modularity

o Execution time maybe, but not certainly, longer

o Storage size perhaps, but is not certainly, increased

o Compilation and loading time may be longer

o Inter-module communication problems may be increased

o More linkage required, run-time may be longer, more source lines must be written,
and more documentation has to be done
Modular Design

Modular design reduces the design complexity and results in easier and faster implementation
by allowing parallel development of various parts of a system. We discuss a different section
of modular design in detail in this section:

1. Functional Independence: Functional independence is achieved by developing functions

that perform only one kind of task and do not excessively interact with other modules.
Independence is important because it makes implementation more accessible and faster. The
independent modules are easier to maintain, test, and reduce error propagation and can be
reused in other programs as well. Thus, functional independence is a good design feature
which ensures software quality.

It is measured using two criteria:

o Cohesion: It measures the relative function strength of a module.

o Coupling: It measures the relative interdependence among modules.

2. Information hiding: The fundamental of Information hiding suggests that modules can be
characterized by the design decisions that protect from the others, i.e., In other words,
modules should be specified that data include within a module is inaccessible to other
modules that do not need for such information.

The use of information hiding as design criteria for modular system provides the most
significant benefits when modifications are required during testing's and later during software
maintenance. This is because as most data and procedures are hidden from other parts of the
software, inadvertent errors introduced during modifications are less likely to propagate to
different locations within the software.

Strategy of Design

A good system design strategy is to organize the program modules in such a method that are
easy to develop and latter too, change. Structured design methods help developers to deal
with the size and complexity of programs. Analysts generate instructions for the developers
about how code should be composed and how pieces of code should fit together to form a
program.

To design a system, there are two possible approaches:

1. Top-down Approach

2. Bottom-up Approach
1. Top-down Approach: This approach starts with the identification of the main components
and then decomposing them into their more detailed sub-components.

2. Bottom-up Approach: A bottom-up approach begins with the lower details and moves
towards up the hierarchy, as shown in fig. This approach is suitable in case of an existing
system.
Coupling and Cohesion
When a software program is modularized, its tasks are divided into several modules based on
some characteristics. As we know, modules are set of instructions put together in order to
achieve some tasks. They are though, considered as single entity but may refer to each other
to work together. There are measures by which the quality of a design of modules and their
interaction among them can be measured. These measures are called coupling and cohesion.

Example Illustrating Cohesion and Coupling:

Consider a library management system.

• Cohesion: A module for book operations (e.g., adding, updating, and removing books)
should exhibit functional cohesion as it performs closely related tasks. If the module
also handles user authentication, then it would have low cohesion because it mixes
unrelated functionalities.

• Coupling: If the book module calls the user authentication module and passes only
necessary data (e.g., user ID), it has data coupling (low coupling). If the book module
directly accesses and modifies variables inside the user authentication module, it
would exhibit content coupling (high coupling).

Cohesion
Cohesion is a measure that defines the degree of intra-dependability within elements of a
module. The greater the cohesion, the better is the program design.

There are seven types of cohesion, namely –

• Co-incidental cohesion - It is unplanned and random cohesion, which might be the

result of breaking the program into smaller modules for the sake of modularization.
Because it is unplanned, it may serve confusion to the programmers and is generally
not-accepted.

• Logical cohesion - When logically categorized elements are put together into a
module, it is called logical cohesion.

• Temporal Cohesion - When elements of module are organized such that they are
processed at a similar point in time, it is called temporal cohesion.

• Procedural cohesion - When elements of module are grouped together, which are
executed sequentially in order to perform a task, it is called procedural cohesion.

• Communicational cohesion - When elements of module are grouped together, which

are executed sequentially and work on same data (information), it is called
communicational cohesion.
 • Sequential cohesion - When elements of module are grouped because the output of
one element serves as input to another and so on, it is called sequential cohesion.

• Functional cohesion - It is considered to be the highest degree of cohesion, and it is

highly expected. Elements of module in functional cohesion are grouped because they
all contribute to a single well-defined function. It can also be reused.

Coupling
Coupling is a measure that defines the level of inter-dependability among modules of a
program. It tells at what level the modules interfere and interact with each other. The lower
the coupling, the better the program.

There are five levels of coupling, namely -

• Content coupling - When a module can directly access or modify or refer to the
content of another module, it is called content level coupling.

• Common coupling- When multiple modules have read and write access to some global
data, it is called common or global coupling.

• Control coupling- Two modules are called control-coupled if one of them decides the
function of the other module or changes its flow of execution.

• Stamp coupling- When multiple modules share common data structure and work on
different part of it, it is called stamp coupling.

• Data coupling- Data coupling is when two modules interact with each other by means
of passing data (as parameter). If a module passes data structure as parameter, then
the receiving module should use all its components.

Ideally, no coupling is considered to be the best.

Design Verification
The output of software design process is design documentation, pseudo codes, detailed logic
diagrams, process diagrams, and detailed description of all functional or non-functional
requirements.

The next phase, which is the implementation of software, depends on all outputs mentioned
above.

It is then becomes necessary to verify the output before proceeding to the next phase. The
early any mistake is detected, the better it is or it might not be detected until testing of the
product. If the outputs of design phase are in formal notation form, then their associated tools
for verification should be used otherwise a thorough design review can be used for verification
and validation.
By structured verification approach, reviewers can detect defects that might be caused by
overlooking some conditions. A good design review is important for good software design,
accuracy and quality.

Module Coupling

In software engineering, the coupling is the degree of interdependence between software

modules. Two modules that are tightly coupled are strongly dependent on each other.
However, two modules that are loosely coupled are not dependent on each other. Uncoupled
modules have no interdependence at all within them.

The various types of coupling techniques are shown in fig:

A good design is the one that has low coupling. Coupling is measured by the number of
relations between the modules. That is, the coupling increases as the number of calls between
modules increase or the amount of shared data is large. Thus, it can be said that a design with
high coupling will have more errors.

Types of Module Coupling

1. No Direct Coupling: There is no direct coupling between M1 and M2.

In this case, modules are subordinates to different modules. Therefore, no direct coupling.

2. Data Coupling: When data of one module is passed to another module, this is called data
coupling.
3. Stamp Coupling: Two modules are stamp coupled if they communicate using composite
data items such as structure, objects, etc. When the module passes non-global data structure
or entire structure to another module, they are said to be stamp coupled. For example, passing
structure variable in C or object in C++ language to a module.

4. Control Coupling: Control Coupling exists among two modules if data from one module is
used to direct the structure of instruction execution in another.

5. External Coupling: External Coupling arises when two modules share an externally imposed
data format, communication protocols, or device interface. This is related to communication
to external tools and devices.

6. Common Coupling: Two modules are common coupled if they share information through
some global data items.

7. Content Coupling: Content Coupling exists among two modules if they share code, e.g., a
branch from one module into another module.

Module Cohesion

In computer programming, cohesion defines to the degree to which the elements of a module
belong together. Thus, cohesion measures the strength of relationships between pieces of
functionality within a given module. For example, in highly cohesive systems, functionality is
strongly related.

Cohesion is an ordinal type of measurement and is generally described as "high cohesion" or

"low cohesion."
Types of Modules Cohesion
 1. Functional Cohesion: Functional Cohesion is said to exist if the different elements of a
module, cooperate to achieve a single function.

2. Sequential Cohesion: A module is said to possess sequential cohesion if the element

of a module forms the components of the sequence, where the output from one
component of the sequence is input to the next.

3. Communicational Cohesion: A module is said to have communicational cohesion, if all

tasks of the module refer to or update the same data structure, e.g., the set of
functions defined on an array or a stack.

4. Procedural Cohesion: A module is said to be procedural cohesion if the set of purpose

of the module are all parts of a procedure in which particular sequence of steps has to
be carried out for achieving a goal, e.g., the algorithm for decoding a message.

5. Temporal Cohesion: When a module includes functions that are associated by the fact
that all the methods must be executed in the same time, the module is said to exhibit
temporal cohesion.

6. Logical Cohesion: A module is said to be logically cohesive if all the elements of the
module perform a similar operation. For example, Error handling, data input and data
output, etc.

7. Coincidental Cohesion: A module is said to have coincidental cohesion if it performs a

set of tasks that are associated with each other very loosely, if at all.

Differentiate between Coupling and Cohesion

Coupling Cohesion
Cohesion is also called Intra-Module
Coupling is also called Inter-Module Binding.
Binding.
Coupling shows the relationships between Cohesion shows the relationship within the
modules. module.
Coupling shows the
Cohesion shows the module's
relative independence between the
relative functional strength.
modules.
While creating you should aim for high
While creating, you should aim for low cohesion, i.e., a cohesive component/
coupling, i.e., dependency among modules module focuses on a single function (i.e.,
should be less. single-mindedness) with little interaction
with other modules of the system.
In coupling, modules are linked to the other In cohesion, the module focuses on a single
modules. thing.
Architectural Design – Software Engineering

The software needs an architectural design to represent the design of the software. IEEE
defines architectural design as “the process of defining a collection of hardware and software
components and their interfaces to establish the framework for the development of a
computer system.” The software that is built for computer-based systems can exhibit one of
these many architectural styles.

System Category Consists of

• A set of components(eg: a database, computational modules) that will perform a

function required by the system.

• The set of connectors will help in coordination, communication, and cooperation

between the components.

• Conditions that defines how components can be integrated to form the system.

• Semantic models that help the designer to understand the overall properties of the
system.

The use of architectural styles is to establish a structure for all the components of the system.

For a deeper understanding of architectural design and how it applies to real-world

systems, the System Design Course provides comprehensive insights into best practices and
design strategies.

Taxonomy of Architectural Styles

1] Data centered architectures:

• A data store will reside at the center of this architecture and is accessed frequently by
the other components that update, add, delete, or modify the data present within the
store.

• The figure illustrates a typical data-centered style. The client software accesses a
central repository. Variations of this approach are used to transform the repository
into a blackboard when data related to the client or data of interest for the client
change the notifications to client software.

• This data-centered architecture will promote integrability. This means that the existing
components can be changed and new client components can be added to the
architecture without the permission or concern of other clients.

• Data can be passed among clients using the blackboard mechanism.

Advantages of Data centered architecture:

• Repository of data is independent of clients

 • Client work independent of each other

• It may be simple to add additional clients.

• Modification can be very easy

Data centered architecture

2] Data flow architectures:

• This kind of architecture is used when input data is transformed into output data
through a series of computational manipulative components.

• The figure represents pipe-and-filter architecture since it uses both pipe and filter and
it has a set of components called filters connected by lines.

• Pipes are used to transmitting data from one component to the next.

• Each filter will work independently and is designed to take data input of a certain form
and produces data output to the next filter of a specified form. The filters don’t require
any knowledge of the working of neighboring filters.

• If the data flow degenerates into a single line of transforms, then it is termed as batch
sequential. This structure accepts the batch of data and then applies a series of
sequential components to transform it.

Advantages of Data Flow architecture:

• It encourages upkeep, repurposing, and modification.

• With this design, concurrent execution is supported.

Disadvantage of Data Flow architecture:

• It frequently degenerates to batch sequential system

 • Data flow architecture does not allow applications that require greater user
engagement.

• It is not easy to coordinate two different but related streams

Data Flow architecture

3] Call and Return architectures

It is used to create a program that is easy to scale and modify. Many sub-styles exist within
this category. Two of them are explained below.

• Remote procedure call architecture: This components is used to present in a main

program or sub program architecture distributed among multiple computers on a
network.

• Main program or Subprogram architectures: The main program structure

decomposes into number of subprograms or function into a control hierarchy. Main
program contains number of subprograms that can invoke other components.

4] Object Oriented architecture

The components of a system encapsulate data and the operations that must be applied to
manipulate the data. The coordination and communication between the components are
established via the message passing.
Characteristics of Object Oriented architecture:

• Object protect the system’s integrity.

• An object is unaware of the depiction of other items.

Advantage of Object Oriented architecture:

• It enables the designer to separate a challenge into a collection of autonomous

objects.

• Other objects are aware of the implementation details of the object, allowing changes
to be made without having an impact on other objects.

5] Layered architecture

• A number of different layers are defined with each layer performing a well-defined set
of operations. Each layer will do some operations that becomes closer to machine
instruction set progressively.

• At the outer layer, components will receive the user interface operations and at the
inner layers, components will perform the operating system interfacing
(communication and coordination with OS)

• Intermediate layers to utility services and application software functions.

• One common example of this architectural style is OSI-ISO (Open Systems

Interconnection-International Organisation for Standardisation) communication
system.

Layered architecture
Data Architectural and Procedural Design and Design Documentation are essential
components in the software design and development process. These aspects help ensure that
the system's structure and processes are well-planned, clearly defined, and communicated to
all stakeholders. Below is an explanation of these concepts:

1. Data Architectural Design

• Definition: Data architectural design refers to the organization and structure of data
within a system, focusing on how data is collected, stored, managed, and utilized.

• Purpose: It provides a blueprint for managing data that aligns with business goals,
ensuring data quality, consistency, and security.

• Components:

o Data Models: Diagrams and schemas that represent data entities and their
relationships, such as ER (Entity-Relationship) diagrams.

o Data Storage Solutions: Decisions about databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), data
warehousing, data lakes, and cloud-based storage.

o Data Flow: How data moves within the system, represented through data flow
diagrams (DFDs).

o Data Integration: Processes for merging data from multiple sources and
ensuring data consistency.

• Example: In an e-commerce platform, the data architecture would include a database

design with tables for users, products, orders, and payment transactions, ensuring
relationships between them are well-defined.

2. Procedural Design

Procedural Design in software engineering refers to the detailed blueprint that outlines the
sequence of operations or steps needed to perform specific tasks within a system. It focuses
on defining how the system's functionality will be implemented through structured
procedures, ensuring that the processes are efficient and logically sound.

Key Concepts in Procedural Design:

1. Algorithms: At the core of procedural design are algorithms, which provide step-by-
step instructions for specific tasks. Algorithms guide how data is processed and how
operations are executed in a sequence.

2. Modular Structure: Procedural design often breaks down complex tasks into smaller,
manageable functions or modules. Each module is designed to perform a specific part
of the overall task, promoting code reusability and maintainability.

3. Control Structures:
 o Sequence: A straightforward execution of statements in the order they appear.

o Selection: Conditional statements such as if, else if, and switch that allow the
program to make decisions.

o Iteration: Loops like for, while, and do-while that repeat code until a condition
is met.

o Case Structures: Multi-branch statements used for handling multiple paths

based on specific values.

4. Pseudocode and Flowcharts: Procedural design is often represented through

pseudocode or flowcharts, which visually and textually outline the logic and flow of
the procedures. These tools help developers and stakeholders understand the planned
steps without needing to write full code.

5. Data Handling: This includes reading inputs, processing them according to the defined
logic, and producing outputs. Proper handling ensures data is manipulated efficiently
and accurately.

Steps in Developing a Procedural Design:

1. Define the Problem: Clearly understand what the system needs to achieve and break
down the task into smaller objectives.

2. Design the Algorithm: Create an algorithm that outlines the steps to complete each
task.

3. Choose Control Structures: Identify which control structures (loops, conditionals, etc.)
are needed to guide the logic flow.

4. Divide into Modules: Break down the overall process into smaller, reusable modules
or functions.

5. Create Pseudocode or Flowcharts: Draft the pseudocode or flowchart to visualize the

process and logic.

6. Review and Refine: Test the design on paper or with peers to identify potential issues
or inefficiencies before actual implementation.

Example of Procedural Design:

Consider a simple bank account management system that includes a procedure for handling
a withdrawal request:

• Algorithm:

1. Check if the user is authenticated.

2. Verify if the account balance is sufficient for the withdrawal.

 3. Deduct the amount from the account balance.

4. Log the transaction in the system.

5. Display the updated balance and confirmation to the user.

Pseudocode:

START
Input user authentication details
IF authentication is successful THEN
Input withdrawal amount
IF account balance >= withdrawal amount THEN
Deduct withdrawal amount from account balance
Log the transaction
Display updated balance
ELSE
Display "Insufficient balance"
ENDIF
ELSE
Display "Authentication failed"
ENDIF
END

Benefits of Procedural Design:

• Improved Clarity: Outlines the exact steps required, making it easier for developers to
write and maintain code.

• Modularity: Procedures can be developed as independent modules that are easier to

test and debug.

• Reusability: Modular design allows the reuse of procedures in different parts of the
application or in other projects.

• Structured Workflow: Enhances logical organization and flow of operations, making

the software easier to read and understand.

Applications of Procedural Design:

• Small and Medium-Sized Projects: Ideal for applications where procedural, step-by-
step logic is needed.

• Routine Operations: Used in scripts, automation tools, and utility programs where
tasks need a defined sequence of operations.
 • Embedded Systems: Useful for software that runs on devices with limited functions
and where specific sequences of actions are essential (e.g., ATMs, traffic light systems).

3. Design Documentation

Design Documentation in software engineering is a critical component of the software

development process. It involves creating a comprehensive set of documents that describe
the architecture, design, and functionality of a software system. The purpose of design
documentation is to facilitate clear communication among stakeholders, guide the
development team during implementation, and provide a reference for future maintenance
and updates.

Key Components of Design Documentation

1. Overview Document:

o Provides a high-level description of the software project, its goals, objectives,

and key stakeholders.

o Includes the purpose of the project, target audience, and expected outcomes.

2. System Architecture Document:

o Describes the overall architecture of the software system, including major

components, their relationships, and interactions.

o May include diagrams (such as UML diagrams) to illustrate the architecture

visually.

o Specifies the technology stack, frameworks, and design patterns to be used.

3. Detailed Design Document:

o Offers an in-depth description of each module or component within the

system.

o Includes information about data structures, algorithms, interfaces, and

interactions between modules.

o Often presented with class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and state diagrams
to clarify design choices.

4. User Interface (UI) Design Document:

o Outlines the design and functionality of the user interface.

o Includes wireframes, mockups, and design specifications for user interactions.

o Describes user experience considerations, accessibility features, and

navigation flows.
 5. Data Design Document:

o Details the structure of data within the system, including database design, data
models, and relationships between data entities.

o Defines data types, formats, and constraints.

o May include entity-relationship diagrams (ERDs) to visually represent data

structures.

6. API Design Document:

o Specifies the design of application programming interfaces (APIs) used within

the system.

o Includes endpoint definitions, request/response formats, authentication

methods, and usage examples.

o Ensures consistency and clarity for developers consuming the APIs.

7. Testing and Validation Document:

o Describes the testing strategy and approach for validating the system’s
functionality.

o Outlines test cases, testing methods (unit testing, integration testing, etc.), and
expected results.

o Defines criteria for success and methods for tracking defects.

8. Deployment and Maintenance Document:

o Provides instructions for deploying the software in various environments

(development, testing, production).

o Includes system requirements, configuration settings, and installation

procedures.

o Outlines maintenance procedures, including how to handle updates, backups,

and support.

Benefits of Design Documentation

• Clear Communication: Provides a common understanding of the system among

stakeholders, developers, and testers, ensuring everyone is aligned on project goals
and design decisions.

• Guidance for Development: Serves as a roadmap for developers, helping them

implement the design accurately and consistently.
 • Reference for Future Maintenance: Acts as a valuable reference for future updates,
modifications, and troubleshooting, reducing the time and effort required for
maintenance tasks.

• Risk Mitigation: Helps identify potential issues and risks early in the development
process, allowing for proactive management and adjustments.

Best Practices for Design Documentation

1. Keep it Updated: Design documents should be living documents that are regularly
updated to reflect changes in the design or requirements.

2. Use Visuals: Incorporate diagrams and visuals to enhance understanding and

communication of complex ideas.

3. Be Clear and Concise: Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible to ensure
that documents are understandable to all stakeholders.

4. Organize Logically: Structure documents logically, with a table of contents, headings,

and sections that make it easy to navigate.

5. Involve Stakeholders: Engage stakeholders throughout the documentation process to

gather feedback and ensure that the documentation meets their needs.