Design Documents vs Ad Hoc Design
Developers should create design documents for complex features, new systems, or major refactors to reduce ambiguity, catch design flaws early, and facilitate team reviews meets developers should use ad hoc design in situations requiring rapid prototyping, emergency bug fixes, or when exploring new ideas in a low-risk environment, as it allows for flexibility and quick iteration. Here's our take.
Design Documents
Developers should create design documents for complex features, new systems, or major refactors to reduce ambiguity, catch design flaws early, and facilitate team reviews
Design Documents
Nice PickDevelopers should create design documents for complex features, new systems, or major refactors to reduce ambiguity, catch design flaws early, and facilitate team reviews
Pros
- +They are essential in distributed teams, large-scale projects, or when onboarding new members, as they document decisions and provide a reference for implementation and maintenance
- +Related to: system-design, software-architecture
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
Ad Hoc Design
Developers should use Ad Hoc Design in situations requiring rapid prototyping, emergency bug fixes, or when exploring new ideas in a low-risk environment, as it allows for flexibility and quick iteration
Pros
- +However, it should be avoided for long-term projects or critical systems, as it can result in technical debt, lack of scalability, and difficulties in collaboration due to its unstructured nature
- +Related to: rapid-prototyping, technical-debt-management
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
The Verdict
Use Design Documents if: You want they are essential in distributed teams, large-scale projects, or when onboarding new members, as they document decisions and provide a reference for implementation and maintenance and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.
Use Ad Hoc Design if: You prioritize however, it should be avoided for long-term projects or critical systems, as it can result in technical debt, lack of scalability, and difficulties in collaboration due to its unstructured nature over what Design Documents offers.
Developers should create design documents for complex features, new systems, or major refactors to reduce ambiguity, catch design flaws early, and facilitate team reviews
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