2 posts tagged with "System Design"

Ever tried reading a technical specification and felt like you needed a decoder ring? Or sat through a system demo where the developers and business people seemed to be speaking different languages? That's the problem with most technical documentation—it speaks to insiders but leaves everyone else in the dark.

Concept of Operations (CONOPS) documents are supposed to bridge that gap. They're the story that explains how a system will work in the real world, for real users. But too often, they end up as dry, technical tombs that gather dust on shelves.

The issue? We write CONOPS like we're documenting existing systems, not envisioning how they should work. AI can help you create CONOPS that are engaging, comprehensive, and actually get read.

A friend in Product said to me last week: "Our design documents are beautiful PowerPoints that no one reads. By the time we build the feature, it's nothing like what we designed." I've heard this complaint so many times. Design documents are supposed to be the blueprint for development, but too often they're either too high-level (just pictures and buzzwords) or too detailed (getting lost in implementation minutiae).

Something I've noticed recently is how the best design docs focus on decisions and trade-offs, not just requirements. They explain why certain approaches were chosen and what alternatives were considered. This context helps developers understand the intent behind the design.

The issue? Most design documents are written for approval, not for implementation.