My Projects: Design documents

The design part of this collection houses four types or documents:

  • reference documents

  • user actions

  • functional processes

  • data model

The structure of the site and the navigation over its parts is described elsewhere. What follows here is more about the general contents of these types of documents.

Reference documents

Like their counterparts in the user section, these contain links to uploaded documents and/or free text.

The following pieces of information are defined:

  • a title

  • a short (one line) description

  • a link to an uploaded document

  • a free text to enter

There are no references defined to or from these documents.

Functional (user) task

This type of document describes the way a user may use given functionality at a given moment. Also known as an "online transaction".

The following pieces of information are defined:

  • a title

  • a short (one line) description

  • a specification of when this is supposed to be executed

  • a specification of who is allowed to execute this

  • a specification of under which conditions this is supposed to be executed

  • a specification of what this is for

  • a description of whatever else needs to be described

A user task can reference to specifications or change requests; it can be referenced to from functional processes, technical (system) tasks, layouts and test plans.

Functional process

This type of document describes a unit of functionality. What defines a "unit" is up to the designer. It is possible to define a functional process as "containing" one or more other functional processes (like when several functions have some part in common).

The following pieces of information are defined:

  • a title

  • a short (one line) description of the purpose

  • a description of the entry situation

  • a description of the result situation

  • a description of whatever else needs to be described

A functional process can reference to specifications, change requests, functional (user) tasks and other functional processes; it can be referenced to from data model entities, other functional processes, technical processes and test plans.

Data model entity

This type of document describes units of data that the application uses. Anything that is used across multiple processes and/or various moments in time can be described here.

The following pieces of information are defined:

  • a title

  • a short (one line) description

  • a description of the function this entity fulfills

  • a description of the entity's lifespan

It can reference to change requests and functional processes; it can be referenced to from data items and test plans