SYSTEMS / DESIGN NOTES / CHAPTER 01
Info Systems Dev / FIELD NOTE 14
Make the system understandable.
A systems guide for making relationships, responsibilities and flows easier to follow.
Explore the idea ↓Purpose before machinery
Start by naming the decision or task the system should help with. A diagram becomes useful when it describes a real path.
Structure that can be read
Keep boundaries visible. Give each component a reason to exist and a clear relationship to the next.
Maintenance is part of design
Document what changes, what must remain stable and where a future maintainer should begin.
Read the system in context
A system guide should explain purpose, parts and the routes between them.
- 01Purpose
State what the system helps someone accomplish.
- 02Parts
Name the components and who is responsible for them.
- 03Exceptions
Explain what to do when the usual route does not fit.