Design Decision Schema Checklist

Use this checklist when documenting a design decision so it’s reusable and auditable.

• Context - What problem or question does this decision address?
• Options considered - What alternatives did you evaluate (including “do nothing”)?
• Decision - What did you choose? State it clearly.
• Rationale - Why this option over the others?
• Constraints - When does this apply? When does it not apply?
• Outcomes - How will you know it worked? What might you measure or observe?
• Ownership - Who is responsible for revisiting or updating this decision?
• Links - Related decisions, components, or docs.

Not every decision needs every field. Use the ones that reduce ambiguity and make the decision easier to find and apply later.