Design Document Creator

Create comprehensive design documents that establish shared vision between your ID team and clients on what is being created and why.

What This Skill Does

The design document bridges discovery and development by capturing:

• Shared Vision - What we're building and why

• Instructional Strategy - How we'll achieve the learning goals

• Content Architecture - Structure and flow of the course

• Visual Direction - Look and feel

• Assessment Strategy - How we'll measure success

• Technical Requirements - Platform, tools, standards

When to Use This Skill

Use after discovery is complete and before storyboarding begins:

Discovery → Needs Analysis → Design Brief → [DESIGN DOCUMENT] → Storyboard → Development

How to Use This Skill

Option 1: Full Guided Process

Say: "Help me create a design document for [project]" or invoke /design-document

I'll interview you through each section:

• Discovery recap

• Instructional approach

• Content architecture

• Visual direction

• Characters/scenarios (if applicable)

• Assessment strategy

• Technical requirements

Option 2: Build from Discovery Documents

Say: "Create a design document based on this needs analysis" and share or reference:

• Needs analysis

• Design brief

• Learner personas

• Action map

Option 3: Specific Sections

If you need help with just one part:

• "Help me define the instructional approach"

• "Create a content architecture for this course"

• "Develop characters for my scenario-based training"

• "Design the assessment strategy"

Interview Process

Phase 1: Discovery Recap

• What's the business goal?

• Who is the target audience?

• What are the priority behaviors from your action map?

• Link to existing discovery documents?

Phase 2: Instructional Approach

• What type of learning experience fits this content?

• Scenario-based / Branching

• Linear / Sequential

• Microlearning / Chunked

• Exploratory / Self-directed

• Blended / Multi-modal

• Why is this approach right for your audience and goals?

• What instructional methods will you use?

See instructional-approaches.md for detailed options.

Phase 3: Content Architecture

• How many modules/lessons?

• What's the logical flow?

• How long is each section?

• What are the learning objectives for each?

Phase 4: Visual Direction

• What's the overall tone? (Professional, casual, playful, serious)

• Brand guidelines to follow?

• Color palette and typography?

• Illustration style?

• Photography style?

Phase 5: Characters & Scenarios (if applicable)

• Will you use characters?

• Who are they? (Names, roles, personalities)

• What scenarios will drive the learning?

• Are characters recurring or one-time?

Phase 6: Assessment Strategy

• What types of assessments?

• Knowledge checks

• Scenario-based assessments

• Skill demonstrations

• Cumulative final

• What's the passing score?

• How many attempts?

• How does this connect to the learning objectives?

Phase 7: Technical Requirements

• Authoring tool (Rise/Storyline)?

• SCORM version?

• LMS requirements?

• Accessibility standard?

• Mobile requirements?

• Audio/video needs?

Output: Design Document Structure

The comprehensive design document includes:

Course Design Document

1. Executive Summary

• Project overview
• Shared vision statement
• Key stakeholders

2. Audience Profile

• Target learner description
• Learner persona summaries
• Key characteristics and constraints

3. Learning Objectives

• Terminal objectives (course-level)
• Enabling objectives (module-level)
• Alignment to business goal

4. Instructional Strategy

• Overall approach and rationale
• Instructional methods
• Practice and application activities
• Feedback strategy

5. Content Architecture

• Course structure diagram
• Module breakdown with objectives and duration
• Content outline
• Prerequisite relationships

6. Visual Design Direction

• Design principles
• Color palette
• Typography
• Imagery style
• UI/UX guidelines

7. Characters & Scenarios

• Character profiles
• Character usage guidelines
• Key scenarios overview

8. Assessment Strategy

• Assessment types and purposes
• Question specifications
• Scoring and feedback
• Completion requirements

9. Technical Specifications

• Authoring tool and version
• Output format and SCORM version
• LMS requirements
• Accessibility compliance
• Browser and device support
• Audio/video specifications

10. Project Information

• Timeline and milestones
• Review process
• Stakeholder sign-off

Appendices

• Detailed content outline
• Asset requirements list
• Glossary of terms

Tips for Better Design Documents

Make It Usable

• Design documents should guide development, not just document decisions

• Include enough detail to prevent rework

• Make it skimmable with clear headings

Create Shared Vision

• Use language stakeholders understand

• Include visuals and examples

• Reference specific scenarios and situations

Stay Aligned

• Connect every section back to the business goal

• Ensure objectives trace to assessments

• Keep the learner persona visible in decisions

Plan for Change

• Note assumptions that might change

• Flag areas needing SME validation

• Include version control

Related Commands & Skills

• /objectives

• Generate learning objectives

• /learner-persona

• Create audience profiles

• discovery-workshop

• Process discovery outputs

• /bloom-verbs

• Reference for objective writing

Getting Started

Ready to create a design document? Tell me:

• What project is this for?

• Do you have discovery documents to reference? (needs analysis, design brief, personas)

• What authoring tool will you use? (Rise, Storyline, both)

Or share your needs analysis and design brief, and I'll help build the design document from there.