| name | design-document-management |
| description | Guide for managing the 5 design documents in .gaia/designs/. Use when creating, updating, or validating design documentation. |
Design Document Management
Design Documents (in .gaia/designs/)
| Document |
Purpose |
Required From |
use-cases.md |
Use cases, user flows, API/UI journeys |
Micro+ |
architecture.md |
System design, components, patterns |
Small+ |
api.md |
API endpoints, contracts, requests/responses |
Small+ |
database.md |
Schema, models, relationships, migrations |
Medium+ |
security.md |
Auth, authorization, RBAC, tokens |
Large+ |
frontend.md |
UI/UX patterns, components, state |
Large+ |
Tiered Requirements by SDLC
| SDLC Tier |
Required Documents |
| Micro |
use-cases.md (if needed) |
| Small |
use-cases.md + architecture.md + api.md |
| Medium |
+ database.md |
| Large/Enterprise |
All 6 documents |
Quality Rules
- ✅ No
[TODO] or [TBD] placeholders in required docs
- ✅ Consistent terminology across all docs
- ✅ Every requirement maps to a design section
- ✅ Follow Clean Architecture / iDesign principles
Completion Checklist
Before creating tasks, verify:
Store Design Decisions
mcp__gaia__remember("design", "use-cases", "[user flows and journeys]", "ProjectWide")
mcp__gaia__remember("design", "architecture", "[key decisions]", "ProjectWide")
mcp__gaia__remember("design", "api", "[endpoint designs]", "ProjectWide")
mcp__gaia__remember("design", "database", "[schema decisions]", "ProjectWide")
mcp__gaia__remember("design", "security", "[auth approach]", "ProjectWide")
mcp__gaia__remember("design", "frontend", "[component patterns]", "ProjectWide")
Document Update Process
- Identify which docs need updates based on requirements
- Update each doc with new requirements
- Cross-check consistency across all docs
- Validate no placeholders remain
- Store key decisions in MCP memory