documentation-criteria by shinpr

---
name: documentation-criteria
description: Guides PRD, ADR, Design Doc, and Work Plan creation with templates and decision matrix.
---

# Documentation Creation Criteria

## Creation Decision Matrix

| Condition | Required Documents | Creation Order |
|-----------|-------------------|----------------|
| New Feature Addition | PRD -> [ADR] -> Design Doc -> Work Plan | After PRD approval |
| ADR Conditions Met (see below) | ADR -> Design Doc -> Work Plan | Start immediately |
| 6+ Files | ADR -> Design Doc -> Work Plan (Required) | Start immediately |
| 3-5 Files | Design Doc -> Work Plan (Recommended) | Start immediately |
| 1-2 Files | None | Direct implementation |

## ADR Creation Conditions (Required if Any Apply)

### 1. Type System Changes
- **Adding nested types with 3+ levels**: `type A = { b: { c: { d: T } } }`
  - Rationale: Deep nesting has high complexity and wide impact scope
- **Changing/deleting types used in 3+ locations**
  - Rationale: Multiple location impacts require careful consideration
- **Type responsibility changes** (e.g., DTO->Entity)
  - Rationale: Conceptual model changes affect design philosophy

### 2. Data Flow Changes
- **Storage location changes** (DB->File, Memory->Cache)
- **Processing order changes with 3+ steps**
  - Example: "Input->Validation->Save" to "Input->Save->Async Validation"
- **Data passing method changes** (props->Context, direct reference->events)

### 3. Architecture Changes
- Layer addition, responsibility changes, component relocation

### 4. External Dependency Changes
- Library/framework/external API introduction or replacement

### 5. Complex Implementation Logic (Regardless of Scale)
- Managing 3+ states
- Coordinating 5+ asynchronous processes

## Detailed Document Definitions

### PRD (Product Requirements Document)

**Purpose**: Define business requirements and user value

**Includes**:
- Business requirements and user value
- Success metrics and KPIs (measurable format)
- User stories and use cases
- MoSCoW prioritization (Must/Should/Could/Won't)
- MVP and Future phase separation
- User journey diagram (required)
- Scope boundary diagram (required)

**Excludes**:
- Technical implementation details (->Design Doc)
- Technical selection rationale (->ADR)
- **Implementation phases** (->Work Plan)
- **Task breakdown** (->Work Plan)

### ADR (Architecture Decision Record)

**Purpose**: Record technical decision rationale and background

**Includes**:
- Decision (what was selected)
- Rationale (why that selection was made)
- Option comparison (minimum 3 options) and trade-offs
- Architecture impact
- Principled implementation guidelines (e.g., "Use dependency injection")

**Excludes**:
- Implementation schedule, duration (->Work Plan)
- Detailed implementation procedures (->Design Doc)
- Specific code examples (->Design Doc)
- Resource assignments (->Work Plan)

### Design Document

**Purpose**: Define technical implementation methods in detail

**Includes**:
- **Existing codebase analysis** (required)
  - Implementation path mapping (both existing and new)
  - Integration point clarification (connection points with existing code even for new implementations)
- Technical implementation approach (vertical/horizontal/hybrid)
- **Technical dependencies and implementation constraints** (required implementation order)
- Interface and type definitions
- Data flow and component design
- **E2E verification procedures at integration points**
- **Acceptance criteria (EARS format: When/While/If-then/none)**
- Change impact map (clearly specify direct impact/indirect impact/no ripple effect)
- Complete enumeration of integration points
- Data contract clarification
- **Agreement checklist** (agreements with stakeholders)
- **Code inspection evidence** (inspected files/functions during investigation)
- **Field propagation map** (when fields cross component boundaries)
- **Data representation decision** (when introducing new structures)
- **Applicable standards** (explicit/implicit classification)
- **Prerequisite ADRs** (including common ADRs)

**Excludes**:
- Why that technology was chosen (->Reference ADR)
- When to implement, duration (->Work Plan)
- Who will implement (->Work Plan)

### Work Plan

**Purpose**: Implementation task management and progress tracking

**Includes**:
- Task breakdown and dependencies (maximum 2 levels)
- Schedule and duration estimates
- **Copy E2E verification procedures from Design Doc** (cannot delete, can add)
- **Phase 4 Quality Assurance Phase (required)**
- Progress records (checkbox format)

**Excludes**:
- Technical rationale (->ADR)
- Design details (->Design Doc)

**Phase Division Criteria**:
1. **Phase 1: Foundation Implementation** - Type definitions, interfaces, test preparation
2. **Phase 2: Core Feature Implementation** - Business logic, unit tests
3. **Phase 3: Integration Implementation** - External connections, presentation layer
4. **Phase 4: Quality Assurance (Required)** - Acceptance criteria achievement, all tests passing, quality checks

**Three Elements of Task Completion Definition**:
1. **Implementation Complete**: Code is functional
2. **Quality Complete**: Tests, type checks, linting pass
3. **Integration Complete**: Verified connection with other components

## Creation Process

1. **Problem Analysis**: Change scale assessment, ADR condition check
   - Identify explicit and implicit project standards before investigation
2. **ADR Option Consideration** (ADR only): Compare 3+ options, specify trade-offs
3. **Creation**: Use templates, include measurable conditions
4. **Approval**: "Accepted" after review enables implementation

## Storage Locations

| Document | Path | Naming Convention | Template |
|----------|------|------------------|----------|
| PRD | `docs/prd/` | `[feature-name]-prd.md` | See prd-template.md |
| ADR | `docs/adr/` | `ADR-[4-digits]-[title].md` | See adr-template.md |
| Design Doc | `docs/design/` | `[feature-name]-design.md` | See design-template.md |
| Work Plan | `docs/plans/` | `YYYYMMDD-{type}-{description}.md` | See plan-template.md |
| Task File | `docs/plans/tasks/` | `{plan-name}-task-{number}.md` | See task-template.md |

*Note: Work plans are excluded by `.gitignore`

## ADR Status
`Proposed` -> `Accepted` -> `Deprecated`/`Superseded`/`Rejected`

## AI Automation Rules
- 5+ files: Suggest ADR creation
- Type/data flow change detected: ADR mandatory
- Check existing ADRs before implementation

## Diagram Requirements

Required diagrams for each document (using mermaid notation):

| Document | Required Diagrams | Purpose |
|----------|------------------|---------|
| PRD | User journey diagram, Scope boundary diagram | Clarify user experience and scope |
| ADR | Option comparison diagram (when needed) | Visualize trade-offs |
| Design Doc | Architecture diagram, Data flow diagram | Understand technical structure |
| Work Plan | Phase structure diagram, Task dependency diagram | Clarify implementation order |

## Common ADR Relationships
1. **At creation**: Identify common technical areas (logging, error handling, async processing, etc.), reference existing common ADRs
2. **When missing**: Consider creating necessary common ADRs
3. **Design Doc**: Specify common ADRs in "Prerequisite ADRs" section
4. **Compliance check**: Verify design aligns with common ADR decisions

## Templates

Templates are available in the `references/` directory:
- [Design Document template](references/design-template.md)
- [Product Requirements Document template](references/prd-template.md)
- [Work Plan template](references/plan-template.md)
- [Architecture Decision Record template](references/adr-template.md)
- [Task File template](references/task-template.md)