# Brief: Design Doc

> Target downstream skill: `design-doc`

## What we're building
{One sentence} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]
> "{verbatim snippet}"

## Who's affected
- **Users / callers:** {who consumes this} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]
- **Teams:** {who owns or depends on it}
- **Systems:** {upstream/downstream services}

## Why now (forcing function)
{What changed? Outage, regulatory, scaling cliff, competitor, deadline} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]
> "{verbatim snippet}"

## Goals
- {Goal 1} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]
- {Goal 2}
- {Goal 3}

## Non-goals
- {Real non-goal — something a reasonable reader might assume you *are* doing} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]
- {Another non-goal}

## Constraints
- {Hard constraint — tech, regulatory, budget, timeline} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]
- {Soft constraint}

## Alternatives the source mentions
- {Alternative 1 — and why-not if stated} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]
- {Alternative 2}

## Risks raised in the source
- {Risk — and any proposed mitigation} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]

## Open questions
- {Question — and who should answer if stated} [explicit|implied|inferred|missing]

## Target length
{1-pager | 2–5 pages (default) | longer with explicit reason}

---

## 🚩 Missing for downstream
- {field: why it matters}
- {e.g. "No 'why now' captured — design-doc refuses to draft without a forcing function"}