What is DESIGN.md?
It is a documentation file that explains the architectural decisions and design logic of a software project.
Overview
It is a guide in software development processes that explains the basic structure of the project and why it is structured this way. It's usually located at the top of the project folder. It allows developers to understand why the project chose this architecture.
How it works
Create a file named 'DESIGN.md' in the project folder. Write the purpose of the project, selected technologies and design principles inside. Help your teammates quickly adapt to the project by reading this file.
Where it is used
You'll often encounter it in open source projects or enterprise software repositories on platforms like GitHub or GitLab.
Commonly confused with
It may be confused with the README.md file; While README tells you how to run the project, DESIGN.md explains why the project was designed that way.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need a separate design file?
As the code becomes more complex, it is necessary not to forget the logic of the decisions made and to make it easier for newcomers to understand the system.
Related terms
Related tools
This explanation was written in plain language for TreScout and machine-translated from the Turkish original · the Turkish version prevails. If something looks wrong or missing, write to hello@trescout.com. Read in Turkish →