SDD Catalog
Definition Workflow Google Design Docs

google

Google Design Doc + RFC culture. Analytical, engineering-heavy approach with explicit tradeoffs, peer review, and OKR alignment.

Inspired by Google Design Docs. The methodology is its originators’ own published work, drawn from their public writing and talks. ProductBuildersHQ has implemented it as a machine-readable workflow in VisionSpec so it can be automated — spec synthesis and LLM-as-a-Judge evaluation, built in. This encoding is an independent interpretation, not affiliated with or endorsed by its originators.

Specs in This Workflow

PRD Required source
SPEC Required output
TPD Required technical Test plan document
TRD Required technical
BMC Optional gtm Business Model Canvas extracted from MRD for stakeholder review
FAQ Optional gtm
IRD Optional technical
MRD Optional source
1-Pager Optional gtm
6-Pager Optional gtm
Press Optional gtm
UXD Optional source

Synthesis Rules

How downstream specs are generated from upstream ones.

MRD BMC

Extract Business Model Canvas blocks from MRD sections 2-11. Format as standalone canvas for visual review.

MRD +Press FAQ

Address customer questions based on segments, internal questions based on risks and assumptions.

MRD +Press +FAQ PRD

Derive product requirements from market requirements. Map to customer segments.

MRD Press

Write from customer perspective based on value propositions and customer segments in MRD.

MRD +PRD +UXD +TRD +TPD SPEC

Unified specification consolidating all approved specs.

PRD +TRD TPD

Test plan covering all PRD requirements with traceability.

PRD +UXD TRD

Technical design to support PRD requirements.

Methodology Principles

Explicit Tradeoffs Every decision has tradeoffs; make them visible
Alternatives Considered Always evaluate multiple approaches
Peer Review RFCs ensure diverse perspectives before building
Data Driven Decisions backed by data and experiments
Okr Alignment Work connects to measurable objectives
Non Goals What we won't do is as important as what we will
Technical Depth Engineering reasoning is first-class
Scalability First Design for scale from the start
Reversibility Prefer reversible decisions; be explicit about irreversible ones
Launch And Iterate Ship, measure, improve

Included Assets

15 document templates · 13 LLM-as-a-Judge rubrics  — embedded in visionspec.