Decision-First Technical Writing

Write technical design documents for two reading passes: a reviewer should understand the decisions and boundaries quickly, while an implementer should be able to continue into exact behavior and contracts.

Route before writing

• If the main task is choosing among named options, route to discuss-before-plan. Do not turn an unresolved shortlist into a final design decision.
• If a ready specification or settled requirement needs file-level tasks, implementation steps, or a test plan, route to writing-plans. Do not maintain a second planning format here.
• Otherwise continue only when the output is a technical design document and every uncertain statement can remain explicitly labeled Proposal or Open question.

Establish the document contract

Infer the audience, settled decision, and scope from the request and available evidence. Ask only when a user-owned fact would materially change the document. Route unresolved option choice as above instead of hiding it inside the document-writing pass.

Before writing: