The design activity is where the approach to building the solution is defined.  Think of the design activity as creating the blueprint for your solution.  This does not only apply to custom built applications but can also apply to the configuration of packaged solutions.

For small releases or small applications, some teams perform informal design as part of construction.  For larger projects and organizations, the design activity can be very mature and utilize enterprise standards and governance.

The design activity defines a technical solution for the requirements specified by the definition. The results of the design can be used by development team members to construct an application meeting the business requirements.

Sub Activities

Although most organizations will have some variants, design activities typically include the following:

• Designing and documenting the application components.
• Reviewing and approving the design.
• Communicating the design.