# Decision: proposing a design and keeping the choice

How a design is put to a reviewer and how the decision is kept for whoever later asks why. The shapes are the
[design document](../../shapes/design-document.md) and the [decision record](../../shapes/decision-record.md).

| Principle | Claim |
|---|---|
| [The decision asked comes first](decision-asked-first.md) | a proposal opens with what the reviewer must decide |
| [Design the failure paths](design-the-failure-paths.md) | a design names how each part fails and how that is handled |
| [Keep the options that lost](keep-the-options-that-lost.md) | a record lists every option, with why the others lost |