9D Framework
Overview
The 9D Framework is the complete lifecycle for shipping features from idea to retirement.
Discovery → Definition → Design → Development → Documentation → Delivery → Data → Debrief → Deprecation
The Nine Phases
1. Discovery
Purpose: Understand the problem
Activities:
- Research user needs
- Analyze existing solutions
- Identify constraints
- Document assumptions
Output: Discovery Brief
- Problem statement
- User context
- Business justification
- Initial scope
Gate Criteria:
- Problem clearly articulated
- User need validated
- Aligned with strategy
2. Definition
Purpose: Define what success looks like
Activities:
- Write requirements
- Define acceptance criteria
- Create experience spec (UX flows)
- Identify dependencies
Output: Requirements + Experience Spec
- Functional requirements
- Non-functional requirements
- UX mockups/flows
- Success metrics
Gate Criteria:
- Requirements complete and clear
- Experience designed
- Stakeholder sign-off
3. Design
Purpose: Plan the technical implementation
Activities:
- Architecture decisions
- API design
- Data model design
- Risk assessment
Output: Architecture Spec + Implementation Plan
- System design
- API contracts
- Data schemas
- Technical risks with mitigations
Gate Criteria:
- Architecture reviewed
- Implementation plan approved
- Risks documented
4. Development
Purpose: Build and test the solution
Activities:
- Write code
- Write tests
- Code review
- QA validation
Output: Working Code
- Feature implementation
- Unit tests
- Integration tests
- PR approved
Gate Criteria:
- All tests pass
- Code reviewed
- QA sign-off
5. Documentation
Purpose: Document for users before shipping
Activities:
- Write user documentation
- Write API documentation
- Create support materials
- Update runbooks
Output: Documentation Package
- User guides
- API reference
- FAQ/troubleshooting
- Internal runbooks
Gate Criteria:
- Docs reviewed
- Support team enabled
- Runbooks complete
6. Delivery
Purpose: Release to production safely
Activities:
- Staged rollout
- Monitoring setup
- Feature flags
- Communication
Output: Feature Live
- Production deployment
- Monitoring active
- Rollback plan ready
Gate Criteria:
- Metrics baseline established
- Rollback tested
- Team notified
7. Data
Purpose: Measure impact and validate success
Activities:
- Collect metrics
- Analyze usage
- Compare to targets
- Generate insights
Output: Data Report
- Usage metrics
- Success metrics vs targets
- User feedback summary
- Recommendations
Gate Criteria:
- Metrics collected
- Analysis complete
- Stakeholders informed
8. Debrief
Purpose: Learn and improve
Activities:
- Team retrospective
- Document learnings
- Identify improvements
- Update processes
Output: Debrief Document
- What went well
- What to improve
- Action items
- Process updates
Gate Criteria:
- Team participated
- Learnings captured
- Actions assigned
9. Deprecation
Purpose: End-of-life safely (when needed)
Activities:
- Plan migration path
- Communicate timeline
- Support transition
- Clean removal
Output: Clean Removal
- Migration guide
- Sunset communication
- Code removed
- Docs archived
Gate Criteria:
- Users migrated
- No active usage
- Clean removal
When to Use 9D
| Scenario | Starting Phase |
|---|
| New Feature | Discovery |
| Bug Fix | Development |
| Technical Debt | Definition |
| Experiment | Discovery |
| Feature Retirement | Deprecation |