Comparing between High-level vs. Detail Design

High-level DesignThe High-level Design is a basic idea or concept of the design. It is the 30,000 foot view and very little detail about individual components and is mainly the major much larger components. An example would be a diagram of out solar systems with each of the planets with their respective moons rotating around the sun. An even higher-level would be the Hubble telescope deep space view. In each a one inch area view of the night sky contained a million new un-before seen galaxies like our own. Wow now that is high level. Something a little more close to home would be like a data flow diagram. This is a high-level design that contains very little detail of each component, but gives the overall view of the entire process.

Detailed Design
A Detailed Design can be an individual process or components in which it can be much more closely examined. It doesn't show all the connections in the over all systems, but rather it show all the connections within it's own component or process. A good example of a detailed design would be the diagram that Bob posted the other day. This could be one component from the above diagram such as the "Material Attribute Data" component above. This type of diagram actually shows the data tables, fields and table relationships with primary and foreign keys.


What are the differences and/or similarities?

The major differences is the level of detail for each component. The High-Level is a general overview of the entire process using simple concepts, shapes and design. The Detailed Design is very detailed about it individual components or processes. The similarities are the structure, flow and the fact they show the pathways of how components and processes are related and connected.

When do they occur in the SDLC?

• Stage 1 Determine Scope - High-level Design (old detailed designs used as reference)
• Stage 2 System Investigate and Feasibility Study - High-level Design (old detailed designs used as reference)
• Stage 3 System Analysis - High-level Design, but maybe the beginning creation of the Detailed Design Ideas
• Stage 4 System Design - Creation of the Detailed Design, High-level Design used as reference
• Stage 5 Detailed Design - Refinement of the Detailed Design, High-level Design used as reference
• Stage 6 implementation - High-level Design & Detailed Design used as reference
• Stage 7 Changeover - High-level Design & Detailed Design used as reference
• Stage 8 Eval & Maintenance - High-level Design & Detailed Design used as reference

What is the purpose of each?

The High-Level design is to give the customer, management, and a developers and over all idea of what the project and process are about.

The Developers then take the High-level designs and develop them into individual components and processes designs.


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