Say it like this
- We need to get this through design review before we start development.
- The design review uncovered some scalability concerns.
- Can you prepare the design review materials for next Wednesday?
Use it at work
Scheduling
- Let's book a design review for the new payment flow.
- I'll present at Thursday's design review.
Giving feedback
- How does this scale to 10x traffic?
- What happens if the queue goes down?
Results
- The design review approved the plan with two changes.
- We need another design review after these updates.
Don't say this
Design review is a noun referring to the meeting itself, not a verb. Use conduct, hold, or schedule with design review.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| design review | Team checks a design before building | Engineers or designers | Before building |
| code review | Checking code before merge | Developers | Every PR |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Your manager wants to check the database architecture proposal. What does she want to do?
2. We should _______ before starting the implementation to catch any architectural problems early.
3. Which sentence uses design review incorrectly?
4. Rewrite using design review: We need to have a meeting to check if our plan for the new feature is good before we write the code.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"We need to get this through design review before we start development."
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More about design review
Real examples(3)
- in a standup
"The database redesign is scheduled for a design review on Thursday morning."
- in a team email
"Please review the attached diagram and come prepared with feedback for the design review."
- in a planning meeting
"We should conduct a design review before allocating engineering resources to this feature."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Often confused with code review. Design review focuses on architecture and high-level decisions, while code review examines actual code implementation.
- ✕The design review found bugs in the implementation.✓The design review found architectural flaws in the proposal.
Design reviews evaluate architecture and approach, not code. Code reviews find bugs in implementation.
- ✕That is a good code review feedback for the design review.✓That's good design feedback for the design review.
Design reviews focus on design decisions and architecture, not code style or implementation details.
Other forms(3)
- design review noun
"The design review is scheduled for Friday at 2 PM."
- design review meeting noun phrase
"Our design review meeting revealed several potential issues."
- design review process noun phrase
"The design review process helps us maintain code quality standards."
Often used with(5)
- conduct a design review · Most common way to say performing a design review
- pass design review · When a design is approved and meets standards
- design review feedback · Comments and suggestions from the design review meeting
- attend a design review · Participate in the design review meeting
- schedule a design review · Plan and book a design review meeting
Similar words(3)
- design walkthrough · Similar meaning but often less formal; presenter walks through the design with the team
- architecture review · Focuses specifically on the system architecture rather than broader design aspects
- technical review · Broader term that can include design reviews but also other technical evaluations
Opposites(2)
- code review
- implementation phase
Questions(5)
- What is the difference between a design review and a code review?
- A design review evaluates the overall approach, architecture, and high-level decisions before coding begins. A code review examines actual code after implementation to check for bugs, style, and adherence to standards. Design reviews happen earlier in the process; code reviews happen during or after development.
- Who attends a design review?
- Design reviews typically include engineers, architects, tech leads, product managers, and sometimes UX designers or security specialists depending on the design. The key is having people with relevant expertise and decision-making authority.
- What does it mean if a design passes review?
- If a design passes review, it means the team has approved the proposed approach and architecture. The team is satisfied that it meets requirements, follows best practices, and is ready to move forward with implementation.
- How long does a design review typically take?
- Design reviews usually last 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on complexity. Simple features might need 30 minutes, while major architectural changes could require multiple sessions or several hours.
- Can a design review happen after coding starts?
- Ideally no. Design reviews should happen before significant coding effort to catch problems early when changes are cheap. However, in some agile environments, design reviews happen early in the sprint before implementation begins.
