Imagine being asked to give UX feedback on a system workflow document and realizing you can’t understand a word of it. That’s exactly what happened to me.
As an IT support officer, I can put myself in the perspective of a user and identify friction points, but this document had no visuals, no simplified explanations, just walls of backend jargon: service mesh, container orchestration, async queues, REST APIs… you name it.
I realized quickly: if someone like me struggles to understand this, so will PMs, frontend devs, new hires, and even other IT staff.
Here’s a practical guide for creating system architecture documentation that anyone on your team can read and use:
Step 1: Show the System from Different Angles
A good architecture doc isn’t just a list of tech terms. Think about who is reading it:
A. Conceptual View (PM/UX/business folks)
What the system does for the user.
Example: “User Authentication System,” “Checkout Service”
Focus on user value and business goals.
B. Component View (frontend developers/IT staff)
How the parts interact.
Example: “Web App calls API Gateway → Microservice → Database”
Focus on data flow and system boundaries.
C. Operational View (backend/DevOps)
Where the system runs and how.
Example: servers, databases, cloud setup, scaling.
Focus on infrastructure and deployment.
This way, everyone can find what’s relevant to their role without getting lost in technical weeds.
Step 2: Make Diagrams the Star
Words alone don’t cut it. Diagrams help people visualize the system, especially if they’re not experts.
Types of Diagrams to Include
System Context Diagram: Shows the system and its external dependencies. UX/PM/IT staff can see how it touches users and other systems.
Container Diagram: Shows main boundaries like “Web App,” “Auth API,” “Database.” Frontend and backend teams benefit.
UML/Component Diagram: Shows internal structure or interactions. Mostly backend focus, but helps everyone understand flow.
Tip: Even a simple flowchart drawn in PowerPoint, Figma, or by hand is better than none. Clarity matters more than perfection.
Diagrams help:
UX sees user impact.
Frontend knows which services to hook up.
Backend sees infrastructure and interactions.
Everyone shares the same mental picture.
Example 1: System Context Diagram
This diagram illustrates who uses the system (a person on the web) and which external services it depends on, like Stripe for payments and SendGrid for emails. It doesn't show the internal workings of the system, just what it connects to.
Example 2: Container Diagram
This diagram illustrates the main components of the system: the Web App, which is the user interface; the Auth API, responsible for handling login and security; and the User Database, where user profiles are stored. The arrows indicate how these components interact with each other.
Practical Tip: Tools to Create Clear Architecture Docs.
Step 3: Translate Tech Into User-Relevant Outcomes
System architecture goes beyond databases and queues, focusing on making the product fast, reliable, and secure for users. Link technical requirements to outcomes everyone can understand:
| Requirement | ❌ Technical Jargon | ✅ User Outcome |
| Scalability | Kubernetes for container orchestration | Can handle 10x daily users without slowdowns. |
| Performance | CDN + caching | Pages load in under 500ms, no “loading” screens. |
| Security | TLS 1.3 for data transfer | User data is safe; only authorized systems access PII(Personally Identifiable Information). |
Even a person with basic UX awareness can see why tech decisions matter.
Step 4: Make Communication Clear
One major source of confusion is how different parts of the system talk to each other. Spell it out:
a) Frontend ↔ Backend: Clearly explain how your frontend connects to the backend.
Example: “The website sends login requests to the Auth API.”
b) Backend ↔ Backend: Explain whether services communicate with each other instantly (synchronous) or through background tasks like message queues (asynchronous). This helps the team understand why some actions feel instant to users, while others take time.
Even non-backend readers can follow the flow and understand how it impacts the product.
Step 5: Keep it Simple and Consistent
Use headings, bullet points, and a table of contents. Don’t write a novel.
Keep names consistent: “User Service” in diagrams should match text labels.
Explain the “why” behind major decisions:
“We chose a NoSQL DB for User Profiles because it requires fast read/write for non-relational data.”
Consistency and simplicity make the doc useful to everyone, not just backend experts.
System Architecture Documentation Tools for Teams
Great architecture documentation lives where your team already works and uses tools that are easy to update, share, and understand. Below are the common types of tools teams use, grouped by purpose.
Documentation Platforms (Where You Write the Full Doc)
You can use these tools to combine text, diagrams, and structure a document.
Google Docs
Simple, familiar, and collaborative. Supports real-time comments, edit history, and easy sharing. Perfect if your team already uses Gmail or Drive. Just paste diagrams as images.
Confluence
Common in larger companies. Integrates with Jira, supports page templates, and lets you embed diagrams. Good for structured knowledge bases.
Notion
Flexible workspace for small teams. Mix docs, tasks, and diagrams in one place. Great if your team uses Notion for other work.
GitHub/GitLab Wikis (with Markdown)
Ideal for engineering-heavy teams. Docs live next to your code, and you can include diagrams using simple code (like Mermaid). Changes are tracked like code.
Start with Google Docs if you’re unsure. A living doc people actually read is better than a “perfect” one no one opens.
Diagramming Tools (Where You Create Visuals)
These help you draw the architecture diagrams you’ll add to your documentation platform.
Draw.io
Free, browser-based, and drag-and-drop simple. No sign-up needed. Exports clean PNG/SVG files you can paste into Docs or Confluence. Great for C4-style diagrams (System Context, Container, and so on).
Figma
If your team already uses Figma for design, you can create architecture diagrams using basic shapes and arrows. Real-time commenting makes feedback easy. Just export as PNG for Docs.
Mermaid (Diagrams as Code)
Write simple text like User --> Web App, and it becomes a diagram. Works in GitHub, GitLab, and tools like Obsidian. Use the Mermaid Live Editor to design, then download and paste into Google Docs.
A Key Insight from Practicing Architects.
Avoid tools that only produce static images (like PowerPoint, Canva, or basic whiteboards) for anything beyond quick sketches. If the same service appears in three diagrams and you rename it, you’ll have to update all three manually, leading to outdated and inconsistent docs.
How They Work Together
Write your doc in Google Docs (or your team’s existing platform).
Create diagrams in Draw.io or Figma (or try Mermaid if you’re curious).
Paste the diagram into your doc, add alt text, and explain what it shows in plain language.
This combo gives you accessibility, collaboration, and maintainability without overwhelming you or your team.
Conclusion
You don’t need to be a senior engineer to write great architecture docs. You just need clarity, empathy, and the willingness to explain “why.”