diff --git a/docs/contributing.md b/docs/contributing.md
index 18644aa631..d3d11c96de 100644
--- a/docs/contributing.md
+++ b/docs/contributing.md
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ your company's interests, do feel free to approve it.
 This project follows [Google's Open Source Community
 Guidelines](https://opensource.google/conduct/).
 
+## Contributing large patches
+
+While we appreciate that you took the time to design/redesign or rework an 
+existing component, we cannot accept it as easily as that. As it requires a
+architecture review from multiple stakeholders, which we do with 
+[Design Docs](design_docs.md), see the [process here](design_docs.md#process). 
 
 ## Contributing to the documentation
 
diff --git a/docs/design_docs.md b/docs/design_docs.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8caa02ed94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/design_docs.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Jujutsu Design Docs
+
+Jujutsu uses Design Docs to drive technical decisions on large projects and it
+is the place to discuss your proposed design or new component. It is a very 
+thorough process, in which all concerns must be addressed. It shares some
+similarities with [Rust RFCs] but mostly addresses _technical_ problems and 
+gauges the technical and social concerns of all stakeholders.
+
+So if you want to start building the native backend or the server component for
+Jujutsu, you'll need to go through this process. It also is good if you're 
+already familiar with the codebase, to not stall the implementation.
+
+## Process
+
+1. Add a new markdown document to `docs/design`, named after your improvement 
+   or project. 
+1. Describe the current state of the world and the things you want to improve.
+1. Wait for the Maintainers and Stakeholders to show up. 
+1. Iterate until everyone accepts the change in normal codereview fashion.
+   
+
+[Rust RFCs]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs 
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index d53162cb44..dfba94a1ed 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ nav:
 - Contributing:
       - 'Guidelines and "How to...?"': 'contributing.md'
       - 'Code of conduct': 'code-of-conduct.md'
+      - 'Design Docs': 'design_docs.md'
 
 - 'Design docs': 
     - 'git-submodules': 'design/git-submodules.md'