Specialist knowledge tool

DatumDesk

A building-code question tool designed to pair plain-English answers with clause, document and page references.

Context: Product project
Focus: Answers with traceable sources

Supplied DatumDesk answer card with an example question, response and source citation

01 / The starting point

Finding the answer is only half the job.

A specialist question often needs more than a plausible response. The person asking may need to locate the provision, understand its context and explain it to someone else.

DatumDesk was developed around that need in the built environment: making a building-code question easier to investigate while keeping the underlying source visible.

02 / The product

A question, an answer and a way to check it.

The supplied project describes a plain-English question workflow with an answer linked to a clause, source document and page. Edition and jurisdiction are part of the context the product is intended to handle.

Ask a specialist question without starting with a clause number.
See the source document, clause and page associated with the answer.
Use the references as a starting point for checking the underlying requirements.

03 / The design question

Make the source part of the experience.

The citation is not a decorative extra. It is a core part of how the answer is presented and how a user can review it.

The broader pattern is relevant to internal knowledge tools too: find information, show where it came from and make it possible for a person to check the answer before relying on it.

Explore the possibility

Where does your team need answers they can trace?

Policies, technical documents, procedures and specialist reference material can all be starting points for a knowledge tool. Source access, currency, permissions and review requirements need to be designed around the actual use case.

The supplied answer card illustrates the product’s citation-led presentation. It is not current compliance advice, an accuracy guarantee or a substitute for checking applicable requirements and obtaining appropriate professional advice.