Ask HN: To have (system) design sessions or not?

In my team, I suggest that before starting coding/implementing any middle-size/big feature (e.g., an HTTP endpoint that, supposedly, needs a new db table) the engineers involved (which usually involves all the backend engineers) should have a "design" session where: - potential high-level solutions are discussed - potential implementations are discussed (not low-level details, but at least the important/risky ones) - and once a "final" decision is made, whoever is in charge of pushing the feature live to production can start with the implementation. The rest of the team can review the implmentation later on knowing that it should follow the final decision the team agreed on The team doesn't like the approach that much because: - it takes time ("Omg, yet another meeting?") - "review of the design can be done at PR code review time" - developers should have more freedom when it comes to designing systems ("we don't wan