The use of Ada for training system software requires that a greater emphasis be placed on the design phase of a software development. The representation of an Ada design must provide a means to describe a variety of components such as packages, procedures, tasks and generics, and a means to specify the interconnection information between all components. A graphical design methodology is a promising technique which may offer an effective means to document an Ada design so that it can be quickly and correctly understood by programmers, project engineers and program managers. This paper describes the benefits of a graphical design and presents four methodologies that are beginning to be used to design training systems software. Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT), Yourdon-DeMarco Structured Analysis and Design (YDSAD), Process Abstraction Method for Embedded Large Applications (PAMELA), and Object Oriented Design (OOD) are discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques with respect to total life cycle support are presented. Factors such as ease of learning, ease of use, understandability, and automated support are given prime consideration. Evaluation results are presented in tabular form.