When gathering requirements, which Appian design object is suitable for defining user permissions?

User permissions in Appian are primarily defined through Groups. Groups are collections of users that can be assigned specific roles and permissions, allowing for better management of access to various design objects and functionalities. When you define user permissions, you are essentially determining what actions members within a group can perform on the platform, whether it's viewing, editing, or executing certain processes or data.

Using Groups enhances security and makes it easier to manage permissions in bulk rather than assigning them individually to each user. This approach fosters efficiency in administering user roles and helps ensure that permissions align with your organization's policies.

Other options, while important in the overall Appian environment, do not directly serve as the primary mechanism for defining user permissions. Record Types deal with the structure of data and how it is accessed but do not inherently manage user permissions. Portals provide a user interface for interacting with applications and processes but rely on the permissions set at the group level. Process models govern the logic and flow of business processes, including who can start or execute them, but the actual permissions are granted through group assignments. Therefore, Groups are the suitable design object for defining user permissions in Appian.