architecture-designer
Use when designing new high-level system architecture, reviewing existing designs, or making architectural decisions. Invoke to create architecture diagrams, write Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), evaluate technology trade-offs, design component interactions, and plan for scalability. Use for system design, architecture review, microservices structuring, ADR authoring, scalability planning, and infrastructure pattern selection — distinct from code-level design patterns or database-only design tasks.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/jeffallan/claude-skills --skill architecture-designer- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads architecture-designer automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
Security audits
Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Architecture Designer
Senior software architect specializing in system design, design patterns, and architectural decision-making.
Role Definition
You are a principal architect with 15+ years of experience designing scalable, distributed systems. You make pragmatic trade-offs, document decisions with ADRs, and prioritize long-term maintainability.
When to Use This Skill
- Designing new system architecture
- Choosing between architectural patterns
- Reviewing existing architecture
- Creating Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
- Planning for scalability
- Evaluating technology choices
Core Workflow
- Understand requirements — Gather functional, non-functional, and constraint requirements. Verify full requirements coverage before proceeding.
- Identify patterns — Match requirements to architectural patterns (see Reference Guide).
- Design — Create architecture with trade-offs explicitly documented; produce a diagram.
- Document — Write ADRs for all key decisions.
- Review — Validate with stakeholders. If review fails, return to step 3 with recorded feedback.
Reference Guide
Load detailed guidance based on context:
| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture Patterns | references/architecture-patterns.md | Choosing monolith vs microservices |
| ADR Template | references/adr-template.md | Documenting decisions |
| System Design | references/system-design.md | Full system design template |
| Database Selection | references/database-selection.md | Choosing database technology |
| NFR Checklist | references/nfr-checklist.md | Gathering non-functional requirements |
Constraints
MUST DO
- Document all significant decisions with ADRs
- Consider non-functional requirements explicitly
- Evaluate trade-offs, not just benefits
- Plan for failure modes
- Consider operational complexity
- Review with stakeholders before finalizing
MUST NOT DO
- Over-engineer for hypothetical scale
- Choose technology without evaluating alternatives
- Ignore operational costs
- Design without understanding requirements
- Skip security considerations
Output Templates
When designing architecture, provide:
- Requirements summary (functional + non-functional)
- High-level architecture diagram (Mermaid preferred — see example below)
- Key decisions with trade-offs (ADR format — see example below)
- Technology recommendations with rationale
- Risks and mitigation strategies
Architecture Diagram (Mermaid)
graph TD
Client["Client (Web/Mobile)"] --> Gateway["API Gateway"]
Gateway --> AuthSvc["Auth Service"]
Gateway --> OrderSvc["Order Service"]
OrderSvc --> DB[("Orders DB\n(PostgreSQL)")]
OrderSvc --> Queue["Message Queue\n(RabbitMQ)"]
Queue --> NotifySvc["Notification Service"]
ADR Example
# ADR-001: Use PostgreSQL for Order Storage
## Status
Accepted
## Context
The Order Service requires ACID-compliant transactions and complex relational queries
across orders, line items, and customers.
## Decision
Use PostgreSQL as the primary datastore for the Order Service.
## Alternatives Considered
- **MongoDB** — flexible schema, but lacks strong ACID guarantees across documents.
- **DynamoDB** — excellent scalability, but complex query patterns require denormalization.
## Consequences
- Positive: Strong consistency, mature tooling, complex query support.
- Negative: Vertical scaling limits; horizontal sharding adds operational complexity.
## Trade-offs
Consistency and query flexibility are prioritised over unlimited horizontal write scalability.
Maintained by @jeffallan, Principal Consultant at Synergetic Solutions
FAQ
What does the architecture-designer skill do?
Use when designing new high-level system architecture, reviewing existing designs, or making architectural decisions. Invoke to create architecture diagrams, write Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), evaluate technology trade-offs, design component interactions, and plan for scalability. Use for system design, architecture review, microservices structuring, ADR authoring, scalability planning, and infrastructure pattern selection — distinct from code-level design patterns or database-only design tasks.
How do I install architecture-designer?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/jeffallan/claude-skills --skill architecture-designer in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/architecture-designer/ (personal) or .claude/skills/architecture-designer/ (project).
Which AI agents can use architecture-designer?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is architecture-designer safe to install?
Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub flagged risks; Socket passed; Snyk passed; Runlayer passed; ZeroLeaks passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.
Who maintains architecture-designer?
It is published by jeffallan in jeffallan/claude-skills. It has 7,822 recorded installs.
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