design

Evaluate design options and write the chosen approach to tasks/design-decision.md.

Updated Aug 23, 2026

Search Tags:#design #architecture #software planning #research synthesis #risk evaluation #decision artifact #codex cross-check

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/KMakayee/playbook --skill design-kmakayee

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: design
Source: https://github.com/KMakayee/playbook/tree/main/.claude/skills/design
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/KMakayee/playbook --skill design-kmakayee

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

It prevents flawed architecture decisions by forcing a research-grounded design proposal and validating the choice through an independent cross-check.

Core Features & Use Cases

Research-grounded optioning: Converts codebase research into 2–3 viable design options tied to explicit decision axes and constraints.
Independent cross-check with Codex: Runs Codex to design independently, then cross-checks against the proposed options to surface missed alternatives, trade-offs, and risks.
Actionable decision artifact: Produces or updates tasks/design-decision.md with options, evaluation criteria, and a clear chosen approach ready for planning.

Quick Start

Tell the AI to run the design workflow after you have created the research artifact by executing /research-codebase and then executing /design.

Frequently Asked Questions about design

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I evaluate software architecture options and choose the best design?▼

To choose a software design, you must reconcile research evidence, constraints, and risk trade-offs across multiple viable options. This Skill evaluates design alternatives and uses an independent Codex cross-check to validate the chosen approach before finalizing the decision.

What is an independent cross-check for software design decisions?▼

An independent design cross-check runs a separate generation process to evaluate your proposed architecture options. It surfaces missed alternatives and risk trade-offs, verifying that your chosen approach is justified and implementation-ready before you commit.

How do I document a software architecture decision for implementation planning?▼

You document an architecture decision by writing the evaluation criteria, viable options, and final chosen approach to a design-decision.md file. This artifact ensures the implementation planning phase has a verified, actionable decision record with resolved blocking questions.

Do I need codebase research before making a software architecture decision?▼

Yes, prerequisite codebase research is required before evaluating design options. This Skill verifies prerequisite research artifacts exist and uses them to generate viable architecture options, ensuring the final decision is grounded in actual codebase evidence.

What are the limitations of relying solely on research for software planning?▼

Research alone for software planning can miss alternatives and risk trade-offs. This Skill mitigates the limitation by running an independent cross-check against your research-grounded options, verifying claims and resolving blocking questions before the decision is finalized.