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design-review

Review technical designs for risks, assumptions, and scalability concerns.

3|Updated Nov 19, 2025
Search Tags:#architecture#design review#risk assessment#technical proposal#code critique#RFC review
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/meaganewaller/.dotfiles --skill design-review-meaganewaller
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: design-review
Source: https://github.com/meaganewaller/.dotfiles/tree/main/home/.claude/skills/common/design-review
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/meaganewaller/.dotfiles --skill design-review-meaganewaller

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps engineers and product managers identify potential flaws, risks, and areas for improvement in technical designs, proposals, or PR descriptions before significant implementation effort is expended.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Structured Review: Guides the reviewer through a systematic process to evaluate designs.
  • Risk Identification: Surfaces assumptions, architectural risks, layering violations, and scalability concerns.
  • Alternative Generation: Prompts for consideration of different approaches.
  • Use Case: Before starting a major feature implementation, use this skill to review the proposed architecture document, ensuring all potential issues are addressed upfront.

Quick Start

Use the design-review skill to critique the attached architecture proposal document.

Frequently Asked Questions about design-review

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I review a technical design for architectural risks and hidden assumptions?▼

A rigorous design review identifies hidden assumptions, architectural risks, layering violations, and scalability concerns in technical proposals. It systematically surfaces potential flaws and edge cases before significant implementation effort begins.

What is the best way to critique an RFC or architecture proposal?▼

Critiquing an RFC involves evaluating the technical proposal for risks and edge cases, then generating alternative solutions. This provides a synthesized recommendation to improve the architecture before development starts.

Can I use an engineering design review for PR descriptions?▼

Yes, engineering design review is applicable to PR descriptions, architecture proposals, and RFCs. It evaluates the proposed changes to identify layering violations and scalability concerns within the pull request context.

How does a technical design review generate alternative solutions?▼

A technical design review generates alternative solutions by systematically identifying risks and edge cases in the original proposal. It then prompts consideration of different architectural approaches and provides a synthesized recommendation.

When do I need a risk assessment for a technical proposal?▼

You need a risk assessment for a technical proposal before starting major feature implementation. It evaluates the architecture document to surface hidden assumptions, scalability concerns, and layering violations early.

What scalability concerns should a code critique identify?▼

A code critique should identify scalability concerns alongside layering violations and hidden assumptions in the architecture. It evaluates the technical design to ensure potential issues are addressed before implementation.

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