system-design

Designs system architectures and produces structured design documents.

Updated Feb 8, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mbuyco/agent-skills --skill system-design-mbuyco
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: system-design
Source: https://github.com/mbuyco/agent-skills/tree/main/system-design
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mbuyco/agent-skills --skill system-design-mbuyco

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This skill guides the agent to reason about software system architectures, identify trade-offs, and document design decisions to support scalable, reliable, and secure systems.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Structured reasoning: Analyze context, components, and interactions to form a coherent design.
  • Trade-off evaluation: Explicitly compare latency, throughput, cost, and complexity for different patterns.
  • Documentation output: Produce a structured design document with sections such as Overview, Requirements, Components, and Quality Attribute Analysis.
  • Use Case: Design a scalable e-commerce platform with microservices, caching, and secure data flows.

Quick Start

Ask the agent to produce a system design for a given scenario, including context, components, quality attributes, and recommended patterns.

Frequently Asked Questions about system-design

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I design a scalable software architecture with clear trade-offs?

To design a scalable software architecture, this skill evaluates trade-offs between latency, throughput, cost, and complexity, and selects appropriate architectural patterns to produce a structured system design document.

What is system design and how does it handle quality attributes like reliability and security?

System design involves defining software components and interactions to meet quality attributes. This skill explicitly analyzes reliability, security, scalability, and performance requirements to document coherent architectural decisions.

How do I document requirements and components for a system architecture?

You document requirements and components by structuring your design into sections like Overview, Requirements, Components, and Quality Attribute Analysis. This skill generates that structured output based on your scenario context.

What is the best way to evaluate architectural patterns for a microservices platform?

The best way to evaluate architectural patterns for microservices is to explicitly compare trade-offs such as latency and complexity. This skill guides reasoning to select patterns that support secure data flows and scalability.

Can I use this to analyze trade-offs for an e-commerce system design?

Yes, you can use this to analyze trade-offs for an e-commerce system. It helps reason about caching, microservices, and secure data flows by documenting context, quality attributes, and recommended patterns.

When do I need to document quality attributes during system design?

You need to document quality attributes during system design when you must justify architectural choices. This skill requires identifying scalability, reliability, security, and performance needs to support structured, defensible design decisions.