About architecture
architecture is a skill for creating architecture decision records (ADRs) and evaluating system designs. It is intended for development teams assessing technical proposals, and provides modes for design review, system design, and structured ADR output.
Key features
- 01Create architecture decision records
- 02Evaluate system designs
- 03Design application systems
- 04State options and constraints
- 05Structure output as an ADR
Use cases
- 01Compare event bus options
- 02Review a microservices proposal
- 03Design an application notification system
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/After installing, type/architecturein Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Details
From the project README/architecture
If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.
Create an Architecture Decision Record (ADR) or evaluate a system design.
Usage
/architecture $ARGUMENTS
Modes
Create an ADR: "Should we use Kafka or SQS for our event bus?" Evaluate a design: "Review this microservices proposal" System design: "Design the notification system for our app"
See the system-design skill for detailed frameworks on requirements gathering, scalability analysis, and trade-off evaluation.
Output — ADR Format
# ADR-[number]: [Title]
**Status:** Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded
**Date:** [Date]
**Deciders:** [Who needs to sign off]
## Context
[What is the situation? What forces are at play?]
## Decision
[What is the change we're proposing?]
## Options Considered
### Option A: [Name]
| Dimension | Assessment |
|-----------|------------|
| Complexity | [Low/Med/High] |
| Cost | [Assessment] |
| Scalability | [Assessment] |
| Team familiarity | [Assessment] |
**Pros:** [List]
**Cons:** [List]
### Option B: [Name]
[Same format]
## Trade-off Analysis
[Key trade-offs between options with clear reasoning]
## Consequences
- [What becomes easier]
- [What becomes harder]
- [What we'll need to revisit]
## Action Items
1. [ ] [Implementation step]
2. [ ] [Follow-up]
If Connectors Available
If ~~knowledge base is connected:
- Search for prior ADRs and design docs
- Find relevant technical context
If ~~project tracker is connected:
- Link to related epics and tickets
- Create implementation tasks
Tips
- State constraints upfront — "We need to ship in 2 weeks" or "Must handle 10K rps" shapes the answer.
- Name your options — Even if you're leaning one way, I'll give a more balanced analysis with explicit alternatives.
- Include non-functional requirements — Latency, cost, team expertise, and maintenance burden matter as much as features.