architecture
sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills
Structured framework for making and documenting architectural decisions with requirements analysis and trade-off evaluation.
What is architecture?
A decision-making framework for system architecture that guides requirements analysis, trade-off evaluation, and Architecture Decision Record (ADR) documentation. Use this when designing systems, analyzing design options, or documenting significant architectural choices.
- Guides requirements discovery and project classification through structured questions
- Provides trade-off analysis framework and ADR templates for documenting decisions
- Offers decision trees and pattern selection guidance to avoid anti-patterns
- Includes reference implementations for MVP, SaaS, and Enterprise architectures
- Emphasizes simplicity-first approach with validation checklist before finalizing designs
- Links to related skills for database design, API patterns, and deployment architecture
How to install architecture
npx skills add https://github.com/sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills --skill architectureHow to use architecture
- 1.Review the content map to identify which files match your current task (context discovery, trade-off analysis, pattern selection, or examples)
- 2.Use context-discovery.md to ask clarifying questions and classify your project type
- 3.Apply the trade-off analysis framework and ADR templates from trade-off-analysis.md for each decision
- 4.Reference pattern-selection.md decision trees to choose appropriate patterns for your constraints
- 5.Consult examples.md for reference implementations matching your project type (MVP, SaaS, Enterprise)
- 6.Complete the validation checklist before finalizing your architecture
- 7.Document decisions in ADRs capturing requirements, alternatives considered, and trade-offs
Use cases
- Starting a new system design by discovering requirements and constraints
- Evaluating competing architectural approaches and documenting trade-offs
- Selecting appropriate design patterns based on project type and team expertise
- Creating Architecture Decision Records to capture rationale for significant choices
- Reviewing existing architecture against anti-patterns and simplicity principles
- Software architects and technical leads
- Full-stack developers designing new systems
- Teams making significant architectural decisions
- Engineers documenting system design rationale
architecture FAQ
Use this skill first when making significant architectural decisions or designing new systems. It prevents costly rework by ensuring requirements are clear and trade-offs are understood before implementation.
No. The framework emphasizes starting simple and adding complexity only when necessary. Even small projects benefit from documented decisions and trade-off analysis.
This skill provides the overall architectural decision framework. Use database-design and api-patterns skills for detailed design within those specific domains once your architecture is established.
An Architecture Decision Record documents a significant architectural choice, its alternatives, trade-offs, and rationale. ADRs create institutional knowledge and help future team members understand why decisions were made.
Yes. Use the validation checklist and anti-patterns reference to evaluate whether existing architecture follows simplicity principles and has documented trade-offs.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills.
name: architecture description: "Architectural decision-making framework. Requirements analysis, trade-off evaluation, ADR documentation. Use when making architecture decisions or analyzing system design." risk: safe source: community date_added: "2026-02-27"
Architecture Decision Framework
"Requirements drive architecture. Trade-offs inform decisions. ADRs capture rationale."
🎯 Selective Reading Rule
Read ONLY files relevant to the request! Check the content map, find what you need.
| File | Description | When to Read |
|---|---|---|
context-discovery.md | Questions to ask, project classification | Starting architecture design |
trade-off-analysis.md | ADR templates, trade-off framework | Documenting decisions |
pattern-selection.md | Decision trees, anti-patterns | Choosing patterns |
examples.md | MVP, SaaS, Enterprise examples | Reference implementations |
patterns-reference.md | Quick lookup for patterns | Pattern comparison |
🔗 Related Skills
| Skill | Use For |
|---|---|
@[skills/database-design] | Database schema design |
@[skills/api-patterns] | API design patterns |
@[skills/deployment-procedures] | Deployment architecture |
Core Principle
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
- Start simple
- Add complexity ONLY when proven necessary
- You can always add patterns later
- Removing complexity is MUCH harder than adding it
Validation Checklist
Before finalizing architecture:
- Requirements clearly understood
- Constraints identified
- Each decision has trade-off analysis
- Simpler alternatives considered
- ADRs written for significant decisions
- Team expertise matches chosen patterns
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
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