skills/designing-architecture/SKILL.md
Designs software architecture and selects appropriate patterns for projects. Use when designing systems, choosing architecture patterns, structuring projects, making technical decisions, or when asked about microservices, monoliths, or architectural approaches.
npx skillsauth add cloudai-x/claude-workflow designing-architectureInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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Copy this checklist and track progress:
Architecture Design Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Understand requirements and constraints
- [ ] Step 2: Assess project size and team capabilities
- [ ] Step 3: Select architecture pattern
- [ ] Step 4: Define directory structure
- [ ] Step 5: Document trade-offs and decision
- [ ] Step 6: Validate against decision framework
| Size | Recommended Pattern | | ----------------- | --------------------------------- | | Small (<10K LOC) | Simple MVC/Layered | | Medium (10K-100K) | Clean Architecture | | Large (>100K) | Modular Monolith or Microservices |
| Team | Recommended | | --------- | ---------------------------- | | 1-3 devs | Monolith with clear modules | | 4-10 devs | Modular Monolith | | 10+ devs | Microservices (if justified) |
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Presentation │ ← UI, API Controllers
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Application │ ← Use Cases, Services
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Domain │ ← Business Logic, Entities
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Infrastructure │ ← Database, External APIs
└─────────────────────────────┘
Use when: Simple CRUD apps, small teams, quick prototypes
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Frameworks & Drivers │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Interface Adapters │ │
│ │ ┌─────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Application │ │ │
│ │ │ ┌─────────────┐ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ Domain │ │ │ │
│ │ │ └─────────────┘ │ │ │
│ │ └─────────────────────┘ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Use when: Complex business logic, long-lived projects, testability is key
┌──────────┐
│ HTTP API │
└────┬─────┘
│ Port
┌────────▼────────┐
│ │
│ Application │
│ Core │
│ │
└────────┬────────┘
│ Port
┌────▼─────┐
│ Database │
└──────────┘
Use when: Need to swap external dependencies, multiple entry points
Producer → Event Bus → Consumer
│
├─→ Consumer
│
└─→ Consumer
Use when: Loose coupling needed, async processing, scalability
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ Commands │ │ Queries │
│ (Write) │ │ (Read) │
└──────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
Write Model Read Model
│ │
└────────┬───────────┘
▼
Event Store
Use when: Different read/write scaling, complex domains, event sourcing
src/
├── features/
│ ├── users/
│ │ ├── api/
│ │ ├── components/
│ │ ├── hooks/
│ │ ├── services/
│ │ └── types/
│ └── orders/
│ ├── api/
│ ├── components/
│ └── ...
├── shared/
│ ├── components/
│ ├── hooks/
│ └── utils/
└── app/
└── ...
src/
├── controllers/
├── services/
├── models/
├── repositories/
└── utils/
When making architectural decisions, evaluate against these criteria:
Use this template to document architectural decisions:
## Decision: [What we're deciding]
### Context
[Why this decision is needed now]
### Options Considered
1. Option A: [Description]
2. Option B: [Description]
### Trade-offs
| Criteria | Option A | Option B |
| ---------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Complexity | Low | High |
| Scalability | Medium | High |
| Team familiarity | High | Low |
### Decision
We chose [Option] because [reasoning].
### Consequences
- [What this enables]
- [What this constrains]
After selecting an architecture, validate against:
Architecture Validation:
- [ ] Matches project size and complexity
- [ ] Aligns with team skills and experience
- [ ] Supports current requirements
- [ ] Allows for anticipated growth
- [ ] Dependencies flow inward (core has no external deps)
- [ ] Clear boundaries between modules/layers
- [ ] Testing strategy is feasible
- [ ] Trade-offs are documented
If validation fails, reconsider the pattern selection or adjust the implementation approach.
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