Architecture Design

Structured guidance for designing software architectures, from requirements elicitation through system decomposition, trade-off analysis, and decision documentation using industry-standard frameworks like C4, ATAM, and Architecture Decision Records.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill for:

• Designing a new system or major subsystem from scratch
• Evaluating competing architectural approaches for a project
• Documenting architecture decisions with ADRs
• Decomposing a monolithic system into well-defined components
• Conducting architecture reviews or fitness function checks
• Analyzing quality attribute trade-offs (performance vs. consistency, availability vs. partition tolerance)
• Creating C4 diagrams at context, container, component, or code levels
• Establishing architecture governance and review processes

Trigger phrases: "architecture design", "system design", "ADR", "architecture decision record", "C4 model", "trade-off analysis", "system decomposition", "quality attributes", "architecture review", "fitness function"