system-design
Design systems, services, and architectures. Trigger with "design a system for", "how should we architect", "system design for", "what's the right architecture for", or when the user needs help with API design, data modeling, or service boundaries.
Best use case
system-design is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Design systems, services, and architectures. Trigger with "design a system for", "how should we architect", "system design for", "what's the right architecture for", or when the user needs help with API design, data modeling, or service boundaries.
Teams using system-design should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/system-design/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How system-design Compares
| Feature / Agent | system-design | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Design systems, services, and architectures. Trigger with "design a system for", "how should we architect", "system design for", "what's the right architecture for", or when the user needs help with API design, data modeling, or service boundaries.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# System Design Help design systems and evaluate architectural decisions. ## Framework ### 1. Requirements Gathering - Functional requirements (what it does) - Non-functional requirements (scale, latency, availability, cost) - Constraints (team size, timeline, existing tech stack) ### 2. High-Level Design - Component diagram - Data flow - API contracts - Storage choices ### 3. Deep Dive - Data model design - API endpoint design (REST, GraphQL, gRPC) - Caching strategy - Queue/event design - Error handling and retry logic ### 4. Scale and Reliability - Load estimation - Horizontal vs. vertical scaling - Failover and redundancy - Monitoring and alerting ### 5. Trade-off Analysis - Every decision has trade-offs. Make them explicit. - Consider: complexity, cost, team familiarity, time to market, maintainability ## Output Produce clear, structured design documents with diagrams (ASCII or described), explicit assumptions, and trade-off analysis. Always identify what you'd revisit as the system grows.
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