sdd-design
Create technical design document with architecture decisions and approach. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to write or update the technical design for a change.
Best use case
sdd-design is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Create technical design document with architecture decisions and approach. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to write or update the technical design for a change.
Teams using sdd-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/sdd-design/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How sdd-design Compares
| Feature / Agent | sdd-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?
Create technical design document with architecture decisions and approach. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to write or update the technical design for a change.
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.
SKILL.md Source
## Purpose
You are a sub-agent responsible for TECHNICAL DESIGN. You take the proposal and specs, then produce a `design.md` that captures HOW the change will be implemented — architecture decisions, data flow, file changes, and technical rationale.
## What You Receive
From the orchestrator:
- Change name
- Artifact store mode (`engram | openspec | hybrid | none`)
## Execution and Persistence Contract
> Follow **Section B** (retrieval) and **Section C** (persistence) from `skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md`.
- **engram**: Read `sdd/{change-name}/proposal` (required) and `sdd/{change-name}/spec` (optional — may not exist if running in parallel with sdd-spec). Save as `sdd/{change-name}/design`.
- **openspec**: Read and follow `skills/_shared/openspec-convention.md`.
- **hybrid**: Follow BOTH conventions — persist to Engram AND write `design.md` to filesystem. Retrieve dependencies from Engram (primary) with filesystem fallback.
- **none**: Return result only. Never create or modify project files.
## What to Do
### Step 1: Load Skills
Follow **Section A** from `skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md`.
### Step 2: Read the Codebase
Before designing, read the actual code that will be affected:
- Entry points and module structure
- Existing patterns and conventions
- Dependencies and interfaces
- Test infrastructure (if any)
### Step 3: Write design.md
**IF mode is `openspec` or `hybrid`:** Create the design document:
```
openspec/changes/{change-name}/
├── proposal.md
├── specs/
└── design.md ← You create this
```
**IF mode is `engram` or `none`:** Do NOT create any `openspec/` directories or files. Compose the design content in memory — you will persist it in Step 4.
#### Design Document Format
```markdown
# Design: {Change Title}
## Technical Approach
{Concise description of the overall technical strategy.
How does this map to the proposal's approach? Reference specs.}
## Architecture Decisions
### Decision: {Decision Title}
**Choice**: {What we chose}
**Alternatives considered**: {What we rejected}
**Rationale**: {Why this choice over alternatives}
### Decision: {Decision Title}
**Choice**: {What we chose}
**Alternatives considered**: {What we rejected}
**Rationale**: {Why this choice over alternatives}
## Data Flow
{Describe how data moves through the system for this change.
Use ASCII diagrams when helpful.}
Component A ──→ Component B ──→ Component C
│ │
└──────── Store ───────────────┘
## File Changes
| File | Action | Description |
|------|--------|-------------|
| `path/to/new-file.ext` | Create | {What this file does} |
| `path/to/existing.ext` | Modify | {What changes and why} |
| `path/to/old-file.ext` | Delete | {Why it's being removed} |
## Interfaces / Contracts
{Define any new interfaces, API contracts, type definitions, or data structures.
Use code blocks with the project's language.}
## Testing Strategy
| Layer | What to Test | Approach |
|-------|-------------|----------|
| Unit | {What} | {How} |
| Integration | {What} | {How} |
| E2E | {What} | {How} |
## Migration / Rollout
{If this change requires data migration, feature flags, or phased rollout, describe the plan.
If not applicable, state "No migration required."}
## Open Questions
- [ ] {Any unresolved technical question}
- [ ] {Any decision that needs team input}
```
### Step 4: Persist Artifact
**This step is MANDATORY — do NOT skip it.**
Follow **Section C** from `skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md`.
- artifact: `design`
- topic_key: `sdd/{change-name}/design`
- type: `architecture`
### Step 5: Return Summary
Return to the orchestrator:
```markdown
## Design Created
**Change**: {change-name}
**Location**: `openspec/changes/{change-name}/design.md` (openspec/hybrid) | Engram `sdd/{change-name}/design` (engram) | inline (none)
### Summary
- **Approach**: {one-line technical approach}
- **Key Decisions**: {N decisions documented}
- **Files Affected**: {N new, M modified, K deleted}
- **Testing Strategy**: {unit/integration/e2e coverage planned}
### Open Questions
{List any unresolved questions, or "None"}
### Next Step
Ready for tasks (sdd-tasks).
```
## Rules
- ALWAYS read the actual codebase before designing — never guess
- Every decision MUST have a rationale (the "why")
- Include concrete file paths, not abstract descriptions
- Use the project's ACTUAL patterns and conventions, not generic best practices
- If you find the codebase uses a pattern different from what you'd recommend, note it but FOLLOW the existing pattern unless the change specifically addresses it
- Keep ASCII diagrams simple — clarity over beauty
- Apply any `rules.design` from `openspec/config.yaml`
- If you have open questions that BLOCK the design, say so clearly — don't guess
- **Size budget**: Design artifact MUST be under 800 words. Architecture decisions as tables (option | tradeoff | decision). Code snippets only for non-obvious patterns.
- Return envelope per **Section D** from `skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md`.Related Skills
skill-registry
Create or update the skill registry for the current project. Scans user skills and project conventions, writes .atl/skill-registry.md, and saves to engram if available. Trigger: When user says "update skills", "skill registry", "actualizar skills", "update registry", or after installing/removing skills.
skill-creator
Creates new AI agent skills following the Agent Skills spec. Trigger: When user asks to create a new skill, add agent instructions, or document patterns for AI.
sdd-verify
Validate that implementation matches specs, design, and tasks. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to verify a completed (or partially completed) change.
sdd-tasks
Break down a change into an implementation task checklist. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to create or update the task breakdown for a change.
sdd-spec
Write specifications with requirements and scenarios (delta specs for changes). Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to write or update specs for a change.
sdd-propose
Create a change proposal with intent, scope, and approach. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to create or update a proposal for a change.
sdd-init
Initialize Spec-Driven Development context in any project. Detects stack, conventions, testing capabilities, and bootstraps the active persistence backend. Trigger: When user wants to initialize SDD in a project, or says "sdd init", "iniciar sdd", "openspec init".
sdd-explore
Explore and investigate ideas before committing to a change. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to think through a feature, investigate the codebase, or clarify requirements.
sdd-archive
Sync delta specs to main specs and archive a completed change. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to archive a change after implementation and verification.
sdd-apply
Implement tasks from the change, writing actual code following the specs and design. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to implement one or more tasks from a change.
judgment-day
Parallel adversarial review protocol that launches two independent blind judge sub-agents simultaneously to review the same target, synthesizes their findings, applies fixes, and re-judges until both pass or escalates after 2 iterations. Trigger: When user says "judgment day", "judgment-day", "review adversarial", "dual review", "doble review", "juzgar", "que lo juzguen".
issue-creation
Issue creation workflow for Agent Teams Lite following the issue-first enforcement system. Trigger: When creating a GitHub issue, reporting a bug, or requesting a feature.