> **architecture** — skill 31 of 200 in [anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins](https://skillsdocs.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins).
>
> Book (all skills, one file): https://skillsdocs.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins.md
> Machine manifest: https://skillsdocs.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json
> Install the book: `npx skills add anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins`
> Upstream: https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/blob/main/engineering/skills/architecture/SKILL.md @ `main`
> Raw bytes, no header: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/main/engineering/skills/architecture/SKILL.md
> Base for relative paths: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/main/engineering/skills/architecture/
> Licence: Apache-2.0 — https://spdx.org/licenses/Apache-2.0.html
>
> Content © its authors, served unmodified. Takedown: https://github.com/DreambaseAI/skillsdocs/issues/new?labels=takedown&title=Takedown+request

<!-- Verbatim upstream SKILL.md follows, YAML frontmatter included. -->

---
name: architecture
description: Create or evaluate an architecture decision record (ADR). Use when choosing between technologies (e.g., Kafka vs SQS), documenting a design decision with trade-offs and consequences, reviewing a system design proposal, or designing a new component from requirements and constraints.
argument-hint: "<decision or system to design>"
---

# /architecture

> If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md).

Create an Architecture Decision Record (ADR) or evaluate a system design.

## Usage

```
/architecture $ARGUMENTS
```

## Modes

**Create an ADR**: "Should we use Kafka or SQS for our event bus?"
**Evaluate a design**: "Review this microservices proposal"
**System design**: "Design the notification system for our app"

See the **system-design** skill for detailed frameworks on requirements gathering, scalability analysis, and trade-off evaluation.

## Output — ADR Format

```markdown
# ADR-[number]: [Title]

**Status:** Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded
**Date:** [Date]
**Deciders:** [Who needs to sign off]

## Context
[What is the situation? What forces are at play?]

## Decision
[What is the change we're proposing?]

## Options Considered

### Option A: [Name]
| Dimension | Assessment |
|-----------|------------|
| Complexity | [Low/Med/High] |
| Cost | [Assessment] |
| Scalability | [Assessment] |
| Team familiarity | [Assessment] |

**Pros:** [List]
**Cons:** [List]

### Option B: [Name]
[Same format]

## Trade-off Analysis
[Key trade-offs between options with clear reasoning]

## Consequences
- [What becomes easier]
- [What becomes harder]
- [What we'll need to revisit]

## Action Items
1. [ ] [Implementation step]
2. [ ] [Follow-up]
```

## If Connectors Available

If **~~knowledge base** is connected:
- Search for prior ADRs and design docs
- Find relevant technical context

If **~~project tracker** is connected:
- Link to related epics and tickets
- Create implementation tasks

## Tips

1. **State constraints upfront** — "We need to ship in 2 weeks" or "Must handle 10K rps" shapes the answer.
2. **Name your options** — Even if you're leaning one way, I'll give a more balanced analysis with explicit alternatives.
3. **Include non-functional requirements** — Latency, cost, team expertise, and maintenance burden matter as much as features.