Can I use this for bug fixes?

Absolutely. For bug fixes, it usually suggests a 'Minimal' approach to ensure the smallest possible diff while maintaining system stability.

Does this skill require prior steps?

Yes, it requires the 'dev-clarify' phase to be complete, meaning requirements must be finalized in a SPEC.md and a testing framework must be identified before design starts.

How does it handle complex features that are too large for one PR?

The skill includes a 'Feature Decomposition Check' that identifies independent components and helps you move them into a BACKLOG.md for incremental implementation.

What is the 'Iron Law of Design' in this skill?

It is a non-negotiable rule that requires the AI to obtain explicit user approval on an architectural approach and a PLAN.md file before any implementation or code changes begin.

Dev-Design & Architecture Planner

Name: Dev-Design & Architecture Planner
Author: edwinhu

byedwinhu

•

Developer Tools

Proposes structured architectural approaches and generates implementation plans with mandatory user approval gates.

The dev-design skill is a specialized workflow component for Claude Code designed to bridge the gap between exploration and implementation. It enforces architectural rigor by requiring the AI to present 2-3 distinct implementation approaches—such as Minimal, Clean, or Pragmatic—each with clear trade-offs and impact estimates. By adhering to the 'Iron Law of Design,' it ensures no code is written until the user explicitly approves a generated PLAN.md. This skill is essential for maintaining codebase integrity, ensuring Test-Driven Development (TDD) readiness, and managing complex feature decomposition through isolated git worktrees.

Key Features

01Feature Decomposition: Analyzes requirements to split large tasks into manageable, independent features.

02Git Worktree Integration: Supports isolated development environments to keep the main branch clean.

035 GitHub stars

04Mandatory User Approval Gates: Prevents implementation until the user selects and confirms an approach.

05Standardized PLAN.md Generation: Creates a comprehensive roadmap including testing strategies and file modification lists.

06Multi-approach Architecture Prototyping: Generates 2-3 distinct design options with trade-offs.

Use Cases

01Choosing between a quick patch versus a refactored clean-architecture approach for a new feature.

02Breaking down a massive monolithic requirement into a structured backlog of independent PRs.

03Defining a rigorous TDD strategy and testing framework before writing a single line of production code.

Key Features

01Feature Decomposition: Analyzes requirements to split large tasks into manageable, independent features.

02Git Worktree Integration: Supports isolated development environments to keep the main branch clean.

035 GitHub stars

04Mandatory User Approval Gates: Prevents implementation until the user selects and confirms an approach.

05Standardized PLAN.md Generation: Creates a comprehensive roadmap including testing strategies and file modification lists.

06Multi-approach Architecture Prototyping: Generates 2-3 distinct design options with trade-offs.

Use Cases

01Choosing between a quick patch versus a refactored clean-architecture approach for a new feature.

02Breaking down a massive monolithic requirement into a structured backlog of independent PRs.

03Defining a rigorous TDD strategy and testing framework before writing a single line of production code.