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Architect — Sketch Before You Code

A design workflow skill that sketches types, signatures and module boundaries first, synthesizes multiple model perspectives, then fills in code against the agreed sketch.

Dev & CodingAdvanced★ 3,572⑂ 252AI score 8/10Last updated: Nov 4, 2026

What it does

  • Triggers on /architect, "architect this", "design this", or any non-trivial task where jumping straight to code would lock in the wrong shape.
  • Runs a five-phase loop: ① Ground (build a real model of the systems touched) → ② Sketch (generate and compare candidates) → ③ Agree (optional human checkpoint) → ④ Implement (replace not implemented bodies with real logic) → ⑤ Scrap (throw out the sketch when the architecture is wrong).
  • Forces at least two structurally distinct design candidates, screens each against references/design-red-flags.md, and prefers the design that hides more complexity behind a smaller public surface.
  • Ships a rationale document alongside the sketch and treats implementation-time deviations as signal to surface rather than silently absorb.

Who it's for

  • Backend/fullstack engineers who want types and boundaries pinned down before writing code
  • Tech leads trying to stop AI agents from sprawling the architecture on large features
  • Existing users of the pstack skill suite (arena, how, why, principle skills)

Example uses

  • "/architect the payment retry flow" → the agent explains the existing payment/queue subsystems, produces two structural candidates, then returns one synthesized design plus type sketch.
  • "/architect with checkpoint" → pauses after synthesis to show you the design and wait for sign-off before implementing.
  • Repeated any casts and one-off special-case branches during fill-in become a Phase E signal to scrap and redesign from first principles.

· · · Install guide · · ·

Try it now, no install

Paste this into Claude to use the skill without installing anything.

Read the instructions in this file and follow them to help me:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/backnotprop/pstack/HEAD/skills/architect/SKILL.md

What I want: (describe your task here)

If Claude can't open the link, open it yourself and paste the contents instead.

↓ If it works for you, download the ZIP below and install it. Then it runs on its own — no pasting each time.

Install in the Claude app (no terminal)
  1. Download the ZIP with the button below.
  2. In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
  3. Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.
↓ Download ZIP
Install in Claude Code

Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code

Install the skill I found on AI Skill Mart.
Copy the skills/architect folder from the GitHub repo backnotprop/pstack into my ~/.claude/skills/backnotprop-architect/.
When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.

Install with a command instead

git clone https://github.com/backnotprop/pstack.git /tmp/pstack && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r /tmp/pstack/skills/architect ~/.claude/skills/

⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/backnotprop/pstack.git /tmp/pstack
  3. Create the skills directory: mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
  4. Copy this skill: cp -r /tmp/pstack/skills/architect ~/.claude/skills/
  5. It calls sibling skills (arena, how, why, principle skills), so copying the whole set is recommended: cp -r /tmp/pstack/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/
  6. (Optional) Pin your models by adding an architect runners line to ~/.claude/rules/pstack-models.md; without it, default runners are used.
  7. Restart Claude Code and invoke with /architect or "architect this".
View source on GitHub ↗License: MIT