Architecture decision
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Produce structured Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) with options analysis, tradeoffs, and a clear recommendation. Use this skill when making technology choices, evaluating build-vs-buy, selecting platforms or frameworks, choosing between architectural patterns, or documenting any significant technical decision. Also triggers for: "decision doc", "options analysis", "tech evaluation", "design decision", "technology comparison", "should we use X or Y", "what database should we pick", or "evaluate these options". Covers context, decision drivers, options with pros/cons/risks, decision outcome, and consequences. Do NOT use for project plans, delivery status reports, proposals, or general technical documentation.
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SKILL.md
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Architecture Decision Record
Overview
Produce rigorous Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) that capture the context, options, tradeoffs, and rationale behind significant technical decisions. ADRs are durable artifacts — they explain why a decision was made so that future teams don't relitigate settled questions.
When to Use
- Choosing a technology, framework, or platform
- Evaluating build vs buy
- Selecting an architectural pattern (monolith vs microservices, event-driven vs request-response, etc.)
- Making infrastructure decisions (cloud provider, database, messaging system)
- Any technical decision that affects multiple teams, is expensive to reverse, or will be questioned later
Instructions
Step 1: Define the Decision
Ask the user for (skip what's already provided):
- What decision needs to be made? — One clear sentence.
- Why does this decision matter? — Business or technical impact.
- What are the constraints? — Timeline, budget, team skills, compliance, existing systems.
- Who are the stakeholders? — Who needs to approve or be informed?
- What options are being considered? — At least 2, ideally 3–4.
Step 2: Structure the ADR
Follow the template in references/adr-template.md. Every section is required.
Apply these principles:
- Balanced analysis: Present every option fairly before recommending. Show genuine pros AND cons for each — including the recommended option.
- Decision drivers first: List the criteria that matter most before evaluating options. This prevents post-hoc rationalization.
- Quantify tradeoffs: Cost in dollars, latency in milliseconds, migration effort in weeks. Avoid "better" / "worse" without metrics.
- Acknowledge uncertainty: If an option has unknowns, say so. "Vendor X's pricing at scale is unclear — we estimate $Y based on similar workloads" is better than a false-precision number.
- Reversibility: Explicitly state whether the decision is easily reversible or a one-way door.
Step 3: Make the Recommendation
The ADR must include a clear recommendation with rationale. Structure as:
- Decision: State the chosen option in one sentence.
- Rationale: Why this option best satisfies the decision drivers.
- Tradeoffs accepted: What downsides are being accepted and why they're tolerable.
- Conditions for revisiting: Under what circumstances should this decision be reconsidered?
Step 4: Document Consequences
List both positive and negative consequences of the decision:
- What becomes easier as a result of this decision
- What becomes harder as a result of this decision
- Follow-up actions required to implement the decision
- Compliance notes if the decision has regulatory or security implications
Step 5: Format and Deliver
Output as a structured Markdown document following the ADR template. Use precise, technical language. The ADR should be understandable by a senior engineer joining the project 6 months from now.
Output Format
A single Markdown document following the ADR template. Typical length: 2–5 pages. Each option gets a structured analysis. The recommendation is unambiguous. The document is self-contained — a reader needs no additional context.
References
- See adr-template.md for the complete ADR template with field guidance