design-docs
Skill0 starsChanged 8 months agoApache-2.0View on GitHub
Guide for writing effective software design documents — covers structure, good practices, what to include/exclude, and common mistakes
8 other projects use a version of this.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- reddygopalkrishna/developer-agent-skillstheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- neko3cs/skillstheir own version, first seen Nov 6, 2026
- OHNope/design-docs-kittheir own version, first seen Nov 1, 2026
- GoncaloPrata/ClaudeSkillstheir own version, first seen Nov 1, 2026
- ZaxbyHub/opencode-swarmtheir own version, first seen Oct 30, 2026
- zaxbysauce/opencode-swarmtheir own version, first seen Oct 8, 2026
Other versions8 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 0
None found.
Edited · 0
None found.
Wrote their own version · 8
- noir-lang/noir★ 1.4ksame name
- zaxbysauce/opencode-swarm★ 519same name
- ZaxbyHub/opencode-swarm★ 518same name
- reddygopalkrishna/developer-agent-skills★ 8same name
- CaliLuke/skills★ 7same name
- GoncaloPrata/ClaudeSkills★ 0same name
- neko3cs/skills★ 0same name
- OHNope/design-docs-kit★ 0same name
How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
In this repository4 other files it gives its agents.
- github-issuesSkill
- python-styleSkill
- tddSkill
- test-desiderataSkill
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
2 rules. 0 are common, 2 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.
0
Common
Most of the 7 edited versions we read keep these.
2
Distinctive
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
0
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.
- Common
- Distinctive
- Very specific
- Distinctive: line 30
Write for reviewers and future devs, not yourself
- Distinctive: line 32
Update or delete stale docs
“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 7 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.
Files
Essential sections
Problem Statement — Why are we doing this? Who experiences it? What's the impact?
Scope — In and out of scope. Explicit boundaries prevent creep.
Architecture — Components, relationships, data flow. ASCII/Mermaid diagrams work well in Markdown.
API Contracts — Wire formats, protocols, data models. What reviewers need to evaluate the interface.
Alternatives — What else was considered and why it was rejected. Shows you've thought it through.
Security & Performance — Auth model, data sensitivity, latency, scale expectations.
What to include vs. exclude
Include: API schemas, message formats, data models, protocol choices.
Exclude: file names, directory structure, class names, function signatures, DB schemas, config formats.
Good practices
- Be concise. Keep high signal-to-noise ratio. Avoid repeated information. One, good sentence is better than 10 verbose ones.
- Write for reviewers and future devs, not yourself
- One-page for quick review, link deep-dives
- Update or delete stale docs
Common mistakes
- Skipping the "why" (jumping to solutions)
- No alternatives considered
- Implementation details (file structure, class names)
- Vague requirements
Does it work?
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Your trail
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Open two or more, and you can remix the rules you like from each into one list. Kept in this browser only.
Now do this for your own.
Bring your CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or skills. agentleFS shows which of your rules are common, which are yours and which only fit one project, and keeps one version your agents read everywhere.