modularity

Designs modular high-level architectures from functional requirements and produces design documents for each module. Use when designing a new system, creating architecture documentation, or producing module-level design specs with integration contracts and test specifications.

Analyzes a codebase's modularity imbalances using the Balanced Coupling model and produces a review of design issues. Use when reviewing existing code for coupling problems, assessing architecture quality, identifying distributed monolith risks, or finding areas where changes are unexpectedly expensive.

Produces modularity review documents in both Markdown and HTML formats. Use when writing the final review output from a modularity analysis.

The Balanced Coupling model for software design. Use when: designing modular architectures, evaluating coupling between components, reviewing code modularity, deciding whether to split or merge modules/services, assessing integration patterns, classifying coupling as balanced or unbalanced, applying DDD strategic and tactical patterns, reasoning about cohesion vs coupling trade-offs, identifying distributed monolith risks, or explaining why a system is hard to change. Provides the three-dimensional framework (integration strength, distance, volatility) and the balance rule for making coupling decisions.