Menu
Design high-level system boundary diagrams. Show external systems, users, data flows. Use when onboarding teams or clarifying system scope.
Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.
Based on SOC occupation classification
Identify and avoid common architectural mistakes. Recognize patterns of failure. Use when reviewing designs or learning from mistakes.
Practice architectural design with structured problems. Time-limited design challenges. Use for skill development, interviews, team exercises.
Reference catalog of proven architecture patterns. Know when to apply each pattern, tradeoffs, and examples. Use as reference when designing systems.
Lead effective architecture reviews. Manage discussions, surface disagreements, build consensus, document decisions. Use when conducting reviews or running architecture forums.
Prepare for architecture interview questions and scenarios. Practice system design, tradeoff discussions, communication. Use for career development and interview readiness.
Conduct comprehensive system architecture evaluation. Assess design quality, technical debt, operational readiness, scalability. Use when auditing existing systems.
| name | context-diagram |
| description | Design high-level system boundary diagrams. Show external systems, users, data flows. Use when onboarding teams or clarifying system scope. |
Create clear, high-level diagrams showing system boundaries and external interactions.
You are creating context diagrams to establish system scope. Show what's inside vs outside. Identify external dependencies and user interactions. Read system requirements and interfaces.
Based on C4 model and systems thinking:
Draw Central Rectangle: This is "your system" (e.g., "E-commerce Platform").
Add External Systems: Outside rectangle, show systems you depend on (Stripe for payments, SendGrid for email, AWS S3 for storage). Label communication protocol (REST, webhook, batch).
Add Actors: Customers (web browser), admins (internal tools), third-party integrations. Arrows show interaction direction and protocol.
Label Data Flows:
Keep Simple: One diagram, not multi-level. Aim for ~5-10 external entities. More = split into smaller diagrams or go to container level.
