design-init

name	design-init
description	Initialize new design documentation from templates. Use when creating new design docs, documenting new systems, starting architecture documentation, or setting up design docs for a new module.
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Glob, AskUserQuestion
agent	design-doc-agent

Design Documentation Initialization

Creates new design documentation files from templates with proper frontmatter and structure.

Overview

This skill initializes new design documentation files by:

1. Reading the design configuration
2. Selecting the appropriate template based on category
3. Populating frontmatter with current metadata
4. Creating the file in the correct module location
5. Validating the output

Quick Start

Basic usage:

/design-docs:design-init effect-type-registry cache-optimization

With explicit category:

/design-docs:design-init rspress-plugin-api-extractor component-lifecycle --category=architecture

Specify template:

/design-docs:design-init website deployment --template=default

Parameters

Required

• module - Module name (must exist in config)
• topic - Topic/filename for the document (kebab-case)

Optional

• category - Design doc category (default: infer from topic)
• template - Specific template to use (default: auto-select)

Workflow Overview

1. Parse Parameters - Extract module, topic, category, template
2. Load Configuration - Read config, verify module exists
3. Determine Category - Infer from topic or ask user
4. Select Template - Category-specific or default
5. Populate Frontmatter - Set status, dates, metadata
6. Populate Body - Replace template variables
7. Determine Path - Construct output path
8. Create File - Write to disk
9. Report Success - Show summary and next steps

Supporting Documentation

For Detailed Workflow Steps

See instructions.md for:

• Complete step-by-step workflow
• Validation rules before creation
• Special case handling
• Success criteria

Load when: Need detailed implementation guidance or handling edge cases

For Category and Template Selection

See category-templates.md for:

• Category inference patterns and keywords
• Template selection logic
• Template variable replacement
• Title case conversion rules

Load when: Determining which category or template to use for a new doc

For Error Handling

See error-messages.md for:

• All error message formats
• Error handling strategies
• Special case handling (long names, invalid chars, existing files)
• Fix instructions for each error type

Load when: Encountering errors or need to handle edge cases

For Usage Examples

See examples.md for:

• Complete usage scenarios
• Example outputs for different cases
• Multi-step walkthroughs
• Success report format

Load when: User wants to see concrete examples or needs clarification

Integration

Use this skill in combination with:

• /design-docs:design-validate - Validate after creation
• /design-docs:design-update - Update newly created docs
• /design-docs:design-review - Review doc quality