architect

name	architect
description	Surface architectural friction in the codebase and design better module interfaces. Uses parallel sub-agents to explore radically different interface designs. Based on "deep modules" philosophy — small interfaces hiding significant complexity. Use when code feels tangled, hard to test, or hard to navigate. Use when this capability is needed.
metadata	{"author":"AgentiveStack"}

Architecture Improvement

Explore the codebase to surface architectural friction, then design deep module interfaces using parallel sub-agents. A deep module (Ousterhout) has a small interface hiding a large implementation — more testable, more navigable, more resilient to change.

Process

1. Discover project context

Read domain documentation:

1. docs/CONTEXT_MAP.md — bounded contexts and relationships
2. docs/contexts/*/CONTEXT.md — ownership, invariants, contracts
3. docs/UBIQUITOUS_LANGUAGE.md — canonical terminology

2. Explore the codebase

Navigate organically, noting friction:

• Where does understanding one concept require bouncing between many small files?
• Where are modules so shallow that the interface is nearly as complex as the implementation?
• Where have pure functions been extracted "for testability" but the real bugs hide in how they're called?
• Where do tightly-coupled modules create integration risk at the seams?
• Which parts are untested or hard to test?
• Where do bounded context boundaries leak? (one context directly accessing another's internals)

The friction you experience IS the signal.

3. Present candidates

Present a numbered list of deepening opportunities:

1. [Cluster Name]
   Modules: [which modules/concepts are involved]
   Coupling: [why they're coupled — shared types, call patterns, co-ownership]
   Dependency type: [in-process | local-substitutable | remote-owned | true-external]
   Test impact: [what tests would be replaced by boundary tests]
   Context: [which bounded context(s)]

2. ...

Ask the user: "Which of these would you like to explore?"

4. Frame the problem space

For the chosen candidate, write a user-facing explanation:

• The constraints any new interface would need to satisfy
• The dependencies it relies on
• A rough illustrative code sketch (NOT a proposal — just grounding)

Show this to the user, then proceed to design.

5. Design multiple interfaces

Spawn 3+ sub-agents in parallel. Each must produce a radically different interface:

• Agent 1: "Minimize the interface — 1-3 entry points max"
• Agent 2: "Maximize flexibility — support many use cases and extension"
• Agent 3: "Optimize for the most common caller — make the default case trivial"
• Agent 4 (if applicable): "Ports & adapters — inject all external dependencies"

Each agent outputs:

1. Interface signature (types, methods, params)
2. Usage example
3. What complexity it hides internally
4. Dependency strategy
5. Trade-offs

6. Compare and recommend

Present designs sequentially, then compare in prose:

• Interface simplicity (fewer methods, simpler params = better)
• General-purpose vs specialized
• Implementation efficiency
• Depth (small interface + deep implementation = good)
• Ease of correct use vs ease of misuse

Give your recommendation. Be opinionated — the user wants a strong read.

7. Capture the decision

Based on user's choice:

• If it warrants implementation → save as a spec in docs/contexts/<name>/specs/
• If it's a significant architectural decision → consider an ADR in docs/contexts/<name>/adrs/
• Update docs/contexts/<name>/CONTEXT.md if ownership or contracts change

Dependency categories

Category	Description	Test strategy
In-process	Pure computation, no I/O	Merge and test directly
Local-substitutable	Has local test stand-in (e.g., SQLite for Postgres)	Test with substitute
Remote but owned	Your own services across network boundary	Port + adapter pattern, in-memory adapter for tests
True external	Third-party services (Stripe, OpenAI)	Mock at boundary

Testing principle

Replace, don't layer. Once boundary tests exist for a deepened module, delete the old shallow unit tests. Tests assert on observable outcomes through the public interface, not internal state.

Related skills

• /domain — stress-test the chosen design against the domain model
• /spec — formalize the improvement into a spec
• /slice — break the refactor into vertical slices
• /holistic — understand the broader system before refactoring

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Source: AgentiveStack/skills — distributed by TomeVault.