skill-construction

name

skill-construction

description

Use this skill when the user wants to build a new Claude skill from scratch, expand a single prompt into a multi-phase skill system, or add a self-improvement feedback loop to an existing skill. Triggers on phrases like "build a skill for", "design a prompt that won't break", "turn this prompt into a full workflow", "make this skill self-improving", "production-ready skill for X", or any request for new skill architecture (not just editing an existing prompt). Handles three construction modes: greenfield design with failure prevention, single-prompt expansion into a phased system, and feedback loop integration. Do NOT use for editing an existing prompt in place (use prompt-refinement) or for evaluation (use prompt-stress-test / prompt-reliability-score).

Skill Construction

Build new skills or expand existing ones. Bake failure prevention in from day one.

Inputs required

Depends on mode. Ask which mode before proceeding if unclear.

Mode A — Greenfield

• What the skill should do
• Who uses it
• Example inputs it must handle

Mode B — Expansion

• The current single prompt
• The full workflow it sits inside (input → processing → validation → output)

Mode C — Feedback loop

• The current skill
• The recurring quality issues observed

Procedure

Mode A — Greenfield design

1. Identify the 3 most likely failure modes for this task type.
2. Design constraints, output format, and guardrails to prevent each.
3. Draft the skill.
4. Stress-test mentally against 5 edge cases.
5. Deliver skill + failure prevention map.

Mode B — Single prompt → phased system

1. Map the workflow into distinct phases.
2. Write a dedicated sub-skill per phase.
3. Define explicit handoffs — output of phase N is the exact input of phase N+1.
4. Insert checkpoints between phases to catch failures before they propagate.
5. Test the full chain against 3 realistic end-to-end cases.

Mode C — Feedback loop integration

1. Design structured feedback capture — what to log, when, how.
2. Build a reflection step into the skill that treats past failures as active constraints.
3. Ensure the skill still works without the feedback layer — it enhances, does not replace.
4. Define the improvement cycle trigger (evidence-based, not scheduled).
5. Test against baseline.

Rules

• Prevention beats diagnosis — bake resistance in, don't bolt it on.
• Every constraint must have a named reason. No rules without purpose.
• Edge cases are tested before delivery, not after.
• Output format is locked. Ambiguity is the enemy of consistency.
• In Mode B, each sub-skill must work independently — no phase may silently depend on another.
• In Mode C, feedback must be structured. Free-form notes do not improve prompts.

Output format

1. Mode — A / B / C
2. Skill Draft (A) / Phase Map + Sub-skills (B) / Feedback Layer Design (C)
3. Failure Prevention Map — table: failure mode | prevention mechanism
4. Edge Case / End-to-End Test Results — 5 cases (A, C) or 3 cases (B)
5. Production-Ready Artifact — the final skill(s), ready to deploy