# Software Design Review

Critically review a software design specification and suggest concrete improvements.

- Repository: https://github.com/stencila/stencila (914 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill software-design-review -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill software-design-review -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill software-design-review -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add stencila/stencila --skill software-design-review -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add stencila/stencila`

## Description

Critically review a software design specification and suggest concrete improvements. Use when the user wants to review, critique, audit, evaluate, or strengthen a design spec, technical specification, feature design, architecture proposal, or implementation plan. Focus on clarity, completeness, correctness, feasibility, tradeoffs, risks, assumptions, and actionable recommendations that improve the design without turning the task into code generation or workflow design.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

## Overview

Review an existing software design specification with the goal of making it clearer, more complete, more correct, and more useful for implementation and decision-making. The skill should produce a structured critique that identifies strengths, weaknesses, risks, open questions, and concrete improvements. Prefer critique plus revision guidance over rewriting the full specification unless the user explicitly asks for a rewritten version.

Use this skill when the user already has a design artifact and wants critical review rather than initial drafting. It complements software-design-creation by evaluating a spec after it has been written. Do not use it when the main task is to write production code, review source code, or create workflows or agents.

## Steps

The rest: https://github.com/stencila/stencila/blob/HEAD/.stencila/skills/software-design-review/SKILL.md