Pre-Code Design Gate

What it does

The Pre-Code Design Gate is a lightweight architectural intervention that forces AI agents to stop and think before they type. It implements a mandatory "Design Note" for non-trivial tasks, covering goals, blast radius, layering, reuse opportunities, and risk mitigation. This prevents the common AI habit of jumping straight into code without considering system architecture or existing patterns.

Why use this skill

Most AI agents are eager to please but prone to "spaghetti" solutions—putting logic in the wrong layer or reinventing wheels. This skill installs a senior engineering habit that catches these errors at the planning stage when they are cheapest to fix. It ensures your agent maintains a clean codebase by forcing it to justify its architectural choices before presenting a diff.

Supported workflows

This skill is framework-agnostic and works across any tech stack. It is particularly effective for:

• Feature additions in large codebases where "blast radius" matters.
• Refactoring efforts requiring careful layering.
• Teams following Clean Architecture or Domain-Driven Design (DDD) principles.

Expected Output

Before every non-trivial implementation, the agent will output a standardized 5-line Design Note. This note acts as a gate: you review the intent, layer, and risks; once confirmed, the agent proceeds to generate the actual code changes.