SKILL: RFC / Architecture Decision Records

SkillDev tools

Author and manage Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) in docs/specs/. Use when a significant architectural decision needs to be documented.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the SKILL: RFC / Architecture Decision Records skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by kinncj/heimdall in .claude/skills/rfc-adr/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

ADR Format

Every significant architectural decision gets an ADR. Store in: docs/specs/{feature}/adr.md

# ADR-{N}: {Short Title}

## Status
Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded by ADR-{N}

## Context
What is the problem or situation that requires a decision?
What constraints exist?

## Goals
- {Specific, measurable goal}

## Non-goals
- {What this ADR does NOT address}

## Proposal
{Detailed technical proposal. Include code snippets if helpful.}

## Alternatives Considered

### Option A: {Name}
**Description:** {What it is}
**Pros:** {list}
**Cons:** {list}

### Option B: {Name}
**Description:** {What it is}
**Pros:** {list}
**Cons:** {list}

## Trade-offs and Risks
{Analysis of trade-offs. What could go wrong?}

## Impact

### Cost (FinOps)
{Estimated cloud cost impact. Monthly estimate if possible.}

### Operations (SRE)
{New runbook requirements. Alert thresholds. On-call implications.}

### Security
{Changes to attack surface. New threat vectors. Compliance implications.}

### Team
{Skill requirements. Training needed. Hiring implications.}

## Decision
{Final decision and rationale. Who made it and when.}

## Next Steps
- [ ] {Action item with owner}
- [ ] {Action item with owner}

When to Write an ADR

  • Choosing between two or more non-trivial technical approaches.
  • Adopting a new technology or framework.
  • Changing a significant existing pattern.
  • Making a trade-off with known long-term implications.

When NOT to Write an ADR

  • Obvious choices with no real alternatives.
  • Implementation details within an agreed-upon approach.
  • Temporary decisions expected to change soon.

Signals

GitHub stars
66
Forks
4
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
rfc-adr
Source
github.com/kinncj/heimdall