Skills Development Technical Design Validation Review

Technical Design Validation Review

v20260415
kiro-validate-design
This skill provides an interactive, comprehensive quality review for technical design documents. It systematically validates a feature's readiness for implementation by assessing critical issues, identifying strengths, and providing a clear GO/NO-GO decision with actionable next steps. Ideal for ensuring architectural soundness and catching risks early in the development lifecycle.
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Overview

Technical Design Validation

<background_information>

  • Mission: Conduct interactive quality review of technical design to ensure readiness for implementation
  • Success Criteria:
    • Critical issues identified (maximum 3 most important concerns)
    • Balanced assessment with strengths recognized
    • Clear GO/NO-GO decision with rationale
    • Actionable feedback for improvements if needed </background_information>
## Core Task Interactive design quality review for feature **$1** based on approved requirements and design document.

Execution Steps

  1. Gather Context:
    • Read {{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/$1/spec.json for language and metadata
    • Read {{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/$1/requirements.md for requirements
    • Read {{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/$1/design.md for design document
    • Core steering context: product.md, tech.md, structure.md
    • Additional steering files only when directly relevant to architecture boundaries, integrations, runtime prerequisites, domain rules, security/performance constraints, or team conventions that affect implementation readiness
    • Relevant local agent skills or playbooks only when they clearly match the feature's host environment or use case and provide review-relevant context

Parallel Research

The following research areas are independent and can be executed in parallel:

  1. Context & rules loading: Spec documents, core steering, task-relevant extra steering, relevant local agent skills/playbooks, and rules/design-review.md from this skill's directory for review criteria
  2. Codebase pattern survey: Gather existing architecture patterns, naming conventions, and component structure from the codebase to use as reference during review

If multi-agent is enabled, spawn sub-agents for each area above. Otherwise execute sequentially.

After all parallel research completes, synthesize findings for review.

  1. Execute Design Review:

    • Reference conversation history when available: leverage prior requirements discussion and user's stated design intent
    • Follow design-review.md process: Analysis → Critical Issues → Strengths → GO/NO-GO
    • Limit to 3 most important concerns
    • Engage interactively with user — ask clarifying questions, propose alternatives
    • Use language specified in spec.json for output
  2. Decision and Next Steps:

    • Clear GO/NO-GO decision with rationale
    • Provide specific actionable next steps (see Next Phase below)

Important Constraints

  • Quality assurance, not perfection seeking: Accept acceptable risk
  • Critical focus only: Maximum 3 issues, only those significantly impacting success
  • Conversation-aware: Leverage discussion history for requirements context and user intent when available
  • Interactive approach: Engage in dialogue, ask clarifying questions, propose alternatives
  • Balanced assessment: Recognize both strengths and weaknesses
  • Actionable feedback: All suggestions must be implementable
  • Context Discipline: Start with core steering and expand only with review-relevant steering or use-case-aligned local agent skills/playbooks

Tool Guidance

  • Read first: Load spec, core steering, relevant local playbooks/agent skills, and rules before review
  • Grep if needed: Search codebase for pattern validation or integration checks
  • Interactive: Engage with user throughout the review process

Output Description

Provide output in the language specified in spec.json with:

  1. Review Summary: Brief overview (2-3 sentences) of design quality and readiness
  2. Critical Issues: Maximum 3, following design-review.md format
  3. Design Strengths: 1-2 positive aspects
  4. Final Assessment: GO/NO-GO decision with rationale and next steps

Format Requirements:

  • Use Markdown headings for clarity
  • Follow design-review.md output format
  • Keep summary concise

Safety & Fallback

Error Scenarios

  • Missing Design: If design.md doesn't exist, stop with message: "Run /kiro-spec-design $1 first to generate design document"
  • Design Not Generated: If design phase not marked as generated in spec.json, warn but proceed with review
  • Empty Steering Directory: Warn user that project context is missing and may affect review quality
  • Language Undefined: Default to English (en) if spec.json doesn't specify language

Next Phase: Task Generation

If Design Passes Validation (GO Decision):

  • Review feedback and apply changes if needed
  • Run /kiro-spec-tasks $1 to generate implementation tasks
  • Or /kiro-spec-tasks $1 -y to auto-approve and proceed directly

If Design Needs Revision (NO-GO Decision):

  • Address critical issues identified
  • Re-run /kiro-spec-design $1 with improvements
  • Re-validate with /kiro-validate-design $1

Note: Design validation is recommended but optional. Quality review helps catch issues early.

Info
Category Development
Name kiro-validate-design
Version v20260415
Size 4.97KB
Updated At 2026-04-25
Language