architecture
by markdown-viewerArchitecture is a diagramming skill for building layered system views in HTML and CSS, with color-coded sections, grid layouts, and clear component hierarchy. It is best for user/application/data/infrastructure diagrams, microservices maps, and enterprise architecture. Use it instead of generic prompts when you want fast, editable architecture for Diagramming output.
This skill scores 78/100, which means it is a solid listing candidate for directory users. It has a clear trigger, a substantial body of workflow guidance, and reusable architecture-diagram templates that should reduce guesswork compared with a generic prompt. Users should still expect some adoption friction because it lacks companion scripts/resources and does not include an install command in SKILL.md.
- Clear scope and triggerability: it explicitly targets layered architecture diagrams and says when not to use it (drawio/uml/vega).
- Operationally useful workflow: the SKILL.md includes a Quick Start plus critical rules for direct HTML embedding and incremental creation.
- Strong reusable assets: multiple layout and style files support common architecture patterns such as hub-and-spoke, dashboard, connectors, and layered layouts.
- No install command and no support files, so users must adopt the markdown/HTML workflow directly.
- The skill is diagram-focused rather than a general architecture modeling tool, so it is narrower than the name might suggest.
Overview of architecture skill
What architecture skill does
architecture is a diagramming skill for building layered system views in HTML and CSS, not a generic drawing prompt. It helps you turn a rough system idea into a readable architecture diagram with color-coded sections, grid-based layouts, and clear component hierarchy.
Who should use it
Use the architecture skill if you need to explain platform structure, service boundaries, request flow, or infrastructure layers to engineers, stakeholders, or reviewers. It fits users who want the architecture for Diagramming workflow to produce diagrams that are fast to edit, easy to render in Markdown, and consistent across projects.
Best-fit use cases and limits
It works best for user/application/data/infrastructure views, microservices maps, enterprise app overviews, and dashboard-style system summaries. It is not the right choice for pixel-perfect custom drawing, formal UML modeling, or chart-style data visualization, where other tools will usually be a better fit.
How to Use architecture skill
Install and read the right files
For architecture install, add the skill with npx skills add markdown-viewer/skills --skill architecture, then start with SKILL.md. Next, inspect the layout files in layouts/ and the style presets in styles/ to choose a template that matches your structure before you write content.
Turn a rough idea into a usable prompt
Strong architecture usage starts with a specific target, not “make an architecture diagram.” Give the skill the system purpose, the layers you want shown, the important components, and the relationship between them. For example: “Create an architecture diagram for a payments platform with a public API, auth layer, order service, database, queue, and external PSP integration.”
Start with the right template choice
Pick the diagram shape before adding details. Use layouts/layer-layouts.md for general layered systems, layouts/grid-catalog.md for equal-weight services, layouts/hub-spoke.md for integration platforms, and layouts/connectors.md when flow direction matters. If you are unsure, read layouts/banner-center.md, layouts/dashboard.md, and layouts/pipeline.md first because they show the most common composition patterns.
Follow the HTML constraints
The architecture skill expects direct HTML embedded in Markdown, with no fenced code block around the diagram. Keep the HTML block continuous with no blank lines inside it, because the parser is sensitive to structure. Build the diagram incrementally: framework first, then containers, then labels and content, then styling tweaks.
architecture skill FAQ
Is architecture skill better than a plain prompt?
Usually yes, when you need repeatable architecture for Diagramming output. The skill gives you layout patterns, HTML rules, and styling conventions that reduce guesswork and make the result easier to render and revise than a one-off prompt.
What should I provide before using it?
Give the system goal, main layers, key services, and any directional flows or boundaries that matter. If you already know the output shape, say so explicitly, such as “single stack,” “two-column split,” or “hub and spoke,” so the skill does not have to infer the structure.
When should I not use architecture?
Do not use it when the goal is precise visual drafting, formal software notation, or analytical charts. If your output needs exact geometry, standards-based UML, or data-heavy plots, another tool will be a better match than the architecture skill.
Is it beginner-friendly?
Yes, if you can describe a system in plain language. Beginners get the best results by starting with one diagram, one audience, and one layout instead of trying to model the entire platform at once.
How to Improve architecture skill
Give the skill fewer but clearer decisions
The architecture skill performs best when you define the audience and the level of detail up front. Say whether the diagram is for engineers, leadership, or documentation, and include only the components that change the story; too many boxes usually weakens readability.
Specify the flow, not just the parts
A common failure mode is listing components without saying how they interact. Improve architecture usage by naming the primary path, such as “browser → API gateway → service → database,” and then add exceptions like caches, async queues, or third-party calls only where they matter.
Match layout to the problem
If the first output feels crowded, the issue is often template mismatch, not bad content. Rework the prompt around a more suitable structure: use layered layouts for platform stack views, grid catalogs for service portfolios, or connectors when dependencies and arrows are the main point.
Iterate with concrete corrections
After the first draft, ask for specific fixes: reduce nesting, enlarge the core service, separate external systems, or simplify labels. Better inputs for the architecture skill mention what to preserve and what to change, which is more effective than asking for a “cleaner version” without naming the problem.