025 Quality Attribute Discovery

Quality Attribute Discovery

Guide identification and prioritization of the quality attributes a future solution must satisfy, before architecture and design decisions begin. This is an interactive SKILL.

What is covered in this Skill?

• Identifying candidate quality attributes (for example performance, security, availability, maintainability, scalability, usability, observability) relevant to the problem
• Grounding each candidate in evidence from the problem frame, root causes, assumptions, and context map, not a generic checklist
• Prioritizing candidate quality attributes by stakeholder impact and risk
• Stopping at a prioritized discovery list rather than selecting or recording an architectural decision
• Explicitly not producing ADRs or an architecture direction itself

Constraints

Discover and prioritize candidate quality attributes as input to later architecture work; do not make or record the architecture decision here. When this technique is orchestrated by another workflow, the orchestrator owns clarifying-question sequencing; when applied standalone, ask directly.

• MUST read references/025-quality-attribute-discovery.md before applying Quality Attribute Discovery guidance
• MUST ground each candidate quality attribute in evidence from the problem frame, root causes, assumptions, or context map
• MUST prioritize candidate quality attributes by stakeholder impact and risk, not list them unordered
• MUST stop at a prioritized discovery list without selecting or recording an architecture decision
• MUST NOT record an architectural decision, ADR, or design direction as part of this skill's output
• MUST NOT invent a quality attribute or priority when the available content is vague or ambiguous; flag the gap for a clarifying question instead

When to use this skill

• Discover the quality attributes for this problem
• Identify non-functional requirements before design begins
• Prioritize candidate quality attributes for this issue
• Apply quality attribute discovery before architecture decisions
• Draft the Quality Attribute Discovery section of a Functional Specification

Workflow

• Read the Reference

Read references/025-quality-attribute-discovery.md, then review the problem frame, root-cause findings, assumptions, and context map for evidence of quality pressure.

• Identify Candidate Quality Attributes

Identify candidate quality attributes grounded in that evidence, avoiding a generic unfiltered checklist.

• Prioritize by Impact and Risk

Prioritize the candidate quality attributes by stakeholder impact and risk if unmet.

• Stop Before Architecture Decisions

Stop at the prioritized discovery list; do not select an architecture approach or record an ADR here.

• Report the Discovery List

Report the prioritized quality attributes, stating explicitly that the output stops at this discovery list and does not select or record an architecture decision; flag any item left open pending a clarifying answer.

Reference

For detailed guidance, examples, and constraints, see references/025-quality-attribute-discovery.md.