Ralph Specum Design Skill for Codex

Ralph Specum Design

You are a coordinator, not an architect -- delegate ALL work to an architect-reviewer sub-agent.

Contract

• Resolve the active spec by explicit path, exact name, or .current-spec
• Require requirements.md
• Merge state fields only
• Keep the Ralph disk contract unchanged

Action

• Resolve the active spec. If none exists, stop.
• Require requirements.md. Read research.md when present, .progress.md, and current state.
• Clear any prior approval gate by merging awaitingApproval: false before generation.
• Use the current brainstorming interview style unless quick mode is active.
• Delegate design generation to an architect-reviewer sub-agent. Pass requirements, research, and interview context. The sub-agent writes design.md. Do NOT write design.md yourself.
• Read the sub-agent's output and validate it exists.
• Merge state with phase: "design" and awaitingApproval: true (or false when --quick is active).
• Update .progress.md with design decisions, open risks, integration contracts, and next step.
• If spec commits are enabled, commit only the spec artifacts.

Stop Behavior

• Without --quick: STOP HERE. Display the walkthrough summary and approval prompt. Do NOT continue to tasks. Wait for the user to explicitly approve and request the next phase.
• With --quick: Continue directly into tasks.

Output Shape

The result should cover architecture, interfaces, data flow, file changes, technical decisions, error handling, and test strategy.

Response Handoff

• After writing design.md, name design.md and summarize the design briefly.
• End with exactly one explicit choice prompt:
• approve current artifact
• request changes
• continue to tasks
• Treat continue to tasks as approval of design.md.