Use Case: Planning & Architecture
Scenario 1: Starting a New Feature
Section titled “Scenario 1: Starting a New Feature”Profile: Senior Developer, building a new API endpoint for user authentication
Situation: You have a product spec and need to design, plan, then implement.
Step 1: Create the plan
Section titled “Step 1: Create the plan”“I need to build a JWT authentication system with refresh tokens. Where do I start?”
Tool: /plan (command) invokes planner agent (Opus)
| Input | Feature requirements: “JWT auth with refresh tokens, rate limiting, role-based access” |
| Output | 4-phase plan: database schema, auth middleware, token endpoints, role guards |
Step 2: Design the architecture
Section titled “Step 2: Design the architecture”“Should I use a separate auth service or embed it in the main API?”
Tool: architect agent (Opus)
| Input | Scale expectations, existing API structure, team size |
| Output | Architecture proposal comparing embedded vs service, with recommendation and trade-offs |
Step 3: Record the decision
Section titled “Step 3: Record the decision”“We chose embedded auth - I want to document why”
Tool: architecture-decision-records skill
| Input | Decision context, alternatives (embedded vs microservice), constraints (team of 3) |
| Output | docs/adr/0005-embedded-auth.md with context, decision, and consequences |
Scenario 2: Multi-Session Project
Section titled “Scenario 2: Multi-Session Project”Profile: Architect, planning a database migration that will take weeks
Situation: Large migration from MongoDB to PostgreSQL. Can’t finish in one session.
Step 1: Blueprint the project
Section titled “Step 1: Blueprint the project”“This migration will take multiple sessions - help me plan across them”
Tool: blueprint skill + /plan command
| Input | Full migration scope, data models, dependency order |
| Output | Multi-session plan with checkpoints, rollback points, and session boundaries |
Step 2: Set up AI-assisted workflow
Section titled “Step 2: Set up AI-assisted workflow”“My team of 4 will use Claude Code for this - how should we coordinate?”
Tool: agentic-engineering skill
| Input | Team structure, AI tooling setup, task types |
| Output | Process guidelines: 15-minute task units, model routing, eval criteria per phase |
When to Use Planning Tools
Section titled “When to Use Planning Tools”| Situation | Recommended Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New feature, unclear scope | /plan command | Gets structured breakdown |
| Technology decision | architect agent | Evaluates trade-offs formally |
| Want to record “why” | architecture-decision-records skill | Creates durable documentation |
| Multi-week project | blueprint skill | Plans across session boundaries |
| Team using AI daily | agentic-engineering skill | Structures team workflow |