SDD Writer (Iterative)
Purpose
Generate comprehensive Software Design Documents (SDDs) through a systematic, iterative review process with exactly 2 loops of 20 critique points each.
When to Use
- •Designing a new Cooper feature that spans multiple subsystems
- •Architecture changes affecting main process, preload, or renderer
- •New SDK integration patterns or major UI overhauls
When NOT to Use
- •Small bug fixes or single-component changes
- •Documentation updates
SDD Structure (15 Required Sections)
- •Executive Summary
- •Problem Statement
- •Goals / Non-Goals
- •Functional Requirements
- •Non-Functional Requirements
- •Assumptions & Constraints
- •Proposed Solution (architecture overview, components, data flow, APIs, tech choices)
- •Security / Privacy / Compliance
- •Observability & Operations
- •Rollout / Migration Plan
- •Testing Strategy
- •Risks & Mitigations
- •Open Questions
- •Appendix
- •Iteration History
REQUIRED: At least one Mermaid diagram (architecture, sequence, or data flow).
Iterative Review Process
Loop Structure (2 loops total)
For each loop:
- •Generate 20 critique points — Review as a principal engineer
- •Make Accept/Reject decisions — With reasoning for each
- •Apply ONLY accepted changes — Rejected items don't modify the SDD
- •Document the loop — Full critique + decisions + changes in Iteration History
Accept Criteria
- •Improves clarity, completeness, or accuracy
- •Addresses genuine gaps or risks
- •Aligns with Cooper's architecture patterns
Reject Criteria
- •Out of scope for this design
- •Insufficient evidence
- •Conflicts with stated requirements
- •Premature optimization
File Output
Location: docs/design/<YYYY-MM-DD>-<short-title>.md
Example: docs/design/2026-02-10-mcp-server-management.md
Cooper-Specific Context
Before generating the SDD, ground in Cooper's architecture:
- •Check
docs/for prior design documents - •Review the Electron three-process model (main/preload/renderer)
- •Consult
src/main/for existing patterns - •Check
src/renderer/types/for existing interfaces - •Review
.github/copilot-instructions.mdfor conventions
Hard Rules
- •✅ Exactly 2 loops, 20 critique points per loop
- •✅ All 15 sections required
- •✅ At least one Mermaid diagram
- •✅ Save to
docs/design/with date prefix - •✅ No invented facts — unknowns go in "Open Questions"
- •✅ Generate GitHub summary with iteration statistics
Success Criteria
- •SDD v3 (final) has all 15 sections
- •2 loops completed and documented (40 total critiques)
- •Each critique has Accept/Reject with reason
- •File saved to correct location
- •GitHub summary generated
Related Skills
- •planning-and-scoping — Decompose design task
- •security-review — If SDD involves auth/IPC
- •context-engineering — Build full context first