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.