NW-REVIEW: Expert Critique and Quality Assurance

Wave: CROSS_WAVE Agent: Dynamic (nw-*-reviewer)

Overview

Dispatches expert reviewer agent to critique workflow artifacts. Takes base agent name, appends -reviewer, invokes with artifact. Reviewer agent owns all review methodology|criteria|output format.

Review Philosophy: Radical Candor

Every review MUST embody Radical Candor — kind AND clear, specific AND sincere:

• Care personally: Acknowledge what works. Understand author's intent before critiquing. Include at least one genuine praise: per review.
• Challenge directly: Be specific about what is wrong and WHY. Ground feedback in evidence|consequences, not preference. Never soften security/data-loss issues.
• Avoid ruinous empathy: Never "LGTM" when real issues exist. Hedging ("maybe consider possibly...") on blocking concerns is a review failure.
• Avoid obnoxious aggression: Never "this is terrible" without constructive alternative. Focus on work, not author. Explain "why" behind every critique.

Feedback Format: Conventional Comments

All findings MUST use Conventional Comments labels:

Label	Purpose	Blocking?
praise:	Highlight something done well (genuine, not filler)	No
issue (blocking):	Must be resolved before proceeding	Yes
issue (blocking, security):	Security vulnerability — maximum directness	Yes
suggestion:	Propose improvement with reasoning	Mark (blocking) or (non-blocking)
nitpick (non-blocking):	Trivial, preference-based	No
question (non-blocking):	Seek clarification before assuming	No
thought (non-blocking):	Idea sparked by the review	No

Findings MUST be priority-ordered: blocking issues first, then suggestions, then nitpicks/praise.

Approval Criteria

Verdict	Criteria
APPROVED	No blocking issues. Non-blocking feedback is advisory.
NEEDS_REVISION	Blocking issues exist. Author must address. Each blocking issue enumerated.
REJECTED	Fundamental design problems requiring significant rework. Rare — explain thoroughly, offer alternatives.

Syntax

/nw-review @{agent-name} {artifact-type} "{artifact-path}" [step_id={id}] [--dimensions=rpp] [--from=1] [--to=3]

Parameters:

• @{agent-name} - Base agent (e.g., @nw-software-crafter). -reviewer suffix appended automatically.
• {artifact-type} - One of: baseline, roadmap, step, task, implementation
• {artifact-path} - Path to artifact file (resolved to absolute)
• step_id={id} - Required for step and implementation reviews
• --dimensions=rpp - Triggers RPP code smell scan alongside standard review (Dimension 4)
• --from=N / --to=N - RPP level range (default: 1-6). Requires --dimensions=rpp

Rigor Profile Integration

Before dispatching the reviewer agent, read rigor config from .nwave/des-config.json (key: rigor). If absent, use standard defaults.

• review_enabled: If false, skip the review entirely. Output: "Review skipped per rigor profile (review_enabled=false)."
• reviewer_model: Pass as model parameter to Task tool. If "skip", skip the review. Overrides the default Haiku model.
• double_review: If true and called from deliver Phase 4, the caller is responsible for invoking review twice.

Agent Derivation

User provides	Reviewer invoked
@nw-software-crafter	nw-software-crafter-reviewer
@nw-solution-architect	nw-solution-architect-reviewer
@nw-platform-architect	nw-platform-architect-reviewer

Default model: Haiku (overridden by rigor.reviewer_model when set).

Agent Invocation

1. Parse parameters — Strip @ from agent name, resolve artifact path to absolute, extract optional step_id, dimensions, from/to range. Gate: all parameters parsed.
2. Read rigor config — Read .nwave/des-config.json key rigor. If absent, use standard defaults. Gate: rigor profile loaded or defaults applied.
3. Validate inputs — Run all four validation checks below. Gate: zero validation failures.
4. Apply rigor overrides — Check review_enabled (skip if false), determine model from reviewer_model (default: haiku, skip if "skip"). Gate: execution decision made.
5. Invoke reviewer — Call Task tool with subagent_type="{agent-name}-reviewer", resolved model, and prompt "Review {artifact-type}: {absolute-artifact-path} [step_id={id}]". Reviewer handles reading artifact, applying domain expertise, generating structured critique, updating original artifact with review metadata. Gate: Task tool invoked.

Validation (before invoking)

1. Agent exists — Strip @, check agent name against agent registry. Gate: agent found or return "Unknown agent: {name}. Check available agents with /nw-agents."
2. Artifact type valid — Confirm type is one of: baseline, roadmap, step, task, implementation. Gate: type valid or return "Invalid artifact type: {type}. Use: baseline, roadmap, step, task, implementation."
3. Artifact file exists — Resolve to absolute path and confirm file exists. Gate: file found or return "Artifact not found: {path}."
4. step_id present when required — Require step_id when artifact type is step or implementation. Gate: step_id provided or return "step_id required for {type} reviews."

Success Criteria

• Reviewer agent invoked (not self-performed)
• Original artifact file updated with review metadata
• Review includes severity levels and approval status (APPROVED, NEEDS_REVISION, REJECTED)

Examples

Example 1: Step review

/nw-review @nw-software-crafter step "docs/feature/auth-upgrade/execution-log.json" step_id=02-01

Invokes nw-software-crafter-reviewer with step review of execution log, step 02-01.

Example 2: Roadmap review

/nw-review @nw-solution-architect roadmap "docs/feature/auth-upgrade/roadmap.json"

Invokes nw-solution-architect-reviewer with roadmap review.

Example 3: Implementation review

/nw-review @nw-platform-architect implementation "docs/feature/auth-upgrade/execution-log.json" step_id=01-01

Invokes nw-platform-architect-reviewer with implementation review of step 01-01.

Example 4: RPP code quality review

/nw-review @nw-software-crafter implementation "src/des/" --dimensions=rpp --from=1 --to=3

Invokes nw-software-crafter-reviewer with implementation review + RPP L1-L3 code smell detection using cascade rule.

Error Messages

• Invalid agent: "Unknown agent: {name}. Check available agents with /nw-agents."
• Invalid type: "Invalid artifact type: {type}. Use: baseline, roadmap, step, task, implementation."
• Missing file: "Artifact not found: {path}."
• Missing step_id: "step_id required for {type} reviews."

Next Wave

Handoff To: Depends on review outcome (rework or proceed) Deliverables: Updated artifact file with embedded review metadata

Expected Outputs

Updated artifact file (roadmap.json, execution-log.json, etc.) with reviews section