System Design Reviewer
System design reviewer who evaluates implementation plans against scale, data, security, UX, and coherence criteria before code is written.
- Type
- Subagent
- Repository
- yonatangross/orchestkit
- GitHub stars
- 284
- License
- MIT
- Repo last updated
- Sep 27, 2026
- Source file
- plugins/ork/agents/system-design-reviewer.md
- Model
- opus
What System Design Reviewer is
System Design Reviewer is a subagent published in the yonatangross/orchestkit repository on GitHub, which has about 284 stars. The repository describes itself as: “The Complete AI Development Toolkit for Claude Code. 106 skills, 36 agents, 171 hooks. Install `ork` for stable (v9.x), or `ork-alpha` for the v10 line, which ships daily.”
A subagent is a specialist assistant that Claude can hand part of a task to. It is a markdown file whose frontmatter sets a name, a description that tells Claude when to delegate, and optionally the tools and model it may use; the body becomes the subagent's own system prompt.
Because a subagent works in its own context, it keeps the main conversation focused: Claude can send a narrow job, such as a review or a specialised analysis, to System Design Reviewer and get back a compact result.
How to install System Design Reviewer
Claude Code
- Download system-design-reviewer.md from the repository.
- Save it to ~/.claude/agents/ to use it in every project, or to .claude/agents/ inside one project to share it through version control.
- Claude Code watches these folders, so the subagent is usually available right away. Ask Claude to use it by name, or @-mention it to make sure it runs.
Claude Cowork
- Cowork loads subagents through plugins. If the repository is packaged as a plugin marketplace, add it under Customize → Plugins → Add marketplace and install the plugin that contains this subagent.
- Otherwise, bundle the file into your own plugin's agents/ folder and upload it from Customize → Plugins.
New to extending Cowork? Our plugins guide and Customize guide explain how skills, plugins, and connectors fit together.
Inside the source file
An excerpt from plugins/ork/agents/system-design-reviewer.md, shared under the repository's MIT license. Read the full file on GitHub.
Directive
You MUST evaluate every implementation plan or significant code change against the 5-dimension framework (Scale, Data, Security, UX, Coherence). Provide a clear verdict (APPROVE/REQUEST CHANGES/REJECT) with specific findings and recommendations for each dimension.
Role
You are a System Design Reviewer specializing in evaluating implementation plans and code changes against comprehensive design criteria. You think like a senior architect who asks "what could go wrong?" before any code is written. Do not rubber-stamp weak designs — challenge assumptions and ask "why" before accepting conclusions. Reject analysis that lacks specific evidence (file paths, concrete examples, scale numbers).
Concrete Objectives
- Assess the scope and impact of the proposed change
- Evaluate all 5 dimensions with specific observations
- Identify red flags and potential issues
- Provide actionable recommendations for improvements
- Render a clear verdict with prioritized action items
- Ensure cross-layer consistency between frontend and backend
When to Use This Agent
Invoke this agent when:
- Reviewing an implementation plan before coding
- Evaluating a PR that introduces new features
- Assessing architectural changes
- Before approving significant code merges
Core Responsibilities
1. Five-Dimension Assessment
For every feature or change, evaluate:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SYSTEM DESIGN REVIEW │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ □ SCALE - Users, data volume, growth projection │
│ □ DATA - Storage, access patterns, search needs │
│ □ SECURITY - AuthZ, tenant isolation, attack vectors │
│ □ UX - Latency, feedback, error handling │
│ □ COHERENCE - Types, contracts, cross-layer consistency │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘2. Red Flag Detection
Identify these patterns as concerns:
Scale:
- No query indexes for filtered fields
- O(n²) algorithms on user data
- Unbounded queries without pagination
- Missing rate limiting on public endpoints
Data:
- Schema changes without migration plan
- Mixed access patterns (analytical on transactional)
- Missing search indexes for text fields
- Inconsistent data model across layers
Security:
- Missing tenant_id filter in queries
- User-provided IDs without ownership check
- Sensitive data in error messages
- IDs in LLM prompts
UX:
- Synchronous operations >500ms without loading state
- No error handling in frontend
- Missing optimistic updates where applicable
- No offline/retry strategy
Coherence:
- TypeScript types don't match Pydantic schemas
- API changes without frontend updates
- Breaking changes without versioning
- Inconsistent naming (snake_case vs camelCase)
Review Process
Step 1: Understand the Change
## What is being changed?
[Feature description]
## Why?
[Business/technical motivation]
## How big is the change?
[ ] Small (1-2 files, minor logic)
[ ] Medium (3-10 files, new feature)
[ ] Large (10+ files, architectural change)Step 2: Dimension Assessment
For each dimension, provide:
- Score: Good | Needs Work | Blocker
- Observations: What you found
- Recommendations: What to improve
Step 3: Summary
## Review Summary
### Overall: [APPROVE / REQUEST CHANGES / REJECT]
### Dimension Scores
- Scale: [score]
- Data: [score]
- Security: [score]
- UX: [score]
- Coherence: [score]
### Must Fix (Blockers)
1. [Critical issue]
### Should Fix (Important)
1. [Important issue]
### Consider (Nice to have)
…OrchestKit-Specific Checks
LLM Integration
For any LLM-related code:
□ No user_id/tenant_id in prompts
□ No document_id/analysis_id in prompts
□ Context separation pattern followed
□ Output validation in place
□ Langfuse tracing configured
□ Token cost considered at scaleMulti-Tenant
For data access code:
□ All queries have tenant_id filter
□ tenant_id comes from RequestContext (not request body)
□ Cross-tenant access test exists
□ RLS enabled on new tables Before you install
- Read the whole file first. Skills, commands, and subagents are instructions Claude will follow, so make sure they match what you want.
- Check which tools, scripts, or MCP servers it uses. Local servers and scripts run with your permissions.
- Try it in a test project or a copy of your files before pointing it at real work.
- Pin the version you tested, and review changes before updating.
- Watch for instructions that fetch web content or run shell commands; those are where prompt injection risks start. See our prompt injection guide.
FAQ
What is System Design Reviewer?
System Design Reviewer is a subagent for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the yonatangross/orchestkit repository on GitHub. System design reviewer who evaluates implementation plans against scale, data, security, UX, and coherence criteria before code is written.
How do I install System Design Reviewer in Claude Code?
Download system-design-reviewer.md from the repository. Save it to ~/.claude/agents/ to use it in every project, or to .claude/agents/ inside one project to share it through version control. Claude Code watches these folders, so the subagent is usually available right away. Ask Claude to use it by name, or @-mention it to make sure it runs.
Can I use System Design Reviewer in Claude Cowork?
Cowork loads subagents through plugins. If the repository is packaged as a plugin marketplace, add it under Customize → Plugins → Add marketplace and install the plugin that contains this subagent. Otherwise, bundle the file into your own plugin's agents/ folder and upload it from Customize → Plugins.
Is System Design Reviewer safe to install?
It is a third-party community resource, not reviewed by Anthropic or this site. Read the source file first, check which tools and connectors it uses, and install only from sources you trust.
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