5D Spec-Driven Development Skills

A comprehensive suite of Claude Code skills that implement the 5D Spec-Driven Development methodology—a structured approach to building software that prevents wasted effort by ensuring understanding before commitment at every level.

What Are Claude Code Skills?

Skills are extensions that teach Claude how to complete specific tasks in a repeatable, structured way. They consist of SKILL.md files containing instructions and workflows that Claude follows when invoked via /skill-name commands.

The 5D Framework

The methodology is built on five dimensions of thinking:

| Dimension | Description | |-----------|-------------| | Width | Multiple domains (technical, business, user, ops, design) | | Depth | Thinking levels (reactive → dogmatic → integrative → creative) | | Height | Skill dependencies (what capabilities enable other capabilities) | | Quadrants | Four perspectives (Individual/Collective × Inner/Outer) | | Time | Evolution ("transcend and include" from current state) |

Skills Overview

Main Orchestrator

| Skill | Command | Description | |-------|---------|-------------| | 5d-sdd | /5d-sdd | The complete methodology. Orchestrates the full workflow across all 10 phases from orientation to reflection. Use when starting a new project or feature that needs careful planning. |

Foundational Thinking

| Skill | Command | Description | |-------|---------|-------------| | 5d-thinking | /5d-thinking | Strategic multi-dimensional thinking framework for analysis and problem-solving. Apply 5D thinking to analyze problems, generate insights, and avoid cognitive blind spots. |

The 10 Development Phases

UNDERSTAND          DESIGN              BUILD               LEARN
───────────────     ───────────────     ───────────────     ───────────
0. ORIENT           2. PLAN             6. TASKS            9. REFLECT
1. SPAR             3. REFINE           7. BUILD
                    4. SPEC             8. VERIFY
                    5. GAP ANALYSIS

| # | Phase | Command | What Happens | Output | |---|-------|---------|--------------|--------| | 0 | Orient | /5d-orient | Map domains, surface assumptions, identify stakeholders | Orientation Summary | | 1 | Spar | /5d-spar | Challenge thinking through structured dialogue, find blind spots | SPAR Summary | | 2 | Plan | /5d-plan | Crystallize into concrete plan with assumptions made explicit | PLAN.md | | 3 | Refine | /5d-refine | Stress-test plan through adversarial review and edge cases | Refinement Summary | | 4 | Spec | /5d-spec | Formalize technical specification with architecture decisions | SPEC.md | | 5 | Gap Analysis | /5d-gap-analysis | Identify all required changes across all quadrants | Gap Analysis | | 6 | Tasks | /5d-tasks | Sequence gaps into executable, right-sized tasks | Task List | | 7 | Build | /5d-build | Implement with spec fidelity and quality awareness | Working code | | 8 | Verify | /5d-verify | Multi-layer verification (technical, spec, plan, epistemic) | Verification Report | | 9 | Reflect | /5d-reflect | Extract learning, identify process improvements | Retrospective |

Installation

Option 1: Plugin Marketplace (Recommended)

Install directly from the Claude Code plugin marketplace:

# Step 1: Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add tapania/5d-skills

# Step 2: Install the plugin
/plugin install 5d-skills@tapania-5d-skills

Or use the interactive plugin manager:

# Opens interactive UI to browse and install
/plugin

Then navigate to the Marketplaces tab, add tapania/5d-skills, and install from the Discover tab.

Requirements: Claude Code version 1.0.33 or later (claude --version to check)

Option 2: Project-Level

Copy the skills/ directory to your project's .claude/ folder:

git clone https://github.com/tapania/5d-skills.git
cp -r 5d-skills/skills/ your-project/.claude/skills/

Option 3: Personal (All Projects)

Copy to your personal Claude Code skills directory:

git clone https://github.com/tapania/5d-skills.git
cp -r 5d-skills/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/

Usage

Full Workflow

For new features or projects, run phases sequentially:

/5d-orient → /5d-spar → /5d-plan → /5d-refine → /5d-spec → /5d-gap-analysis → /5d-tasks → /5d-build → /5d-verify → /5d-reflect

Each phase has exit criteria. Don't proceed until criteria are met.

Partial Workflows

Use individual phases when appropriate:

| Scenario | Start At | |----------|----------| | "I have an idea, let's explore it" | /5d-orient | | "I know what I want, challenge my thinking" | /5d-spar | | "We've discussed enough, write the plan" | /5d-plan | | "Review this plan for issues" | /5d-refine | | "Turn this plan into a technical spec" | /5d-spec | | "What do we need to change?" | /5d-gap-analysis | | "Break this into tasks" | /5d-tasks | | "Implement this task" | /5d-build | | "Check if this is working" | /5d-verify | | "What did we learn?" | /5d-reflect |

When to Skip Phases

• Trivial changes: Skip to /5d-build
• Already planned: Start at /5d-spec or /5d-gap-analysis
• Bug fixes: Start at /5d-build, but run /5d-verify thoroughly
• Exploratory work: /5d-orient and /5d-spar only

Never skip VERIFY. Always close the loop.

Key Principles

1. No Commitment Without Understanding

Each phase deepens understanding before the next commitment:

• ORIENT → understand the space
• SPAR → understand objections
• PLAN → commit to direction
• REFINE → understand risks
• SPEC → commit to implementation
• BUILD → commit to code

2. Multi-Perspective Thinking (Quadrants)

Every phase checks multiple perspectives:

| Quadrant | Focus | |----------|-------| | Individual Outer | What artifacts exist? (code, components, interfaces) | | Individual Inner | What understanding is needed? (skills, knowledge) | | Collective Outer | What systems/constraints exist? (infrastructure, integrations) | | Collective Inner | What alignment is needed? (stakeholders, team) |

3. Fail Fast, Route Correctly

When something fails, return to the appropriate phase:

| Failure Type | Return To | |--------------|-----------| | Code doesn't run | BUILD | | Works but wrong output | BUILD or SPEC | | Works but users confused | PLAN | | Solves wrong problem | SPAR or ORIENT |

4. Identity Trap Awareness

Why thinking stops: Latching onto ideas as identity. When identity is threatened, the mind defends rather than explores.

Counteract by:

• Notice when you feel defensive—probe there
• Hold positions lightly
• Ask: "What would make me wrong?"

Documents Produced

• PLAN.md - What we're building and why
• SPEC.md - How we're building it technically
• Task list - Sequenced implementation steps
• Verification report - What passed/failed
• Retrospective - What we learned

Philosophy

Most development failures come from:

• Building before understanding
• Single-perspective thinking
• Hidden assumptions
• Spec drift from intent
• No feedback loops

5D-SDD addresses each through structured phases with explicit exit criteria, multi-dimensional analysis, and continuous verification loops.

License

MIT