Modes

Development Mode Skills

This skill provides domain-specific guidelines that agents activate based on the type of work being performed. Each mode extends core principles with specialized requirements for different development contexts.

Overview

The mode skills provide specialized guidance for:

• UI Mode (ui.yaml) - Frontend, accessibility, SEO, visual components
• API Mode (api.yaml) - REST/GraphQL endpoints, API design, versioning
• Database Mode (db.yaml) - Schema design, migrations, query optimization
• Integration Mode (integration.yaml) - External service integration, OAuth, webhooks
• Migration Mode (migration.yaml) - Data migration, version upgrades, rollback procedures
• Performance Mode (performance.yaml) - Optimization, caching, load testing
• QA Mode (qa.yaml) - Testing strategies, coverage requirements, test automation
• Security Mode (security.yaml) - Security audits, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing
• Release Mode (release.yaml) - Deployment procedures, release management, rollback

When to Use

Modes are automatically activated based on work context:

UI Mode

• Used by: Nova, Skye, Finn
• Triggers: Frontend changes, accessibility updates, SEO optimization
• Focus: Lighthouse scores, ARIA compliance, responsive design

API Mode

• Used by: Skye, Kai, Mina
• Triggers: Endpoint creation, API versioning, integration work
• Focus: REST/GraphQL standards, documentation, versioning

Database Mode

• Used by: Leo, Skye, Kai
• Triggers: Schema changes, migrations, query optimization
• Focus: Data integrity, indexing, rollback safety

Integration Mode

• Used by: Mina, Iris, Kai
• Triggers: External service integration (Stripe, Shopify, AWS, etc.)
• Focus: OAuth flows, webhook handling, error resilience

Migration Mode

• Used by: Blake, Leo, Kai
• Triggers: Database migrations, version upgrades, data transfers
• Focus: Rollback procedures, data validation, zero-downtime

Performance Mode

• Used by: Kai, Nova, Theo
• Triggers: Optimization work, performance issues, load testing
• Focus: Caching strategies, bundle optimization, resource usage

QA Mode

• Used by: Finn, Eden
• Triggers: Test creation, coverage validation, quality gates
• Focus: Unit/integration/E2E tests, coverage thresholds

Security Mode

• Used by: Iris, Mina, Blake
• Triggers: Security audits, vulnerability scans, auth changes
• Focus: Secret management, SBOM generation, penetration testing

Release Mode

• Used by: Blake, Eden, Theo
• Triggers: Deployment preparation, release coordination
• Focus: Changelog generation, deployment verification, rollback readiness

Mode Structure

Each mode YAML file contains:

name: mode-name
extends: [core-skills]           # Inherited core principles
description: |
  Mode-specific description
used_by: [Agent1, Agent2]        # Which agents use this mode
triggers:                         # When to activate this mode
  - trigger_condition_1
  - trigger_condition_2
inputs_required:                  # Required context
  - input_1
  - input_2
outputs:                          # Expected deliverables
  - output_1
  - output_2
principles:                       # Mode-specific guidelines
  - principle_1
  - principle_2
checklist:                        # Validation requirements
  - [ ] checklist_item_1
  - [ ] checklist_item_2
patterns:                         # Common solutions
  - "Pattern description"
hooks:                            # Integration points
  - hook_name

Usage

Agents reference specific modes based on work type:

# Nova working on UI
See `skills/modes/ui.yaml` for accessibility and performance requirements

# Leo working on database
See `skills/modes/db.yaml` for migration and schema design guidelines

# Mina integrating Stripe
See `skills/modes/integration.yaml` for OAuth and webhook patterns

File Structure

skills/modes/
├── SKILL.md (this file)
├── ui.yaml          # Frontend/accessibility/SEO
├── api.yaml         # REST/GraphQL endpoints
├── db.yaml          # Database schema/migrations
├── integration.yaml # External service integration
├── migration.yaml   # Data migration procedures
├── performance.yaml # Optimization strategies
├── qa.yaml          # Testing requirements
├── security.yaml    # Security audits
└── release.yaml     # Deployment procedures

Mode Inheritance

Modes extend core skills:

• All modes inherit from core principles
• Specific modes may extend additional core skills (e.g., ui.yaml extends performance, review-checklist, documentation)
• Agents apply both core and mode-specific guidelines

Best Practices

1. Context-aware activation - Modes activate based on work type, not manual selection
2. Layered guidance - Core principles + mode-specific requirements
3. Agent specialization - Each agent knows which modes to apply
4. Validation gates - Each mode defines success criteria and checklists
5. Pattern reuse - Common solutions documented for consistency

Integration with Agents

Agents automatically apply relevant modes:

• Nova (UI/UX) → ui.yaml, performance.yaml
• Leo (Database) → db.yaml, migration.yaml
• Mina (Integration) → integration.yaml, security.yaml
• Blake (Release) → release.yaml, qa.yaml
• Iris (Security) → security.yaml, integration.yaml
• Finn (QA) → qa.yaml, performance.yaml
• Kai (Architecture) → api.yaml, db.yaml, performance.yaml
• Skye (Implementation) → ui.yaml, api.yaml, db.yaml (context-dependent)

Example Workflow

When Nova receives a UI task:

1. Activates ui.yaml mode
2. Inherits principles from core/performance.yaml, core/review-checklist.yaml
3. Applies Lighthouse A11y ≥ 95 requirement
4. Validates keyboard/screen-reader flows
5. Checks meta tags and OG/Twitter cards
6. Measures CLS < 0.1, LCP within budget

This ensures consistent, high-quality output across all UI work.