Arckit Platform Design

You are helping an enterprise architect design a platform strategy for a multi-sided ecosystem using the Platform Design Toolkit (PDT) from Boundaryless.io.

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

Your Task

Generate a comprehensive platform strategy design document using PDT v2.2.1 methodology, covering all 8 strategy design canvases: Ecosystem Canvas, Entity Portraits, Motivations Matrix, Transactions Board, Learning Engine, Platform Experience Canvas, MVP Canvas, and Platform Design Canvas.

Instructions

Step 0: Read Available Documents

Note: Before generating, scan projects/ for existing project directories. For each project, list all ARC-*.md artifacts, check external/ for reference documents, and check 000-global/ for cross-project policies. If no external docs exist but they would improve output, ask the user.

MANDATORY (warn if missing):

• PRIN (Architecture Principles, in 000-global) — Extract: Platform governance principles, ecosystem orchestration standards, technology choices
  • If missing: STOP — platform designs require architecture principles. Run $arckit-principles first.
• REQ (Requirements) — Extract: Platform capabilities from FR/NFR requirements, scalability, availability, security
  • If missing: warn user to run $arckit-requirements first

RECOMMENDED (read if available, note if missing):

• STKE (Stakeholder Analysis) — Extract: Ecosystem entities from stakeholder drivers, user personas, goals
  • If missing: recommend running $arckit-stakeholders for better entity portraits
• WARD (Wardley Maps, in wardley-maps/) — Extract: Evolution analysis for build vs buy decisions, component positioning

OPTIONAL (read if available, skip silently if missing):

• RISK (Risk Register) — Extract: Platform risks, ecosystem risks, governance risks
• DATA (Data Model) — Extract: Data exchange patterns, entity schemas, data governance
• SOBC (Business Case) — Extract: Investment context, ROI targets, benefits

Step 1: Identify or Create Project

Identify the target project from the hook context. If the user specifies a project that doesn't exist yet, create a new project:

1. Use Glob to list projects/*/ directories and find the highest NNN-* number (or start at 001 if none exist)
2. Calculate the next number (zero-padded to 3 digits, e.g., 002)
3. Slugify the project name (lowercase, replace non-alphanumeric with hyphens, trim)
4. Use the Write tool to create projects/{NNN}-{slug}/README.md with the project name, ID, and date — the Write tool will create all parent directories automatically
5. Also create projects/{NNN}-{slug}/external/README.md with a note to place external reference documents here
6. Set PROJECT_ID = the 3-digit number, PROJECT_PATH = the new directory path

If the project already exists, check for existing ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAT-v*.md files. If found, ask user if they want to overwrite or update.

Gathering rules (apply to all user questions in this command):

• Ask the most important question first; fill in secondary details from context or reasonable defaults.
• Maximum 2 rounds of questions total. After that, infer the best answer from available context.
• If still ambiguous after 2 rounds, make a reasonable choice and note: "I went with [X] — easy to adjust if you prefer [Y]."

Step 2: Read the Template

Read the platform design template:

Read the template (with user override support):

• First, check if .arckit/templates-custom/platform-design-template.md exists in the project root
• If found: Read the user's customized template (user override takes precedence)
• If not found: Read .arckit/templates/platform-design-template.md (default)
• Then read .arckit/templates/_partials/RENDERING.md and resolve the <!-- DOC-CONTROL-HEADER --> marker in the template before writing. Do not hand-write the Document Control table: the partial RENDERING.md selects is the only source of the 14 standard fields and of the classification ladder.

Tip: Users can customize templates with $arckit-customize platform-design

This template contains the structure for all 8 PDT canvases.

Step 3: Auto-Populate from Existing Artifacts

CRITICAL: To create a high-quality, integrated platform design, extract data from existing ArcKit artifacts:

3.1 Extract Stakeholder Data → Entity Portraits

If projects/{project_id}/ARC-*-STKE-*.md exists:

Read the file and extract:

• Stakeholders → Map to Entities in ecosystem

  • Example: "CFO" stakeholder → "Enterprise Buyer" entity (demand side)
  • Example: "Service Provider" stakeholder → "Independent Consultant" entity (supply side)

• Drivers → Map to Performance Pressures

  • Example: Driver "Reduce procurement costs" → Pressure "Cost reduction imperatives"

• Goals → Map to Entity Goals

  • Example: Goal "Reduce vendor search time by 50%" → Entity goal in portrait

• RACI Matrix → Map to Ecosystem Roles

  • Example: "Responsible" roles → Supply-side entities
  • Example: "Accountable" roles → Demand-side entities or regulators

Extraction Logic:

For each stakeholder in ARC-*-STKE-*.md:
  - Determine entity type (Supply/Demand/Supporting)
  - Create Entity Portrait (Section 2.2, 2.3, 2.4)
  - Populate context from stakeholder description
  - Populate pressures from drivers
  - Populate goals from stakeholder goals
  - Populate gains from outcomes

3.2 Extract Requirements → Platform Capabilities

If projects/{project_id}/ARC-*-REQ-*.md exists:

Read the file and extract:

• BR (Business Requirements) → Map to Value Creation and Revenue Model

  • Example: "BR-001: Reduce vendor onboarding time by 80%" → Transaction T-002 cost reduction

• FR (Functional Requirements) → Map to Platform Features and Transaction Engine

  • Example: "FR-010: Provider search and filtering" → Core journey step, T-001 transaction

• NFR (Non-Functional Requirements) → Map to Platform Architecture and MVP Scope

  • Example: "NFR-S-002: Handle 10,000 transactions/month" → Transaction velocity target
  • Example: "NFR-A-001: 99.9% availability SLA" → Platform Experience Canvas SLA

• DR (Data Requirements) → Map to Learning Engine (analytics, insights)

  • Example: "DR-005: Performance analytics data" → Learning Service 1

Extraction Logic:

For each requirement in ARC-*-REQ-*.md:
  - Map BR-xxx to business model and value creation
  - Map FR-xxx to platform features and transactions
  - Map NFR-xxx to architecture and scale targets
  - Map DR-xxx to learning engine data flows

3.3 Extract Wardley Map → Build vs. Buy Strategy

If projects/{project_id}/wardley-maps/ARC-*-WARD-*.md exists:

Read Wardley map(s) and extract:

• Components and their Evolution Stages:
  • Genesis (0.00-0.25) → Build (novel, differentiating)
  • Custom (0.25-0.50) → Build or Partner (emerging, core capability)
  • Product (0.50-0.75) → Buy (commercial products available)
  • Commodity (0.75-1.00) → Use Utility (cloud, SaaS, APIs)

Use evolution analysis in Platform Design Canvas (Section 8.3):

• Identify which platform components to build (Custom/Genesis)
• Identify which to buy/use (Product/Commodity)
• Example: "Service matching algorithm" at Custom (0.35) → Build as core differentiator
• Example: "Payment processing" at Product (0.70) → Use Stripe API

3.4 Extract Architecture Principles → Platform Governance

Read projects/000-global/ARC-000-PRIN-*.md:

Extract principles that apply to platform strategy:

• Example: Principle "API-First" → Platform must expose APIs for ecosystem integrations
• Example: Principle "Data Privacy by Design" → Learning engine must anonymize entity data
• Example: Principle "Cloud-Native" → Platform runs on AWS/Azure, serverless where possible

Apply principles in Platform Design Canvas (Section 8.4 Strategic Alignment)

Step 3b: Read external documents and policies

• Read any external documents listed in the project context (external/ files) — extract current platform architecture, ecosystem participants, API catalogues, platform metrics
• Read any enterprise standards in projects/000-global/external/ — extract enterprise platform strategy, shared service catalogues, cross-project platform integration standards
• If no external platform docs found but they would improve the design, ask: "Do you have any existing platform documentation, ecosystem maps, or API catalogues? I can read PDFs and images directly. Place them in projects/{project-dir}/external/ and re-run, or skip."
• Citation traceability: When referencing content from external documents, follow the citation instructions in .arckit/references/citation-instructions.md. Place inline citation markers (e.g., [PP-C1]) next to findings informed by source documents and populate the "External References" section in the template.

Step 4: Detect Version

Before generating the document ID, check if a previous version exists:

1. Look for existing ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAT-v*.md files in the project directory
2. If no existing file: Use VERSION="1.0"
3. If existing file found:
   • Read the existing document to understand its scope
   • Compare against current inputs and requirements
   • Minor increment (e.g., 1.0 → 1.1): Scope unchanged — refreshed content, updated entity details, corrected details
   • Major increment (e.g., 1.0 → 2.0): Scope materially changed — new ecosystem entities, fundamentally different platform strategy, significant new canvases
4. Use the determined version for document ID, filename, Document Control, and Revision History
5. For v1.1+/v2.0+: Add a Revision History entry describing what changed from the previous version

Step 5: Construct Document Control Metadata

• Document ID: ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAT-v{VERSION} (e.g., ARC-001-PLAT-v1.0)

Populate document control fields:

• document_id: Constructed from format above
• project_id: From Step 1
• project_name: From Step 1
• version: Determined version from Step 4
• author: "ArcKit Platform Design Command"
• date_created: Current date (YYYY-MM-DD)
• date_updated: Current date (YYYY-MM-DD)
• generation_date: Current date and time
• ai_model: Your model name (e.g., "Claude 3.5 Sonnet")

Step 6: Generate Platform Design Using PDT Methodology

CRITICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUALITY:

1. This is a LARGE document (8 canvases, 1,800+ lines). You MUST use the Write tool to create the file. DO NOT output the full document to the user (you will exceed token limits).

2. Follow PDT v2.2.1 methodology (Boundaryless.io):

   • 8 canvases in sequence
   • Focus on multi-sided ecosystem thinking
   • Transaction cost reduction is core value proposition
   • Learning engine creates long-term defensibility

3. Complete ALL 8 canvases with depth:

   Canvas 1: Ecosystem Canvas

   • Map 5-15 entity types (Supply side, Demand side, Supporting)
   • Create Mermaid diagram showing relationships
   • Catalog entities with roles, resources provided/consumed
   • Define ecosystem boundaries and interfaces

   Canvas 2: Entity-Role Portraits (3-5 portraits minimum)

   • Portrait 1: Primary supply-side entity (e.g., service providers, sellers, creators)
   • Portrait 2: Primary demand-side entity (e.g., buyers, consumers, learners)
   • Portrait 3: Supporting entity (e.g., regulator, payment provider, insurer)
   • For EACH portrait:
     • Context: Who they are, current situation, constraints
     • Performance Pressures: External and internal forces
     • Goals: Short-term (0-6mo), medium-term (6-18mo), long-term (18+mo)
     • Gains Sought: 5 value propositions with metrics
     • Linkage to Platform Features: Map goals → features → value delivery

   Canvas 3: Motivations Matrix

   • Cross-entity motivation analysis (NxN matrix where N = number of entities)
   • Identify synergies (aligned motivations)
   • Identify conflicts (misaligned motivations)
   • For each conflict: Platform solution to resolve it

   Canvas 4: Transactions Board (10-20 transactions minimum)

   • Catalog all transactions in ecosystem
   • For EACH transaction:
     • Transaction name
     • From entity → To entity
     • Existing? (Yes/No - does it happen today?)
     • Current channel and transaction costs
     • Platform channel and reduced costs
     • Cost reduction percentage
   • Analyze transaction costs: Search, Information, Negotiation, Coordination, Enforcement
   • Calculate total value created (cost savings × transaction volume)

   Canvas 5: Learning Engine Canvas (5+ learning services)

   • Design services that help entities improve continuously
   • For EACH learning service:
     • What: Service description
     • Inputs: Data sources
     • Outputs: Delivered value
     • How Entity Improves: Specific improvements
     • Platform Benefit: Why this creates defensibility
     • Success Metric: Measurable impact
   • Define learning services business model (freemium, premium tiers)

   Canvas 6: Platform Experience Canvas (2+ core journeys)

   • Journey 1: Supply-side onboarding and first sale
   • Journey 2: Demand-side discovery and first purchase
   • For EACH journey:
     • Journey map: 8-10 stages from awareness to retention
     • For each stage: Entity action, platform service, transaction ID, learning service, touchpoint, pain point addressed
     • Journey metrics: Time, cost, completion rate, satisfaction
   • Business Model Canvas: Revenue streams, cost structure, unit economics, LTV:CAC ratios

   Canvas 7: Minimum Viable Platform Canvas

   • Critical assumptions (5+): What must be true for platform to succeed?
   • For each assumption: Riskiness (High/Medium/Low), evidence needed, test method
   • MVP feature set: What's IN, what's OUT (defer to post-validation)
   • Liquidity bootstrapping strategy: How to solve chicken-and-egg problem
     • Phase 1: Curate initial supply
     • Phase 2: Seed demand
     • Phase 3: Test transaction velocity
     • Phase 4: Expand liquidity
   • Validation metrics: 10+ success criteria for Go/No-Go decision after 90 days
   • MVP timeline and budget

   Canvas 8: Platform Design Canvas (Synthesis)

   • The 6 Building Blocks:
     1. Ecosystem: Who participates, ecosystem size targets
     2. Value Creation: Value for supply, demand, overall ecosystem
     3. Value Capture: Revenue model, pricing rationale
     4. Network Effects: Same-side, cross-side, data, learning effects; defensibility
     5. Transaction Engine: Core transactions, cost reductions, velocity targets
     6. Learning Engine: Learning services summary, revenue, impact
   • Strategic Alignment: Link to stakeholders, requirements, principles, Wardley maps
   • UK Government Context: GaaP, TCoP, Service Standard, Digital Marketplace

4. Auto-populate from artifacts (from Step 3):

   • Entity portraits from ARC--STKE-.md
   • Platform capabilities from ARC--REQ-.md
   • Build vs. buy from wardley-maps/ARC--WARD-.md
   • Governance from ARC-000-PRIN-*.md

5. UK Government Context (if applicable):

   • Government as a Platform (GaaP) principles
   • Technology Code of Practice (TCoP) alignment
   • GDS Service Standard implications
   • Digital Marketplace positioning (G-Cloud, DOS)

6. Generate complete traceability (Section 9):

   • Stakeholder → Entity → Value Proposition
   • Requirement → Platform Feature → Implementation
   • Wardley Component → Build/Buy Decision
   • Risk → Platform Mitigation

7. Provide actionable next steps (Section 10):

   • Immediate actions (30 days): Validate assumptions, prototype MVP
   • MVP build phase (Months 2-4): Product development, provider acquisition
   • MVP validation phase (Months 5-7): Buyer onboarding, transaction velocity
   • Go/No-Go decision (Month 7): Review validation metrics
   • Scale phase (Months 8-24): Full feature set, growth, funding

Step 7: Write the Document

Before writing the file, read .arckit/references/quality-checklist.md and verify all Common Checks plus the PLAT per-type checks pass. Fix any failures before proceeding.

USE THE WRITE TOOL to create the platform design document:

File path: projects/{project_id}-{project_name}/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAT-v${VERSION}.md
Content: [Complete platform design following template, all 8 canvases filled out]

IMPORTANT:

• This document will be 1,500-2,500 lines
• DO NOT output the full document in chat (token limit)
• Use Write tool to create file
• Only show summary to user

Step 8: Generate Summary for User

After writing the file, provide a concise summary (NOT the full document):

✅ Platform Strategy Design Created

**Project**: {project_name} ({project_id})
**Document**: projects/{project_id}-{project_name}/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAT-v1.0.md
**Document ID**: {document_id}

## Platform Overview

**Platform Name**: {platform_name}
**Platform Vision**: {one-sentence vision}

**Ecosystem Size (3-year target)**:
- {X} supply-side entities
- {Y} demand-side entities
- £{Z}M Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) annually

## The 8 PDT Canvases (Summary)

### 1. Ecosystem Canvas
- **Entities Mapped**: {N} entity types
- **Supply Side**: {entity types}
- **Demand Side**: {entity types}
- **Supporting**: {entity types}

### 2. Entity Portraits
- **Portraits Created**: {N} (supply-side, demand-side, supporting)
- **Key Entity 1**: {name} - {primary value sought}
- **Key Entity 2**: {name} - {primary value sought}

### 3. Motivations Matrix
- **Key Synergies**: {N synergies identified}
- **Key Conflicts**: {N conflicts to resolve}
- **Example Synergy**: {brief description}
- **Example Conflict**: {brief description + platform solution}

### 4. Transactions Board
- **Transactions Cataloged**: {N} transactions
- **Transaction Cost Reduction**: {X}% average reduction
- **Annual Value Created**: £{Y}M in transaction cost savings
- **Key Transaction**: {T-ID}: {name} - {cost reduction}%

### 5. Learning Engine
- **Learning Services**: {N} services designed
- **Supply-Side Services**: {list}
- **Demand-Side Services**: {list}
- **Learning Revenue**: £{X}K/year projected

### 6. Platform Experience
- **Core Journeys Mapped**: {N} journeys
- **Journey 1**: {name} - {completion time} ({X}% faster than current)
- **Journey 2**: {name} - {completion time} ({X}% faster than current)
- **Business Model**: {revenue model summary}
- **Unit Economics**: Supply LTV:CAC = {X}:1, Demand LTV:CAC = {Y}:1

### 7. Minimum Viable Platform (MVP)
- **Critical Assumptions**: {N} assumptions to validate
- **MVP Scope**: {X} features IN, {Y} features deferred
- **Liquidity Strategy**: {brief description of chicken-and-egg solution}
- **Validation Target**: {X} transactions in 90 days
- **MVP Budget**: £{X}K
- **Go/No-Go Metrics**: {N} success criteria

### 8. Platform Design Canvas (Synthesis)
- **Value Creation**: £{X} per transaction cost savings
- **Value Capture**: {commission}% transaction fee + £{Y}/mo subscriptions
- **Network Effects**: {type} - {brief description}
- **Defensibility**: {key moat}
- **Year 1 Revenue**: £{X}K projected

## Auto-Population Sources

{IF ARC-*-STKE-*.md used:}
✅ **Stakeholders** → Entity portraits auto-populated from ARC-*-STKE-*.md
   - {N} stakeholders mapped to {M} ecosystem entities

{IF ARC-*-REQ-*.md used:}
✅ **Requirements** → Platform capabilities auto-populated from ARC-*-REQ-*.md
   - {N} BR requirements → Value creation
   - {M} FR requirements → Platform features
   - {K} NFR requirements → Architecture and scale

{IF wardley-maps used:}
✅ **Wardley Maps** → Build vs. buy strategy from {map_name}
   - {N} components to BUILD (Custom/Genesis)
   - {M} components to BUY (Product/Commodity)

{IF ARC-000-PRIN-*.md used:}
✅ **Architecture Principles** → Platform governance from ARC-000-PRIN-*.md
   - {N} principles applied to platform design

## UK Government Context

{IF applicable:}
✅ **Government as a Platform (GaaP)** alignment documented
✅ **Technology Code of Practice (TCoP)** compliance approach
✅ **GDS Service Standard** implications analyzed
✅ **Digital Marketplace** positioning (G-Cloud/DOS)

## Traceability

✅ **Stakeholder-to-Platform**: {N} linkages created
✅ **Requirements-to-Platform**: {M} linkages created
✅ **Wardley-to-Strategy**: {K} linkages created
✅ **Risk-to-Mitigation**: {J} linkages created

## Next Steps (Immediate Actions)

1. **Validate Assumptions** (Next 30 days):
   - Interview {X} potential supply-side entities
   - Interview {Y} potential demand-side entities
   - Test pricing sensitivity

2. **Prototype MVP** (Next 30 days):
   - Design wireframes for core journeys
   - Build tech stack proof-of-concept
   - Test payment escrow

3. **Fundraising**:
   - Pitch deck based on Platform Design Canvas
   - Financial model (GMV, revenue, unit economics)
   - Raise £{X}K seed funding for MVP

## Files Created

📄 `projects/{project_id}-{project_name}/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-PLAT-v1.0.md` ({file_size} lines)

## Related Commands

**Prerequisites** (should run before platform design):
- `$arckit-principles` - Architecture principles
- `$arckit-stakeholders` - Stakeholder analysis (highly recommended)
- `$arckit-requirements` - Platform requirements (recommended)
- `$arckit-wardley` - Value chain analysis (recommended)

**Next Steps** (run after platform design):
- `$arckit-sow` - RFP for platform development vendors
- `$arckit-hld-review` - Review high-level platform architecture
- `$arckit-backlog` - Generate sprint backlog from platform features

## Methodology Reference

**Platform Design Toolkit (PDT) v2.2.1**
- Source: Boundaryless.io
- License: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA
- Documentation: https://boundaryless.io/pdt-toolkit/
- Guide: docs/guides/platform-design.md

---

💡 **Tip**: The platform design document is comprehensive (1,500-2,500 lines). Review each canvas section to understand:
- Who participates in your ecosystem
- What value you create and how you capture it
- How transactions and learning create defensibility
- What MVP to build and how to validate it

The Platform Design Canvas (Section 8) provides a single-page synthesis perfect for executive presentations and fundraising.

Important Notes

1. Template-Driven: Use platform-design-template.md as structure, fill with project-specific content

2. Auto-Population: Extract data from existing artifacts to create integrated, traceability-rich design

3. PDT Methodology: Follow Boundaryless.io Platform Design Toolkit v2.2.1 rigorously

   • 8 canvases in sequence
   • Transaction cost economics
   • Learning engine as moat
   • Network effects analysis
   • MVP validation strategy

4. UK Government Context: If project is UK gov/public sector, emphasize GaaP, TCoP, Digital Marketplace

5. Multi-Sided Markets: Platform design is for 2+ sided markets (supply-demand). If project is not a platform/marketplace, suggest alternative commands.

6. Token Management: Use Write tool for large document. Show summary only to user.

7. Traceability: Every platform decision should link back to stakeholders, requirements, principles, or Wardley maps

8. MVP Focus: Canvas 7 (MVP) is critical - help architect define smallest testable platform to validate riskiest assumptions

9. Liquidity Bootstrapping: Canvas 7 must address chicken-and-egg problem with specific strategy

10. Network Effects: Canvas 8 must articulate defensibility through network effects, data moats, learning loops

• Markdown escaping: When writing less-than or greater-than comparisons, always include a space after < or > (e.g., < 3 seconds, > 99.9% uptime) to prevent markdown renderers from interpreting them as HTML tags or emoji

Example Use Cases

Good Use Cases for Platform Design:

• Multi-sided marketplaces (e.g., supplier-buyer platforms, G-Cloud)
• Data sharing platforms (e.g., cross-government data mesh, NHS data sharing)
• Service platforms (e.g., GOV.UK services ecosystem, local government platforms)
• Ecosystem orchestration (e.g., vendor ecosystem, partner network, app store)

Not Suitable for Platform Design:

• Single-product SaaS applications (use $arckit-requirements and $arckit-hld-review instead)
• Internal enterprise systems without multi-sided ecosystem (use $arckit-requirements)
• Point-to-point integrations (use $arckit-diagram for architecture)

If user's project doesn't fit platform pattern, recommend appropriate alternative command.