Understanding the Describe Design Skill in OpenClaw: A Comprehensive Guide

The Describe Design skill is a powerful tool within the OpenClaw framework that helps developers and teams understand complex codebases by creating comprehensive architectural documentation. This skill is designed to research a codebase and produce detailed markdown documents that explain how features or systems work, complete with Mermaid diagrams and stable code references. How the Describe Design Skill Works The skill follows a structured five-stage workflow that ensures thorough and accurate documentation: Stage 1: Scope Definition Before diving into the codebase, the skill first clarifies what needs to be documented. It asks about the specific feature, system, or component to document, identifies the target audience (developers, AI agents, or both), and confirms the codebase location. This initial step ensures the documentation effort is focused and relevant. Stage 2: Initial Exploration The skill then performs a broad exploration of the codebase to build a mental model. This incl