Phase 1 Playbook — Strategy & Architecture
Duration: 5-10 days | Agents: 8 | Gate Keepers: Studio Producer + Reality Checker
Define what we're building, how it's structured, and what success looks like — before writing a single line of code. Every architectural decision is documented. Every feature is prioritized. Every dollar is accounted for.
Activate Studio Producer for strategic portfolio alignment on [PROJECT].
Input: Phase 0 Executive Summary + Market Analysis Report
Deliverables required:
1. Strategic Portfolio Plan with project positioning
2. Vision, objectives, and ROI targets
3. Resource allocation strategy
4. Risk/reward assessment
5. Success criteria and milestone definitions
Align with: Organizational strategic objectives
Format: Strategic Portfolio Plan Template
Timeline: 3 days
Activate Brand Guardian for brand identity development on [PROJECT].
Input: Phase 0 UX Research (personas, journey maps)
Deliverables required:
1. Brand Foundation (purpose, vision, mission, values, personality)
2. Visual Identity System (colors, typography, spacing as CSS variables)
3. Brand Voice and Messaging Architecture
4. Logo system specifications (if new brand)
5. Brand usage guidelines
Format: Brand Identity System Document
Timeline: 3 days
Activate Finance Tracker for financial planning on [PROJECT].
Input: Studio Producer strategic plan + Phase 0 Tech Stack Assessment
Deliverables required:
1. Comprehensive project budget with category breakdown
2. Resource cost projections (agents, infrastructure, tools)
3. ROI model with break-even analysis
4. Cash flow timeline
5. Financial risk assessment with contingency reserves
Format: Financial Plan with ROI Projections
Timeline: 2 days
Activate UX Architect for technical architecture on [PROJECT].
Input: Brand Guardian visual identity + Phase 0 UX Research
Deliverables required:
1. CSS Design System (variables, tokens, scales)
2. Layout Framework (Grid/Flexbox patterns, responsive breakpoints)
3. Component Architecture (naming conventions, hierarchy)
4. Information Architecture (page flow, content hierarchy)
5. Theme System (light/dark/system toggle)
6. Accessibility Foundation (WCAG 2.1 AA baseline)
Files to create:
- css/design-system.css
- css/layout.css
- css/components.css
- docs/ux-architecture.md
Format: Developer-Ready Foundation Package
Timeline: 4 days
Activate Backend Architect for system architecture on [PROJECT].
Input: Phase 0 Tech Stack Assessment + Compliance Requirements
Deliverables required:
1. System Architecture Specification
- Architecture pattern (microservices/monolith/serverless/hybrid)
- Communication pattern (REST/GraphQL/gRPC/event-driven)
- Data pattern (CQRS/Event Sourcing/CRUD)
2. Database Schema Design with indexing strategy
3. API Design Specification with versioning
4. Authentication and Authorization Architecture
5. Security Architecture (defense in depth)
6. Scalability Plan (horizontal scaling strategy)
Format: System Architecture Specification
Timeline: 4 days
Activate AI Engineer for ML system architecture on [PROJECT].
Input: Backend Architect system architecture + Phase 0 Data Audit
Deliverables required:
1. ML System Design
- Model selection and training strategy
- Data pipeline architecture
- Inference strategy (real-time/batch/edge)
2. AI Ethics and Safety Framework
3. Model monitoring and retraining plan
4. Integration points with main application
5. Cost projections for ML infrastructure
Condition: Only activate if project includes AI/ML features
Format: ML System Design Document
Timeline: 3 days
Activate Senior Project Manager for task list creation on [PROJECT].
Input: ALL Phase 0 documents + Architecture specs (as available)
Deliverables required:
1. Comprehensive Task List
- Quote EXACT requirements from spec (no luxury features)
- Each task has clear acceptance criteria
- Dependencies mapped between tasks
- Effort estimates (story points or hours)
2. Work Breakdown Structure
3. Critical path identification
4. Risk register for implementation
Rules:
- Do NOT add features not in the specification
- Quote exact text from requirements
- Be realistic about effort estimates
Format: Task List with acceptance criteria
Timeline: 3 days
Activate Sprint Prioritizer for backlog prioritization on [PROJECT].
Input:
- Senior Project Manager → Task List
- Backend Architect → System Architecture
- UX Architect → UX Architecture
- Finance Tracker → Budget Framework
- Studio Producer → Strategic Plan
Deliverables required:
1. RICE-scored backlog (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)
2. Sprint assignments with velocity-based estimation
3. Dependency map with critical path
4. MoSCoW classification (Must/Should/Could/Won't)
5. Release plan with milestone mapping
Validation: Studio Producer confirms strategic alignment
Format: Prioritized Sprint Plan
Timeline: 2 days
| # | Criterion | Evidence Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architecture covers 100% of spec requirements | Senior PM task list cross-referenced with architecture | ☐ |
| 2 | Brand system complete (logo, colors, typography, voice) | Brand Guardian deliverable | ☐ |
| 3 | All technical components have implementation path | Backend Architect + UX Architect specs | ☐ |
| 4 | Budget approved and within constraints | Finance Tracker plan | ☐ |
| 5 | Sprint plan is velocity-based and realistic | Sprint Prioritizer backlog | ☐ |
| 6 | Security architecture defined | Backend Architect security spec | ☐ |
| 7 | Compliance requirements integrated into architecture | Legal requirements mapped to technical decisions | ☐ |
Dual sign-off required: Studio Producer (strategic) + Reality Checker (technical)
## Phase 1 → Phase 2 Handoff Package
### Architecture Package:
1. Strategic Portfolio Plan (Studio Producer)
2. Brand Identity System (Brand Guardian)
3. Financial Plan (Finance Tracker)
4. CSS Design System + UX Architecture (UX Architect)
5. System Architecture Specification (Backend Architect)
6. ML System Design (AI Engineer — if applicable)
7. Comprehensive Task List (Senior Project Manager)
8. Prioritized Sprint Plan (Sprint Prioritizer)
### For DevOps Automator:
- Deployment architecture from Backend Architect
- Environment requirements from System Architecture
- Monitoring requirements from Infrastructure needs
### For Frontend Developer:
- CSS Design System from UX Architect
- Brand Identity from Brand Guardian
- Component architecture from UX Architect
- API specification from Backend Architect
### For Backend Architect (continuing):
- Database schema ready for deployment
- API scaffold ready for implementation
- Auth system architecture defined
Phase 1 is complete when Studio Producer and Reality Checker both sign off on the Architecture Package.