Capture the concept without forcing premature architecture.
Architecture Path
From idea capture to auditable execution.
Rhumb Workflow Protocol™ makes AI-assisted work portable by giving every serious step a durable artifact. The Architecture Path is the cleanest public explanation: IDEA captures intent, AVD shapes the vision, ACS specifies components, MP executes, audits verify, and handoffs preserve memory.
IDEA
AVD
ACS
MP
Audit
Handoff
Protocol flow
The protocol keeps work inspectable across sessions and tools.
Expand the idea into architecture vision, goals, constraints, risks, and major decisions.
Decompose the architecture into component specifications and contracts.
Turn related work into the smallest executable plan with phases and verification.
Check deliverables, evidence, risks, and unresolved questions.
Preserve context so the next person, tool, or model can resume correctly.
Artifact model
Core artifacts give the workflow a spine.
INTAKE.yaml
Problem, constraints, success criteria
PLAN.md
Phases, deliverables, dependencies
state.yaml
Current execution state and progress
HO-*.md
Phase or session transition context
manifest.yaml
Produced artifact registry
Lifecycle
Ideas can be refined, parked, discarded, approved, or promoted without losing context.
captured
Low-friction concept capture with required frontmatter only.
refining
The idea is being shaped, clarified, and compared against constraints.
ready
The idea is coherent enough for approval review.
approved
Approval metadata is recorded before downstream promotion.
promoted
Terminal success state once an AVD, MP, or downstream artifact exists.
parked
Held without losing rationale. May re-enter refining, ready, or approved.
discarded
Terminal rejection with explicit rationale and attribution.
Conformance
Adopt the smallest useful profile, then increase rigor when the work demands it.
Plan plus state
For a single team or short workflow that mainly needs continuity across sessions.
Add intake, manifest, and handoffs
For multi-phase work where context, dependencies, and evidence need to survive handoff.
Add audits, UUIDs, lifecycle, and validation
For tools, teams, and regulated workflows that need stronger guarantees and repeatability.
Source templates: Architecture templates · Full reference: Documentation index
Reference boundary