Building a Professional Development Workflow with Claude Code

Published on July 2, 2025by Jared Likes

How to level up your development process with structured workflows, custom commands, and spiral detection

claudecodeworkflow

Claude Code has transformed how I approach software development, but like any powerful tool, it becomes exponentially more valuable when used systematically. After months of experimentation, I've developed a comprehensive workflow that ensures nothing falls through the cracks while maintaining development velocity.

The Challenge

As developers, we juggle multiple concerns: UX/UI design, system architecture, CI/CD pipelines, actual coding, testing, and deployment. It's easy to get tunnel vision on implementation details while neglecting broader architectural decisions or user experience considerations. Worse, AI coding assistants can sometimes lead us down rabbit holes—what I call "spiral scenarios"—where we iterate endlessly without meaningful progress.

The Solution: Structured Workflow with Claude Code

The key is creating a systematic approach that Claude Code can understand and execute consistently. Here's the framework I've developed:

Phase-Based Development Structure

I organize every project into clear phases:

  1. Discovery & Planning - Requirements gathering, user stories, technical constraints
  2. Design Phase - UX wireframes, UI mockups, architecture diagrams
  3. Development Setup - Project scaffolding, CI/CD pipeline, environment configuration
  4. Implementation - Feature development with iterative reviews
  5. Testing & Deployment - Automated testing, staging, production deployment
  6. Maintenance - Monitoring, updates, documentation

Each phase has specific deliverables and success criteria, making it easy for Claude Code to understand context and provide relevant assistance.

Custom Commands Configuration

The real power comes from custom /commands in your .claude configuration. Here's my complete setup:

# Development Workflow Commands
/start-project:
  description: "Initialize new project with full workflow setup"
  context: |
    Set up project structure including:
    - Requirements gathering template
    - Design phase checklist
    - Architecture decision records (ADR) template
    - CI/CD pipeline configuration
    - Testing strategy outline

/design-review:
  description: "Review and iterate on UX/UI designs"
  context: |
    Analyze current designs for:
    - User experience flow
    - UI consistency and accessibility
    - Technical feasibility
    - Platform-specific guidelines (iOS HIG, Material Design)

/arch-review:
  description: "Review system architecture and make recommendations"
  context: |
    Evaluate architecture for:
    - Scalability and performance
    - Security considerations
    - Maintainability
    - Technology stack alignment
    - Database design and data flow

/checkpoint:
  description: "Create development checkpoint and status summary"
  context: |
    Generate summary including:
    - Completed tasks and deliverables
    - Current blockers or issues
    - Next priority items
    - Architecture decisions made
    - Technical debt identified

/spiral-check:
  description: "Detect if we're stuck in unproductive loops"
  context: |
    Analyze recent activity for:
    - Repeated file modifications without progress
    - Increasing complexity without clear benefits  
    - Circular refactoring patterns
    - Suggest simplified approaches or context reset

/ios-setup:
  description: "Set up iOS project with best practices"
  context: |
    Configure iOS project with:
    - SwiftUI + Combine architecture
    - Core Data or CloudKit setup
    - Proper folder structure
    - Unit testing framework
    - Fastlane for CI/CD

/web-setup:
  description: "Set up web application with modern stack"
  context: |
    Configure web project with:
    - Frontend framework (React/Vue/Svelte)
    - Backend API structure
    - Database configuration
    - Authentication setup
    - Deployment pipeline

/analyze-progress:
  description: "Analyze recent development progress for efficiency"
  context: |
    Review last 10 commits/changes for:
    - Feature completion velocity
    - Code churn (files changed repeatedly)
    - Test coverage trends
    - Technical debt accumulation
    - Suggest course corrections if needed

Enhanced Context Configuration

Your .claude file should include comprehensive context about your preferences and standards:

# Project Context
project_type: [web_app|ios_app|macos_app|cross_platform]
target_platforms: 
  - iOS 17+
  - macOS 14+
  - Modern browsers

# Development Preferences
architecture_patterns:
  ios: "MVVM with SwiftUI + Combine"
  web: "Component-based with state management"
  
tech_stack:
  ios:
    - SwiftUI
    - Core Data / CloudKit
    - Combine
    - Swift Testing
  web:
    - [React|Vue|Svelte]
    - [TypeScript]
    - [Tailwind CSS]
    - [Vite|Next.js]

# Quality Standards
code_style:
  - Follow platform conventions (Swift API Guidelines, ESLint rules)
  - Prioritize readability and maintainability
  - Include comprehensive tests
  - Document architectural decisions

# Workflow Preferences
development_approach:
  - Start with user stories and acceptance criteria
  - Create wireframes before implementation
  - Implement MVP first, then iterate
  - Review code for security and performance
  - Maintain comprehensive documentation

# Common Patterns to Avoid
anti_patterns:
  - Massive view controllers/components
  - Direct database access from UI
  - Hardcoded strings and magic numbers
  - Skipping error handling
  - Ignoring accessibility

# Deployment Strategy
deployment:
  ios:
    - TestFlight for beta testing
    - App Store Connect automation
  web:
    - Staging environment for testing
    - Blue-green deployment
    - Automated rollback capability

Recommended MCP Servers

To supercharge your workflow, integrate these Model Context Protocol servers:

Essential File & Git Management:

  • @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem - Enhanced file operations
  • @modelcontextprotocol/server-git - Git operations and history analysis
  • @modelcontextprotocol/server-github - GitHub integration for issues/PRs

Development Tools:

  • @modelcontextprotocol/server-sqlite - Database management and queries
  • @modelcontextprotocol/server-docker - Container management
  • @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres - PostgreSQL management (for web apps)

Platform-Specific:

  • Custom MCP servers for Xcode project manipulation (iOS)
  • Deployment automation servers (Vercel, Netlify, Firebase)

Preventing and Detecting Spiral Scenarios

The biggest risk with AI coding assistants is getting stuck in unproductive loops. Here's how to identify and prevent them:

Red Flags to Watch For:

  • Claude Code repeatedly modifying the same files without clear progress
  • Responses becoming increasingly generic or repetitive
  • Solutions becoming overly complex for simple problems
  • Getting stuck in endless refactoring loops

Recovery Strategies:

  1. Use structured prompts with clear context:

    "I'm working on [iOS/web] app for [purpose]. 
Current phase: [design/development/testing]. 
Previous decisions: [key constraints/choices made].
Next task: [specific deliverable]."

  2. Create checkpoint systems - Break large tasks into smaller, verifiable chunks

  3. Reset context when stuck - Give Claude Code a fresh summary of current state

  4. Set specific success criteria for each task before beginning

Daily Usage Pattern

Here's my typical workflow with these tools:

  1. Start each session with /checkpoint to get oriented
  2. Use /spiral-check if feeling stuck after 30+ minutes on one issue
  3. Run /arch-review before major feature additions
  4. Execute /design-review after completing UI mockups
  5. End sessions with /checkpoint to document progress

Making Claude Code More Effective

Structured Communication:

  • Always provide context about the current project phase
  • Reference previous architectural decisions
  • Be specific about target platforms and constraints
  • Ask Claude Code to summarize accomplishments before moving to the next phase

Decision Documentation:

  • Have Claude Code generate "decision logs" documenting architectural choices
  • Maintain a running list of technical debt items
  • Keep track of user experience decisions and their rationale

Results

This structured approach has dramatically improved my development process:

  • Reduced context switching - Clear phases prevent jumping between concerns
  • Better documentation - Automated checkpoint summaries create natural project history
  • Fewer dead ends - Spiral detection catches unproductive patterns early
  • Consistent quality - Standardized reviews ensure nothing is overlooked
  • Faster onboarding - New team members can understand project structure immediately

Getting Started

  1. Create your .claude configuration with the commands and context above
  2. Customize the tech stack and preferences for your specific needs
  3. Set up relevant MCP servers for your development environment
  4. Start with a small project to test and refine the workflow
  5. Iterate and improve based on what works for your team

The investment in setting up this structured workflow pays dividends immediately. Claude Code becomes not just a coding assistant, but a comprehensive development partner that helps maintain focus, quality, and momentum throughout the entire software development lifecycle.

This workflow continues to evolve as Claude Code develops new capabilities. The key is maintaining the structured approach while staying flexible enough to incorporate new tools and techniques as they become available.

[Claude Artifact