Claude Code Workflow Visual Explains Memory Hierarchy and Skills System

A Reddit user shared a visual diagram that outlines the workflow structure for Claude Code, showing how different components fit together. The visual covers CLAUDE.md files, memory hierarchy, skills, hooks, project structure, and the workflow loop.

Memory Hierarchy Details

The source clarifies Claude's context loading through a layered memory system:

• ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md → Global memory
• /CLAUDE.md → Repository context
• ./subfolder/CLAUDE.md → Scoped context

Subfolders append context rather than replacing it, which can cause sessions to feel "overloaded" if these files become too large.

Skills System

Instead of repeating prompts, users can define reusable patterns as skills in specific directories:

• .claude/skills/testing/SKILL.md
• .claude/skills/code-review/SKILL.md

Claude automatically invokes these skills when their descriptions match the current task.

Suggested Workflow Loop

The visual recommends this sequence:

1. cd project && claude
2. Plan mode
3. Describe feature
4. Auto accept
5. Commit frequently with /compact

The Reddit post notes that while individual elements aren't groundbreaking, seeing them together in one diagram helps clarify the system. The ecosystem is still evolving, with users experimenting with different approaches to organizing CLAUDE.md files, skills, and hooks.