Constraint-Driven Context Engineering: Designing Domain Interfaces for AI Systems

Abstract

Generative AI systems are increasingly deployed to address domain problems. These systems operate under technical, regulatory, institutional, and normative constraints that define acceptable AI behaviour and outcomes within their domains. We observe a recurring pattern in our industry engagement: partners often arrive with a functioning but relatively generic AI solution. The challenge is no longer to build an AI system from scratch, but to improve the quality and domain appropriateness of an AI-generated solution. In these settings, the limiting factor is often the quality, scope, and structure of the context available to the system. Yet, existing context engineering approaches primarily focus on supplying domain knowledge through retrieval, memory, and tools, with limited support for systematically identifying and operationalising the constraints that govern AI systems in their operational environments. This paper proposes Constraint-Driven Context Engineering (CDCE), a design approach for engineering domain interfaces for AI systems. Drawing on software architecture design and Domain-Driven Design (DDD), CDCE treats domain constraints as first-class design drivers. It identifies and characterises constraints, determines the required context assets, and designs representations through which these assets are made available to AI systems. We conducted a comparative multiple-case study with industry and public-sector partners across educational assessment, healthcare decision support, and financial-distress prediction. Depending on their characteristics, constraints can guide AI behaviour, enforce permissible boundaries, or support verification of AI-generated outcomes. The cases demonstrate CDCE's applicability across contrasting domains and show how constraint characteristics shape the resulting domain interfaces.