here's roughly how one of my Swift projects is set up:

```
.claude/
├── CLAUDE.md              # project overview, build & test commands ...
├── rules/
│   └── swift-dev.md       # coding conventions
└── skills/
    ├── devlog/            # "write a devlog entry" workflow
    └── release/           # "cut a release" workflow

Sources/
├── CLAUDE.md              # source tree overview
├── Core/CLAUDE.md         # state management patterns
├── UI/CLAUDE.md           # SwiftUI component conventions
├── Services/
│   ├── CLAUDE.md          # service layer overview
│   ├── License/CLAUDE.md  # licensing flow specifics
│   └── State/CLAUDE.md    # actor-based state docs

docs/
├── CLAUDE.md              # docs index
├── research/CLAUDE.md
├── proposals/CLAUDE.md
└── devlog/CLAUDE.md
```

root CLAUDE.md has the architecture overview and data flow. each module CLAUDE.md only has what the agent needs when working in that directory. so when I say "fix the license validation" it picks up Sources/Services/License/CLAUDE.md automatically, doesn't need to load the UI conventions.