version: "1.0.1" name: design-exploration description: | Methodology for maturing a design before a spec exists.

Load when:

• user asks to explore, compare candidate designs, or mature a design for a system / topic
• an important design is genuinely uncertain (competing models, an undefined central concept)

and writing a spec would be premature

• an existing design forks and deeper exploration of a topic is wanted
• "write explo …"
• editing an EXPLO-BRIEF.md or EXPLO-<topic>.md file

metadata: maintainers: [bew]

Skill: design-exploration

Goal

Mature an immature design through an open-ended, proposal-first discussion loop, recording findings, candidate directions, settled decisions, and open threads in topic-scoped exploration files so a spec can later be written from settled ground.

Phases

1. Phase:Setup — resolve identity, mode & path; seed files
2. Phase:Explore — per-topic discussion loop; write topic exploration files
3. Phase:Wrap — freeze settled topics; exit

Vars used throughout: (output them in context once known!)

• $mode — adhoc (no brief; topic files in the working dir) or dedicated (dir + brief).
• $explodir — directory for the exploration files (adhoc: the cwd).
• $briefpath — $explodir/EXPLO-BRIEF.md; dedicated mode only.
• $topic — current topic label, kebab-case lowercase.
• $topicpath — $explodir/EXPLO-$topic.md.
• $title — the design's human-readable name.
• $slug — the design's kebab-case slug.

Interaction conventions

Apply in every phase.

• Proposal-first. Draft candidate ideas and rough shapes by default; state assumptions.
• Emit questions inline in the reply before reaching for the question tool.
• Use the question tool only at genuine mutually-exclusive forks.

Keep it dismissible — the user may ignore it and answer in their own terms.

• Don't pre-create empty sections — fill them as content lands.
• Do not mandate incremental-write — its skeleton-first ceremony fights the fluid loop.
• Record decisions as they land; keep Open threads current.
• Never echo the file. After writing or updating any exploration file ($topicpath

or $briefpath), do not reproduce its content inline. Reply with a short overview (what the file now holds, where it lives) and only the actionable items — open forks, decisions awaiting the user's call.

1. Phase:Setup — resolve identity, mode & path; seed files

When entering Phase:Setup: read <./refs/phases/setup.md> for full instructions.

2. Phase:Explore — per-topic discussion loop

When entering Phase:Explore: read <./refs/phases/explore.md> for full instructions.

3. Phase:Wrap — freeze settled topics; exit

When entering Phase:Wrap: read <./refs/phases/wrap.md> for full instructions.