spectre-ux

name	spectre-ux
description	👻 | Define user flows, components, and UX behavior — generates the UX spec for a feature - primary agent
user-invocable	true

ux

Input Handling

Treat the current command arguments as this workflow's input. When invoked from a slash command, use the forwarded $ARGUMENTS value.

ux: Define Exactly How the Feature Works

Transform product requirements into a definitive behavioral specification. Two stages: align on user flows, then generate detailed spec. Output: ux.md ready for implementation.

$ARGUMENTS

---

STAGE 1: Flow Discovery & Alignment

Goal: Align on HOW the feature works before specifying details.

Step 1 — Understand the Feature

1. Read scope and requirements in this precedence (read whichever exist FULLY, no offset/limit):
   • docs/tasks/{branch}/concepts/scope.md — the canonical scope doc (preferred)
   • docs/tasks/{branch}/specs/prd.md — if a PRD was generated separately
   • docs/tasks/{branch}/task_summary.md — if present
   • If none exist → ask the user for scope context (or recommend spectre-scope first) before proceeding.
2. Research patterns: Dispatch @patterns to find existing screens/components similar to what we're building. Note conventions, reusable elements, and any design tokens.
3. Identify user segments: List the user segments this feature serves — first-time vs returning, anonymous vs signed-in, free vs paid, role-based variants. UX often diverges across segments and missing this is a common cause of rework.
4. Identify journeys: List user goals, entry points, and completion states.

Step 2 — Present User Flows

Write each flow as a narrative walkthrough.

Per flow include: Goal, Entry point, Journey steps (User sees → User does → System responds), Decision points with branches, Success state, Questions where ambiguity exists.

Per user segment: Call out where flows diverge (e.g., "First-time users see X tour; returning users skip directly to Y").

After writing all flows, propose a specific take rather than asking open-ended:

User Flows — Proposed

I've mapped {N} flows across {M} user segments: {list with one-line summaries}

Key segmentation calls: [where flows diverge by user state and why]

Push back on anything wrong, missing, or over-/under-segmented. Reply with feedback or "Flows approved" to proceed.

Wait for approval. If feedback → revise and re-present. If approved → Stage 2.

---

STAGE 2: Detailed Specification

Gate: Only proceed after explicit flow approval.

Step 3 — Clarify Remaining Details

Review approved flows for gaps: component behaviors, edge cases, state definitions, segment variants.

If significant gaps, ask 3–5 targeted questions (empty states, error handling, loading, limits, segment differences). Save to clarifications/ux_clarifications_{timestamp}.md, prompt user to read, incorporate answers.

Step 4 — Write the Specification

Generate complete spec with these sections:

Required Sections

1. Overview — What this feature is, problem it solves, primary user goal (1 paragraph)
2. User Segments — Each segment served, what's different about their UX (e.g., first-time onboarding, role-based permissions, free vs paid limits, anon vs signed-in)
3. Screens — Every screen: name, purpose (1 line), navigation relationships
4. Flows — Formalized from Stage 1 with alternate paths (validation fail, cancel, network error). Include per-segment branches where they diverge.
5. Layouts — Per screen: header/main/footer structure + responsive behavior (desktop >1024, tablet 768–1024, mobile <768)
6. Components — Each interactive element: purpose, location, applicable states (see State Vocabulary below)
7. Interactions — Table format: Element | Action | Result (exhaustive)
8. States — Table format: State | Trigger | Appearance | Available Actions
9. Content — Exact copy: page titles, buttons, empty states, error messages, confirmation dialogs
10. Edge Cases — Limits/boundaries, null/long data handling, permissions, offline/network failures, segment-specific edge cases
11. Accessibility — Tab order, keyboard actions (Enter/Space/Escape), screen reader announcements, focus management

State Vocabulary

Use these state categories where applicable. Not every component needs every state — pick what's relevant for the feature.

• Visual states (per interactive element): default, hover, focus, active/pressed, disabled
• Data states (per data view): empty, loading, partial-loaded, loaded, error, stale/refreshing
• Form states: pristine, dirty, touched, submitting, submitted-success, submitted-error, validation-error per field
• Selection states: none, single, multi, partial-selection, all-selected
• Sync states (collaborative or async UI): optimistic, pending, conflict, resolved
• Network states (where relevant): online, offline, reconnecting

Save to docs/tasks/{branch}/ux.md

Prompt:

UX Specification Complete

Written to {path}. Please review: Any behaviors wrong or missing? Edge cases not covered? Segment differences captured?

Want a prototype to validate visually before approving? spectre-prototype will render this spec (high-fi, no synthesis) and flag assumptions where I had to fill in details — catches issues prose review misses. Reply prototype to run it now.

Otherwise, reply with feedback, or "Approved" to finalize.

Wait for approval, feedback, or prototype request. If user replies prototype, invoke spectre-prototype (the post-ux mode auto-detects the complete ux.md). Once prototype completes and any spec updates from filled assumptions are applied, return here for final approval.

Step 5 — Handoff

Confirm completion with summary: screens specified, segments addressed, flows documented, components with states, edge cases and accessibility covered.

Read .spectre/next_steps_guide.md and render Next Steps footer:

Next Steps | Phase: Scope | Status: UX Complete
Recommendation: {contextual next action — if no prototype was generated, suggest spectre-prototype to validate the spec visually before /plan}
Options: spectre-prototype (validate spec visually), spectre-create_plan, spectre-create_tasks, spectre-tdd