product-research

name	product-research
description	Find and compare current FF&E candidates from a design brief, with sourced purchasing facts and optional CSV-library save. Use to research or source products; not to match from an image or pair coordinating items.
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Edit","Bash","Glob","Grep","WebFetch","WebSearch","AskUserQuestion"]

/as:product-research — Product Research

Harness note: use /as:<skill> on Claude Code and $<skill> on Codex. Resolve <skill-root> as the directory containing this loaded SKILL.md and <plugin-root> as the plugin root that contains skills/, and use equivalent native tools when host tool names differ.

Receives a brief from a designer, researches products across the web, and returns a curated shortlist. Selected products can be saved to the nearest project's product-library.csv.

How It Works

Designer gives a brief
        ↓
Claude searches the web
        ↓
Presents candidates with specs + reasoning
        ↓
Designer picks winners
        ↓
Saved to project product library

Step 1: Take the Brief

The designer describes what they're looking for. A brief can be loose or specific:

Loose:

"I need acoustic panels for a tech office lobby"

Specific:

"Looking for a round dining table, 48-54" diameter, solid wood top (walnut or oak preferred), steel or brass base, under $3,000, needs to be in stock or <6 week lead time"

What to capture from the brief

Extract as many of these as the designer provides. Don't ask for fields they didn't mention — work with what you have.

Field	Examples
Category	Table, seating, lighting, acoustic panel, planter, storage
Use context	Office lobby, conference room, outdoor terrace, home office
Style / aesthetic	Scandinavian, mid-century, industrial, minimal, warm, bold
Materials	Solid wood, marble, steel, fabric, mesh, recycled
Dimensions	"48-54 inch diameter", "under 30 inches tall", "fits a 6x4 space"
Budget	Under $3,000, $500-$1,000 range, high-end, budget-friendly
Sustainability	GREENGUARD, FSC, Cradle to Cradle, recycled content, B Corp
Lead time	In stock, under 6 weeks, no rush
Quantity	1 hero piece, 12 for a conference room, 50+ for open office
Indoor/Outdoor	Indoor, outdoor, both
Must-haves	Stackable, COM available, ADA compliant, weatherproof
Brands to consider	"I like Muuto and HAY", "no Herman Miller"
Brands to avoid	"Not Ikea", "nothing from Amazon"

Don't interview the designer. If the brief is "acoustic panels for a lobby," that's enough to start searching. You can clarify after showing initial results if needed ("I found options in fabric, felt, and wood slat — any preference?").

Step 2: Research

Search the web for products matching the brief. Use multiple targeted queries to cover different angles:

Search strategy

For a brief like "round dining table, walnut, under $3,000":

1. Category + material search: round walnut dining table
2. Design-focused search: best round wood dining tables architects designers
3. Trade/contract search: contract round dining table solid wood specifications (for commercial projects)
4. Specific brand searches if the designer mentioned preferences: Muuto round table, HAY dining table
5. Sustainability search if relevant: FSC certified round dining table

Run 3-5 searches depending on brief complexity. Aim for breadth — different price points, brands, styles.

For each candidate found

Attempt to fetch the product page with WebFetch to extract full specs. If the page is JS-rendered and returns no data:

• Use the search result only to identify the candidate and locate another current, authoritative source.
• Never fill price, availability, lead time, dimensions, finishes, certifications, or other purchasing facts from model memory.
• Label any volatile fact without a current manufacturer, authorized-dealer, or certification-registry source as Not verified; do not turn a search snippet into a confirmed fact.

For every price, availability, lead-time, finish, dimension, and certification claim, retain the source URL and access date. Prefer the manufacturer's current product page or price list; use an authorized dealer only when the manufacturer does not publish the fact. A candidate may remain useful with Not verified fields, but the shortlist must make those gaps visible.

Target: 6-10 candidates that genuinely match the brief. Don't pad the list with weak matches.

Step 3: Present Candidates

Show results as a numbered shortlist with enough detail to evaluate:

## Product Research: Round Dining Tables (walnut, under $3,000)

### 1. Alle Table Round — Hem
Designer: Staffan Holm · 59" dia × 29"H
Materials: Solid oak top, powder-coated steel base
Price: $2,399 USD · Lead: 8-12 weeks
Finishes: Natural oak, smoked oak, walnut stain
Indoor · COM: N/A
🔗 hem.com/en-us/furniture/tables/alle/30421
Why: Clean Scandinavian lines, strong scale for a lobby, within budget.
Walnut stain option available. Hem has good contract pricing.

### 2. Snaregade Round — Menu
Designer: Norm Architects · 54" dia × 28.5"H
Materials: Oak veneer top, powder-coated steel base
Price: $2,195 USD · Lead: 6-8 weeks
Finishes: Dark stained oak, light oak
Indoor · COM: N/A
🔗 menuspace.com/snaregade-round
Why: Norm Architects pedigree, slightly under budget,
faster lead time. Veneer top (not solid) — flag if that matters.

### 3. ...

---

## Summary

| # | Product | Brand | Ø | Price | Lead | Material | Notes |
|---|---------|-------|---|-------|------|----------|-------|
| 1 | Alle Round | Hem | 59" | $2,399 | 8-12w | Solid oak | Walnut stain ✓ |
| 2 | Snaregade Round | Menu | 54" | $2,195 | 6-8w | Oak veneer | Not solid wood |
| 3 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

Which ones should I save to your product library?

Presentation rules

• Lead with the summary table if there are 6+ candidates — designers scan visually
• Include "Why" for each — explain why this product matches the brief, and flag any compromises
• Flag trade-offs honestly — "veneer not solid", "over budget but worth seeing", "long lead time"
• Don't oversell — if a product is a weak match, say so or don't include it
• Group by angle if useful — "Budget options", "Premium picks", "Fastest delivery"

Step 4: Save to the project library

When the designer picks candidates ("save 1, 3, and 5"), prepare rows for the nearest project-root product-library.csv. A project root is the nearest ancestor containing PROJECT.md; do not create a library outside one.

Row format

Read ../../schema/product-schema.md for the exact 33-column row contract and ../../schema/csv-conventions.md for local-file rules. Preview all selected products and the target path, then use the single confirmation gate. After approval, serialize all complete rows as one JSON array and invoke python3 "<plugin-root>/skills/master-schedule/scripts/csv-library.py" append product --project <project-root> --row-json <batch.json> exactly once. The helper validates the complete batch and library before one atomic replacement; never loop per row or hand-edit persistent CSV.

Skill-specific column values:

• AG (Source): research
• AF (Status): saved
• AD (Tags): From brief context (e.g. "lobby-reno, walnut")
• AE (Notes): The "Why" reasoning from the presentation
• T (Selected Color/Finish): Blank (designer hasn't configured yet)

After saving

✓ Saved 3 products to your library (rows 48-50).
  Tagged: lobby-reno, walnut

Want me to refine the search? Different style, budget, or materials?

Step 5 (Optional): Iterate

The designer may want to refine:

• "More like #1 but cheaper" → Search for alternatives in that style/brand tier
• "What about outdoor versions?" → New search with added constraint
• "Can you find the spec sheet PDF for #3?" → Search for manufacturer cut sheet
• "Compare #1 and #3 side by side" → Detailed comparison
• "Any of these have GREENGUARD?" → Check certifications for the shortlist

Each iteration can add more products to the library.

Conversation Style

• Don't over-ask before searching. A one-line brief is enough to start.
• Show results, then refine. It's faster to react to real options than to specify everything upfront.
• Be opinionated. The designer wants a knowledgeable research assistant, not a search engine. Flag the best options, note trade-offs, suggest alternatives.
• Know the industry. Reference relevant brands, designers, trade platforms. Understand contract vs. residential, COM/COL, lead times, certifications.

Notes

• JS-rendered product pages are common (Hem, Muuto, Vitra, etc.). If WebFetch returns no data, use search result snippets + general knowledge. Note when specs are unverified.
• The library is shared. Products from this skill live alongside bulk-fetch imports and PDF extractions. The Source field (research) identifies where each row came from.