| name | start |
| description | First-Run Proof Path - one command that scans your UI code and returns one concrete first fix. Leaf command, no STATE.md writes, no pipeline entry. Writes .design/START-REPORT.md and exits. |
| argument-hint | [--budget <fast|balanced|thorough>] [--skip-interview] [--dismiss-nudge] |
| tools | Read, Grep, Glob, Bash, Write, Task |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
Get Design Done - {{command_prefix}}start
Role: the canonical 0→1 proof path. A new user runs {{command_prefix}}start, answers five short questions, and receives .design/START-REPORT.md with three concrete findings in the user's own code, one best_first_proof selected by a deterministic rubric, and a single next command to run.
Non-goals: do NOT write/mutate .design/STATE.md, enter the pipeline state machine, modify source code, auto-install MCPs or run {{command_prefix}}connections, or capture before/after screenshots (that belongs to the full pipeline).
When to use
- First time opening a repo with the get-design-done plugin installed.
- The user wants a single proof-of-value pass without committing to the pipeline.
When NOT to use
.design/STATE.md already exists - route to {{command_prefix}}progress instead.- User asked for a full audit - route to
{{command_prefix}}scan.
- User asked to fix a specific file - route to
{{command_prefix}}fast.
Arguments
| Flag | Effect |
|---|
--budget fast | 90-second wall-clock cap on the findings scan. Skips thorough detectors. |
--budget balanced (default) | 3-minute wall-clock cap. All detectors, bounded file walk. |
--budget thorough | 5-minute wall-clock cap. Used only when the user opts in. |
--skip-interview | Skip the 5-question interview; use sane defaults (pain=unspecified, area=detected, budget=balanced, framework=detected, figma=skip). |
--dismiss-nudge | Touch ~/.claude/gdd-nudge-dismissed and exit. Does not run the scan. |
Workflow
Six steps, all documented in ./start-procedure.md. Companion file ./reference/start-interview.md holds the 5-question copy + defaults + validation.
| Step | What it does | Where to look |
|---|
| 0 | Dismiss-only shortcut (if --dismiss-nudge) | start-procedure.md#step-0-dismiss-only-shortcut |
| 1 | Detect UI root via scripts/lib/detect-ui-root.cjs (early-exit on backend-only or kind: null) | start-procedure.md#step-1-detect-ui-root |
| 2 | Run 5-question interview (or use --skip-interview defaults); write .design/.start-context.json (NOT STATE.md) | start-procedure.md#step-2-run-the-5-question-interview + start-interview.md |
| 3 | Invoke scripts/lib/start-findings-engine.cjs → up to 3 findings (F1..F3) + bestFirstProofId | start-procedure.md#step-3-scan-findings |
| 4 | Spawn design-start-writer Task → emit .design/START-REPORT.md (7 H2 sections + JSON block, no STATE.md write) | start-procedure.md#step-4-spawn-the-writer |
| 5 | Print one-line handoff with suggested command (fallback: {{command_prefix}}brief if bestFirstProofId is null); emit ## START COMPLETE | start-procedure.md#step-5-print-the-handoff |
Failure handling: every error path exits with ## START COMPLETE plus a one-line pointer. Do not half-write files - if the writer fails, keep .design/.start-context.json and tell the user they can rerun. Do not delete .design/ unless it was empty before the run.
Do Not
- Do not write or mutate
.design/STATE.md.
- Do not modify source code.
- Do not auto-install MCPs or write to
.design/config.json.
- Do not take more than the budgeted wall-clock - let the engine truncate findings rather than hang.
- Do not invent findings - the findings engine output is the sole source of truth.
START COMPLETE
