| name | structured-rpi |
| description | Enhanced Research-Plan-Implement workflow with structured phase gates. Use when tackling complex tasks that benefit from a phased approach with user checkpoints. |
Structured RPI (Research-Plan-Implement)
A 6-phase workflow that decomposes complex tasks into gated stages, each producing a markdown artifact the user approves before advancing.
Quick Start
Use structured RPI to refactor the authentication module.
The workflow walks through six phases sequentially. Each phase produces a concise markdown artifact. You must get user approval before moving to the next phase.
Phases
| # | Phase | Artifact | Purpose |
|---|
| 1 | Questions | Clarifying questions list | Surface unknowns and ambiguity |
| 2 | Research | Findings summary | Gather context from code and docs |
| 3 | Design Discussion | Design options + tradeoffs | Explore approaches with the user |
| 4 | Structure Outline | Component/file outline | Agree on shape before details |
| 5 | Plan | Implementation plan (Plan tool) | Concrete steps with acceptance criteria |
| 6 | Implement | Working code + verification | Execute the plan |
How It Works
- Announce the phase — State which phase you're entering and what it produces
- Do the work — Research, analyze, design, or implement as appropriate
- Present the artifact — Output a markdown artifact with a clear heading
- Gate — Ask the user to approve, request changes, or skip ahead
- Advance — Only move to the next phase after explicit user approval
Phase Gate Format
After each artifact, present:
Phase N complete. Ready to proceed to Phase N+1 (Name)?
Options: [approve] [request changes] [skip to phase N+X] [abort]
Key Rules
- Always gate — Never advance without user approval
- Phase 5 uses the Plan tool — Create a structured plan, not just prose
- Artifacts are markdown — Clean, scannable, no JSON blobs
- Keep artifacts concise — Prefer bullet points and tables over walls of text
- Self-contained — This workflow runs in a single session, no delegation
When to Use
| Situation | Use Structured RPI? |
|---|
| Complex refactor spanning multiple files | Yes |
| New feature with unclear requirements | Yes |
| Bug fix with known cause | No — just fix it |
| One-file change | No — overkill |
| User says "plan this out" or "let's think through this" | Yes |
When to Skip Phases
- User already provided requirements — Skip Phase 1 (Questions)
- Small scope, well-understood — Skip Phase 2 (Research)
- Single obvious approach — Compress Phase 3 (Design) into Phase 4 (Outline)
- User says "just do it" — Jump to Phase 6 with a lightweight plan
References
