dev-starter-prompts

name	dev-starter-prompts
description	Generates kick-start prompts for beginning development in any IDE. Use when transitioning from planning to coding or when starting a new project and needing structured initial prompts.
disable-model-invocation	true
model	sonnet
effort	medium
license	MIT

Kick-Start Prompt Generation

Why This Matters

When you open a new project in an IDE, you are looking at a blank folder. If you are new to programming, it is hard to understand how to begin. Kick-start prompts are starting messages you send to your AI coding tool to set everything up.

The rule of thumb: do not overcomplicate them. Avoid deep technical details or code snippets. These prompts should be high-level references that point to your context documents – the files from your planning activities placed into the project folder.

Interaction Method

If AskUserQuestion is available, use it for all prompts below.

If not, present each question as a numbered list and wait for a reply before proceeding. For multiSelect questions, accept comma-separated numbers (e.g. 1, 3). Never skip or auto-answer without explicit user consent.

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Step 0: Before starting

1. Announce your execution plan: Before doing anything, state what you will do in this activity: "Here's what I'm going to do: 1) check which planning documents you have ready, 2) determine which AI coding tool you'll use, 3) generate 3–5 focused kick-start prompts customized to your project, 4) review and customize them with you." This is a commitment device – harder to skip steps you just announced.

2. Conditional teaching: Ask the user if they are familiar with kick-start prompts and how they work. If yes, give a one-sentence refresher. If no, explain it in simple terms: these are the first messages you send to your AI coding tool to set up the project – high-level instructions that point to your context documents, not deep technical commands.

   Required: ALWAYS ask the question, ALWAYS give the refresher when the user says yes. Never skip this step because the user "is a designer" or "already demonstrated familiarity earlier." Users want a memory refresh on every activity, including ones they know. Phrases like "I'll skip the explainer (you're a designer)" are forbidden — they signal the model has decided ON BEHALF OF the user that a refresher isn't needed. The user, not the model, decides what's redundant. The refresher takes one sentence; the cost is trivial; the value to a tired user mid-session is high.

3. Output presentation rule: Present output incrementally – one section at a time. After each section, discuss with the user, get their input, then move to the next. Never dump an entire deliverable at once.

4. Challenge ideas: After the user shares an idea or decision, challenge it – surface blind spots, edge cases, future implications. Then let the user decide with full perspective. This is not about being negative – it's about pressure-testing ideas so the user makes better decisions.

BLOCKING REQUIREMENT: Wait for the user to acknowledge the plan before proceeding to Step 1.

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Step 1: Gather Available Context

question: "Which planning documents do you have ready?"
header: "Available Documents"
options:
  - label: "MVP Requirements"
    description: "Prioritized feature list with acceptance criteria"
  - label: "Information Architecture"
    description: "Screen inventory, navigation, user flows"
  - label: "Design references or Figma designs"
    description: "Visual direction for the product"
  - label: "Business Plan / StoryBrand"
    description: "Messaging, positioning, or revenue model"
  - label: "Target Audience / Personas"
    description: "User profiles and pain points"
  - label: "CLAUDE.md already created"
    description: "Global rules file is ready"
  - label: "None yet"
    description: "Starting without planning documents"
allowMultiSelect: true

multiSelect: true  # User can have multiple document types ready

BLOCKING REQUIREMENT: Wait for the user's answer before proceeding to Step 2.

---

Step 2: Determine the AI Tool

question: "Which AI coding tool will you use?"
header: "Development Tool"
options:
  - label: "Claude Code (terminal)"
    description: "Anthropic's CLI tool – supports agents, skills, MCPs"
  - label: "Cursor"
    description: "AI-powered IDE with built-in code generation"
  - label: "Claude Code inside Cursor's terminal"
    description: "Best of both worlds – Cursor's IDE with Claude Code's capabilities"
  - label: "Other IDE"
    description: "Windsurf, Kiro, or another AI-assisted editor"

multiSelect: false  # User must choose one development tool

BLOCKING REQUIREMENT: Wait for the user's answer before proceeding to Step 3.

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Step 3: Generate the Prompts

If you save the generated prompts to a file under .design-engineer-plugin/design/dev/ (e.g., .design-engineer-plugin/design/dev/kickstart-prompts.md), ensure the parent directory exists first: run mkdir -p .design-engineer-plugin/design/dev (Bash). The plugin uses lazy folder scaffolding – folders are created by the skill that needs them, not upfront.

Using the template from kickstart-template.md and the methodology from dev-prep-assistant.md, generate a set of 3-5 focused prompts:

Prompt 1: Project Initialization

• Create folder structure
• Install dependencies using official documentation (never hardcoded commands)
• Set up configuration files
• Reference: point to relevant planning documents

Prompt 2: Foundation Setup

• Establish the design token system or styling foundation
• Set up navigation structure based on Information Architecture
• Create the app entry point
• Reference: point to Information Architecture document

Prompt 3: First Feature Implementation

• Implement the most critical feature from MVP Requirements
• Reference the design files for visual direction
• Specify that AI should ask clarifying questions before implementing

Prompt 4: Design System Extraction (after first feature)

• Refactor the first implementation to extract reusable tokens and components
• Create the design system structure from implemented code
• Establish naming conventions for future development

Prompt 5: Second Feature (with patterns)

• Implement the next priority feature reusing patterns from the first
• Validate that the design system is being followed

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Step 4: Review and Customize

Present the generated prompts to the user for review. Each prompt should:

• Be one clear objective (not multiple goals)
• Reference existing documents by file path
• Specify behavioral expectations (ask questions first, wait for approval)
• Avoid code snippets or deep technical details
• Focus on outcomes, not implementation methods

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Content Integrity

1. No fabrication: Only include content the user explicitly provided or that was read from an existing deliverable file. If you see a gap – a missing document, an unaddressed workflow step – ask via AskUserQuestion. Never fill gaps silently. Never invent project details, file paths, or tech stack choices. Never attribute content to a deliverable you haven't Read.
2. Read before reference: When referencing any previous deliverable in your output, you MUST Read the file first. Do not quote from memory – read the actual file and use its actual content.

Anti-slop Writing

Before generating any text for the deliverable, read anti-slop-writing.md and apply its rules. Scan your output before presenting it to the user.

Decision Hierarchy

1. User's direct input – their tool preference, their project priorities
2. Existing documentation – prompts reference real documents, not assumptions
3. AI suggestions – propose prompt structure and sequence

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What Comes Next

After kick-start prompts are generated, the user begins development. Suggest dev-status-tracking to set up status tracking, or dev-agent-setup if they want automated agent workflows.

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Resource Files

• kickstart-template.md – Template structure for IDE-agnostic kick-start prompts
• dev-prep-assistant.md – Complete Development Preparation Assistant methodology