workstream-design

name	workstream-design
description	Use when defining or refining a repository workstream in `.workstreams/<name>/design.md` before planning ordered execution waves. Trigger phrases: "ws design", "ws-design", "workstream design".

Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs

Overview

The goal is to ask the user what is being worked on, research the surrounding problem, and write useful planning context into .workstreams/<workstream-name>/design.md.

If the target workstream does not exist yet and the user is starting a new workstream, create .workstreams/<workstream-name>/.

Help turn ideas into fully formed designs and specs through natural collaborative dialogue.

Start by understanding the current project context, then ask questions one at a time to refine the idea. Once you understand what you're building, present the design and get user approval.

Do NOT invoke any implementation skill, write any code, scaffold any project, or take any implementation action until you have presented a design and the user has approved it. This applies to EVERY project regardless of perceived simplicity.

Anti-Pattern: "This Is Too Simple To Need A Design"

Every project goes through this process. A todo list, a single-function utility, a config change — all of them. "Simple" projects are where unexamined assumptions cause the most wasted work. The design can be short (a few sentences for truly simple projects), but you MUST present it and get approval.

Checklist

You MUST create a task for each of these items and complete them in order:

1. Explore project context — check files, docs, recent commits
2. Ask clarifying questions — one at a time, understand purpose/constraints/success criteria
3. Propose 2-3 approaches — with trade-offs and your recommendation
4. Present design — in sections scaled to their complexity, get user approval after each section
5. Write design doc — save to .workstreams/<workstream-name>/design.md.
6. Transition to planning — invoke workstream-plan to create plan.md

Process Flow

digraph brainstorming {
    "Explore project context" [shape=box];
    "Ask clarifying questions" [shape=box];
    "Propose 2-3 approaches" [shape=box];
    "Present design sections" [shape=box];
    "User approves design?" [shape=diamond];
    "Write design doc" [shape=box];
    "Invoke workstream-plan" [shape=doublecircle];

    "Explore project context" -> "Ask clarifying questions";
    "Ask clarifying questions" -> "Propose 2-3 approaches";
    "Propose 2-3 approaches" -> "Present design sections";
    "Present design sections" -> "User approves design?";
    "User approves design?" -> "Present design sections" [label="no, revise"];
    "User approves design?" -> "Write design doc" [label="yes"];
    "Write design doc" -> "Invoke workstream-plan";
}

The terminal state is invoking workstream-plan. Do NOT invoke execution skills here. The ONLY next skill is workstream-plan.

The Process

Understanding the idea:

• Check out the current project state first (files, docs, recent commits)
• Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
• Prefer multiple choice questions when possible, but open-ended is fine too
• Only one question per message - if a topic needs more exploration, break it into multiple questions
• Focus on understanding: purpose, constraints, success criteria

Exploring approaches:

• Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
• Present options conversationally with your recommendation and reasoning
• Lead with your recommended option and explain why

Presenting the design:

• Once you believe you understand what you're building, present the design
• Scale each section to its complexity: a few sentences if straightforward, up to 200-300 words if nuanced
• Ask after each section whether it looks right so far
• Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
• Be ready to go back and clarify if something doesn't make sense

Design Contents

This design doc should always contain at least:

1. Context A small description of the feature and the problem it solves. A list of must read files from the repository. Preferrably specs or docs.
2. Scope / Boundaries What are should we NOT do?
3. Approach How will we approach the implementation and wave structure?
4. Key Design Decisions Guiding principles and decisions that led to chosen approach.
5. Critical Files List of critical files that will be changed during implementation.
6. Testing Strategy How will we test the implementation?
7. Verification Steps / Success Criteria How will we know it's done?

After the Design

Documentation:

• Write the validated design to .workstreams/<workstream-name>/design.md
• Use writing-clearly-and-concisely skill if available

Implementation:

• Invoke the workstream-plan skill to create a detailed implementation plan
• Do NOT invoke any other skill. workstream-plan is the next step.

Key Principles

• One question at a time - Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
• Multiple choice preferred - Easier to answer than open-ended when possible
• YAGNI ruthlessly - Remove unnecessary features from all designs
• Explore alternatives - Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling
• Incremental validation - Present design, get approval before moving on
• Be flexible - Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense