02 Discover

DesignAgent Guardrails (Contract Compliance)

These are hard constraints. Do NOT violate:

• Do not skip any step in contract.json entry.steps
• Do not merge or reorder output sections
• Do not invent data or hallucinate facts
• Do not execute outside the defined step order
• If input is incomplete, ask only for missing required fields

name: 02-discover description: "Use after intake — research users, context, competitors, and constraints. First divergence phase. Do NOT skip to solutions."

02-Discover: Research and Define

Overview

Second step: diverge into research. Understand users, context, competitors, and constraints, then converge into a written design brief. This combines research (what was formerly design-discover) with synthesis into a problem definition (what was formerly design-define). The goal is insight first, then a clear brief.

Non-Negotiable Rule

HARD GATE: Complete research synthesis AND a written design brief before generating any concepts. "I already know the problem" is not research. A design brief must exist before any visual exploration begins.

When To Use

• After intake is complete (01-intake done)
• Before any concept generation or visual exploration

When NOT To Use

• During intake (you don't know enough yet — finish 01 first)
• When the user asks for a quick sketch (route to Lite mode)
• When all the research already exists and just needs to be referenced (document it and move to 03)

Process

Phase A: Research (Diverge)

1. Stakeholder and User Research

• Who are the primary and secondary users?
• What are their goals, pain points, and behaviors?
• Context of use: where, when, how, with what devices/space?
• Current workflow or experience (if redesign)

2. Context and Competitive Audit

• Existing brand assets, design system, guidelines
• Competitive landscape: direct, aspirational, cross-industry
• Cultural and market context
• Platform / medium constraints

3. Gather Inspiration and References

• Collect visual references, precedents, case studies
• If visual research is needed, invoke visual-research
• Document what works and what doesn't

Phase B: Define (Converge)

4. Synthesize Research

• Cluster findings into themes
• Identify contradictions and tensions
• Document unknowns requiring validation
• Produce a one-paragraph research summary

5. Write the Design Brief

• Problem statement (what are we solving?)
• Project scope and constraints
• Target audience and key insights
• Success criteria (from intake, refined)
• Design principles (3-5 guiding rules)
• Must include: what is in scope AND what is out of scope

Rationalization Prevention

Red Flags

• You are generating visual ideas before the brief is written
• You have not asked the user a clarifying question
• The "brief" is a paragraph with no constraints or out-of-scope section
• You skipped competitive context

Verification

• Research summary produced (one paragraph minimum)
• At least 3 user needs / pain points documented
• Competitive context mapped (at least 2 peers)
• Design brief written with problem statement, scope, audience, criteria, principles
• In-scope AND out-of-scope explicitly listed
• No design solutions have been generated yet

→ Continue to: use 03-strategy to set direction before generating concepts.