Design Delta

Delta Design Workflow

Write design rationale for a specific delta.

Input

Delta ID: $ARGUMENTS (e.g., "DLT-001")

Context

You must load the following skills and read the following files before proceeding.

Skills

• katachi:framework-core - Workflow principles
• katachi:working-on-delta - Per-feature workflow
• katachi:research-docs - Mandatory workflow for fetching current documentation

Delta inventory

• docs/planning/DELTAS.md - Delta definitions

Delta spec

• docs/delta-specs/$ARGUMENTS.md - The specification we're designing for

Project decisions

• docs/architecture/README.md - Architecture decisions (ADRs)
• docs/design/README.md - Design patterns (DES)

Existing design (if present)

• docs/delta-designs/$ARGUMENTS.md - Current design to update or create

Feature documentation (for context and impact discovery)

• docs/feature-designs/README.md - Feature design index
• docs/feature-designs/ - Existing feature designs (read specific docs as needed)
• docs/feature-specs/README.md - Feature capability index (for understanding features)
• Reference existing feature designs to understand current architecture
• Use existing design patterns and decisions from feature docs

Templates and Guides

• ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/working-on-delta/references/delta-design.md - Structure to follow
• ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/working-on-delta/references/wireframing.md - UI layout guide (if needed)
• ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/working-on-delta/references/spike-template.md - Spike investigation template (for shape unknowns)
• ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/framework-core/references/technical-diagrams.md - Technical diagram guidance
• ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/framework-core/references/code-examples.md - Code snippet guidance

Pre-Check

Verify spec exists:

• If docs/delta-specs/$ARGUMENTS.md doesn't exist, suggest running /katachi:spec-delta $ARGUMENTS first
• Design requires a spec to design against

Process

1. Check Existing State

If docs/delta-designs/$ARGUMENTS.md exists:

• Read current design
• Check if this is a shape-only seed from spec phase: If the design doc contains only a ## Shape section with initial shape parts and the rest of the template sections are empty, treat it as a starting point — not an existing design to iterate on. Summarize the initial shape to the user, note any flagged unknowns (⚠️), and proceed with full design creation.
• Otherwise (existing design with content): Check for drift against spec, summarize design approach, key decisions, modeling choices. Ask: "What aspects need refinement? Or should we review the whole design?" Enter iteration mode as appropriate.

If no design exists: proceed with initial creation

Update status:

python ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/deltas.py status set $ARGUMENTS "⧗ Design"

2. Research Phase (Silent)

Internal Research:

• Read delta spec (docs/delta-specs/$ARGUMENTS.md)
• Read dependency specs if they exist
• Read relevant ADRs from index
• Read relevant DES patterns from index
• Explore related codebase areas if needed
• Check if spec has User Flow section:
  • If YES: Identify which places (screens) need wireframes
  • If NO: Check if UI component layer exists in design
  • Note which UI elements need wireframe documentation

External Research (Mandatory — No Exceptions):

Your training data is outdated. Current documentation is always more accurate. This step is not optional even when you feel confident about a library.

For each library, framework, or technical approach identified in the spec:

1. Search current documentation for ALL libraries/frameworks involved, following the katachi:research-docs skill guidance:

   • Search for specific topics/features and the patterns you need
   • Get current API signatures, recommended patterns, version-specific guidance
   • Check for deprecation notices or migration guides
   • Search even for libraries you have used before in this session

2. Research alternative approaches using WebSearch:

   • Query: "[problem domain] best practices [current year]"
   • Query: "[library name] vs alternatives [current year]"
   • Look for recent blog posts, conference talks, or official recommendations

3. Research available up-to-date options:

   • Search for current solutions to the problem domain (not just the library you know)
   • Query: "[problem we're solving] modern solution [current year]"
   • Discover options you might not have considered from training data
   • Compare approaches: performance, maintenance status, community adoption, compatibility

Research must answer:

• What are the current best solutions for this problem? (not just the ones we already know)
• Which options are actively maintained and recommended?
• What are the recommended patterns for our use case per current documentation?
• What alternatives exist and why should we prefer one over another?
• Are there newer, better approaches than what training data suggests?

Enforcement: If your design involves ANY external library and you performed zero documentation searches, you have violated this workflow. Stop and follow the katachi:research-docs guidance before continuing.

Build complete understanding without asking questions, but do not proceed to design until external research is complete.

3. User Interview

Now that I've researched the spec, existing patterns, and current documentation, I'll present my design thinking and ask about important decisions.

Present your design understanding:

Briefly summarize:

• Your initial design approach based on research
• Key architectural decisions you're leaning toward
• Technology/library options you've discovered and your initial assessment
• Areas where multiple valid approaches exist
• Any uncertainties or assumptions from the spec

Identify and ask about important decisions:

Use AskUserQuestion to ask focused questions about:

• Architectural approach choices:

  • "Based on current research, should we use [approach A] or [approach B]?"
  • Each option should describe the trade-offs clearly (complexity vs flexibility, etc.)

• Technology/library selections:

  • "For [problem area], current research shows [option A] and [option B] - which should we prefer?"
  • Include key differences from your research (maintenance status, community adoption, etc.)

• Design trade-offs:

  • "Should we prioritize [quality A] or [quality B]?"
  • Present options with clear implications (e.g., "performance" vs "simplicity of implementation")

• Uncertainties from spec:

  • "The spec mentions [ambiguous requirement] - how should this be handled?"
  • Present design options that address different interpretations

• Integration with existing patterns:

  • "This could follow [existing pattern X] or use [new pattern Y] - which is better?"
  • Reference specific ADRs or DES from your research

Guidelines for effective questions:

• Keep questions high-level and targeted toward important decisions
• Base questions on your external research findings (documentation, search results)
• Ask only about decisions that significantly affect the design direction
• Each question should present 2-4 specific options with clear trade-offs
• Include "Other" option automatically for user-provided alternatives
• Avoid asking about trivial implementation details - focus on architectural and strategic decisions
• Don't re-validate spec decisions unless they impact design approach
• Don't overwhelm - focus on the decisions that truly need user input

After the interview:

• Incorporate user's preferences into your design approach
• Note any areas where user deferred decisions
• Proceed to impact discovery with clarified design direction

4. Impact Discovery (Silent)

Auto-discover affected feature designs by:

1. Read delta spec - identify affected features from "Detected Impacts" section

2. Search feature-designs/ - find related design documentation:

   • For each feature path identified in spec
   • Grep for overlapping design concepts or components

3. Determine design impact type:

   • Adds: Creates new components or patterns within domain
   • Modifies: Changes existing design approach documented in feature
   • Removes: Deprecates or removes documented patterns

4. Note impacts for later inclusion in "Detected Impacts" section

5. Draft Complete Design (with Decision Points)

Evolve the shape:

If a design doc with initial shape parts exists (seeded by spec-delta):

• Read the initial shape parts table
• For any flagged parts (⚠️): dispatch katachi:spike-runner subagent(s) to investigate, then validate findings with the user
• Spikes may surface new requirements — if so, update the spec's R table and AC in docs/delta-specs/$ARGUMENTS.md before continuing
• Resolve unknowns: remove ⚠️ and update mechanism descriptions based on findings
• Evolve shape parts into more detailed mechanisms informed by research

If no initial shape exists: draft shape parts from scratch based on spec requirements.

The shape parts table stays in the design as a permanent section — it is not removed after evolution.

Run requirements coverage check (internal, not saved):

Verify coverage between the spec's R table and the evolved shape:

• Every requirement should have at least one shape part addressing it
• Every shape part should trace to at least one requirement
• Surface gaps to the user if found

Present evolved shape to user for validation:

After evolving the shape and resolving unknowns, present the complete evolved shape to the user before investing effort in the full design:

• Show the full updated shape parts table
• Highlight what changed from the initial shape (seeded by spec phase): new parts added, parts refined or split, unknowns resolved, coverage gaps addressed
• Show the updated R→Shape coverage mapping
• Invite feedback: "Here's the evolved shape after research and spike resolution. Does this still capture the right approach? Any mechanisms to adjust before I build the full design around it?"

Iterate until the user approves the evolved shape. The approved shape is what gets documented in the final design.

Create full design document following template:

• Problem context (what problem, constraints, interactions)
• Design overview (high-level approach, main components)
• Shape (evolved shape parts table)
• Modeling (entities, relationships, domain model)
• Data flow (inputs → processing → outputs)
• Key decisions (choice, why, alternatives, consequences) - see research requirements below
• System behavior (scenarios, edge cases)

Add UI Layout section (conditionally):

If spec has User Flow section OR design involves UI components:

1. Read wireframing guide: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/working-on-delta/references/wireframing.md
2. Create ASCII wireframe(s) for each place/screen, showing only delta-relevant UI
3. Write layout explanation (REQUIRED) with purpose, key elements, rationale, interactions
4. Add state variations if relevant to design decisions (loading, error, empty)

Scope: Show only delta-relevant portions (modal = just modal, form = just form section)

If NOT a UI delta (no User Flow section, no UI components):

• Delete the entire UI Layout section from the template
• Do not include empty wireframes

Key decisions research requirements:

• Must include research sources: Cite documentation version, search results, or official recommendations
• Must address alternatives: Document why alternatives were rejected based on research
• Must confirm currency: Note that proposed libraries/patterns are current per documentation

For each technology choice, document:

If any technology choice lacks a Sources entry citing current documentation, the design is incomplete. Follow the katachi:research-docs guidance to fill the gap.

Decision Points: If you encounter choices requiring user input, use AskUserQuestion:

• Multiple valid architectural approaches
• Trade-offs between competing concerns (performance vs simplicity, etc.)
• Technology or library choices
• Missing context that affects design choices

Add Detected Impacts section:

## Detected Impacts

### Affected Feature Designs
- **[path/to/feature-design.md]** - [Adds/Modifies/Removes]: [description]

### Notes for Reconciliation
- [What needs to change in feature design docs]
- [New design sections that need to be created]
- [Design decisions that need to be documented]

Note any uncertainties or assumptions.

6. External Validation (Silent)

Dispatch the design-reviewer agent:

Task(
    subagent_type="katachi:design-reviewer",
    prompt=f"""
Review this delta design.

## Delta Spec
{spec_content}

## Completed Design
{design_content}

## ADR Index Summary
{adr_summary}

## DES Index Summary
{des_summary}

## Additional Review Criteria
- Verify all technology choices cite current documentation sources
- Verify that current documentation was searched for each library/framework in the design (zero searches = automatic failure)
- Check that options were researched broadly (not just validating a pre-assumed choice)
- Confirm research discovered current solutions, not just validated known libraries
- Validate design decisions are supported by up-to-date research, not training data
- Shape coverage: Does each spec requirement have at least one shape part? Are all unknowns resolved? Are parts mechanisms (not constraints)?

## UI Layout Review (if design includes UI Layout section)
- Do wireframes correspond to places in the spec's breadboard?
- Are wireframes at appropriate detail level (not too detailed, not too sparse)?
- Are state variations covered where relevant to design decisions?
- Do layout decisions align with documented design rationale?
- Is wireframe scope appropriate (showing only delta-relevant UI)?
- Are layout explanations complete (purpose, key elements, rationale, interactions)?
"""
)

7. Apply Validation Feedback (Silent)

Apply ALL recommendations from design-reviewer automatically:

• Fix coherence issues
• Address pattern violations
• Add missing decision documentation
• Improve component clarity

Decision Points: If applying a recommendation requires a choice (multiple valid ways to fix, conflicts with earlier decisions), use AskUserQuestion.

Track changes made for presentation in next step.

Auto-apply (no user input):

• Clear fixes (formatting, missing sections with obvious content)
• Adding referenced patterns or decisions
• Clarifying component responsibilities
• Standard compliance fixes

8. Present Validated Design

Present the complete validated design to the user in its entirety. Highlight any unresolved issues requiring input. Invite feedback: "What needs adjustment in this design?"

9. Iterate Based on User Feedback

Apply user corrections, additions, or changes. Re-run validation (steps 5-6) if significant changes. Repeat until user approves.

10. Detect Patterns for DES

If agent or user identifies repeatable patterns:

• Ask if pattern should become a DES
• Offer to create DES document
• Update design to reference new DES

11. Finalize

Finalize document to docs/delta-designs/$ARGUMENTS.md

Update status:

python ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/deltas.py status set $ARGUMENTS "✓ Design"

Present summary:

"Delta design complete for $ARGUMENTS.

[Finalized shape parts table]

Detected impacts: [list of affected feature design docs]"

Decision Detection

When design reveals hard-to-change choices:

• Offer to create ADRs
• Offer to create/update DES patterns
• Ensure design references existing ADRs/DES

Workflow

This is a validate-first process:

• Research silently (internal + external), then interview user on design decisions
• Evolve shape from spec-phase seed, resolve unknowns via spikes
• Present evolved shape to user for validation before proceeding to full design
• Draft full design incorporating user's input (ask additional decisions when needed)
• Auto-discover affected feature designs
• Validate with design-reviewer agent (silent)
• Apply all validation fixes automatically (ask decisions when needed)
• Present validated design with applied changes summary
• User provides feedback
• Iterate until approved
• Surface patterns for DES
• Finalize after user approval