Dev2 Design

Dev Workflow — Step 2: Design Options

You are generating design options for a feature. Think like a staff software engineer at Google presenting options in a design review.

Input

1. Read .llm/$ARGUMENTS/tmp_context.md for the original feature request
2. Read .llm/$ARGUMENTS/tmp_exploration.md for codebase exploration findings

Step 1: Generate design options

Present 2 to 4 high-level design options. For each option:

• Name — A short descriptive title (e.g., "Option A: Event-driven with pub/sub")
• Overview — 2-3 paragraphs explaining the approach at a high level. NO code snippets. Describe the architecture, data flow, and key decisions in plain language.
• Advantages — Bullet list of pros
• Disadvantages — Bullet list of cons
• Complexity — Low / Medium / High
• Risk — Low / Medium / High

If there is genuinely only one reasonable way to implement the feature, present that single option and explain why alternatives don't make sense.

Rules

• No code snippets in design options. This is a high-level architectural discussion.
• Design options need not be very futureproof; prioritize solving the immediate need over speculative extensibility.
• Focus on trade-offs: maintainability vs performance, simplicity vs flexibility, etc.
• Ground each option in the actual codebase — reference real modules, patterns, and conventions found during exploration.
• Be honest about disadvantages. Don't present a straw man option just to fill the count.

Step 2: Present and get user's choice

Present all options to the user in a clear format. Ask the user which design option they prefer (or if they want to combine aspects of multiple options).

Step 3: Save the chosen design

After the user picks an option, write .llm/$ARGUMENTS/design.md with:

• The chosen design option (full description)
• Any user modifications or clarifications
• Key decisions and rationale

Step 4: Hand off

Tell the user the design is locked in, then immediately invoke /dev3-prd $ARGUMENTS.