# Version Archaeology

> Study how products evolve over time using archived versions. The decisions that survive redesigns are the taste decisions. Use when understanding what's essential vs. cosmetic in a design, or learning from product evolution.

- Skill: `dragoon0x/version-archaeology` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dragoon0x/version-archaeology`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dragoon0x/version-archaeology/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: dragoon0x (https://skillmd.com/u/dragoon0x)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dragoon0x/version-archaeology

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# Version Archaeology

The decisions that survive redesigns are the load-bearing walls.

## How to use

- `/version-archaeology` Apply evolutionary analysis to a product's design history.

## Constraints

### Analysis Method
- MUST compare at least 3 versions of the same product over time
- MUST document for each version: what changed, what stayed, what was tried and reverted
- MUST identify the persistent decisions (things that survived multiple redesigns)
- SHOULD note the ratio of cosmetic changes to structural changes

### What Persistence Means
- Elements that survive 3+ redesigns are core taste decisions
- Elements that change every redesign are cosmetic/trend-following
- Elements that were added and then removed reveal failed experiments
- MUST treat persistent decisions as evidence of what the team considers essential

### Anti-Patterns
- Only looking at the visual surface (layout changes) and missing structural persistence (information architecture)
- Assuming newer versions are always better
- Ignoring reverted changes (these are some of the most informative data points)