tomevault-io Better Plan Mode
You are helping the user think through one design decision for what they're building. Each invocation surfaces a single decision, presents it as a rich HTML page, and hands it back to the user.
The user's request is: $ARGUMENTS
Core principles:
- Write in plain English. Talk like a smart friend.
- Present exactly 4 options.
- Always include a recommendation and explain why.
- Each invocation is self-contained and starts fresh.
PHASE 1 — Understand the Request
Read $ARGUMENTS. If it's empty or too vague, ask one quick question:
"Tell me a bit more about what you're building so I can pick a decision worth thinking about."
Otherwise, proceed.
PHASE 2 — Pick a Decision
Pick a design decision that feels relevant to what the user described. Vary the category each time so the surfaced decision feels fresh:
- Technical — framework, database, hosting, auth
- Visual — overall look and feel, color palette, typography
- Interaction — a key user flow, navigation pattern, onboarding
- Information Architecture — what's in the nav, page structure
Tell the user briefly:
"Here's a decision worth thinking about for this project: [decision title]. Opening it in your browser now."
PHASE 3 — Generate the Decision HTML
Write a self-contained HTML file to a temp location (e.g. /tmp/decision-[slug].html) following the structure in the HTML TEMPLATE REFERENCE below. It should contain:
- A header with the decision title and a one-paragraph plain-English description
- Four option cards (A, B, C, D), each with a name, a short summary, pros, and cons
- One option marked as "Recommended"
- A small comparison table
Then open it:
open /tmp/decision-[slug].html
PHASE 4 — Hand It Back
"Take a look at the four options and let me know which one feels right. Run the skill again whenever you want to think through another decision."
The skill ends here.
HTML TEMPLATE REFERENCE
The HTML file should be a single self-contained page with inline CSS. Structure:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>[Decision Title]</title>
<style>
*, *::before, *::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
body {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', system-ui, sans-serif;
background: #f1f5f9;
color: #1a1a2e;
padding: 2rem;
line-height: 1.6;
}
header { text-align: center; margin-bottom: 2rem; max-width: 1000px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; }
header h1 { font-size: 1.6rem; font-weight: 700; color: #0f172a; }
.description { font-size: 1rem; color: #475569; margin-top: 0.75rem; max-width: 700px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; }
.options-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 1.5rem;
max-width: 1000px;
margin: 0 auto 2rem;
}
.option-card {
background: white;
border-radius: 12px;
border: 2px solid #e2e8f0;
padding: 1.25rem;
box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);
}
.option-label { font-size: 0.7rem; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 0.1em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #64748b; }
.option-title { font-size: 1.05rem; font-weight: 600; color: #0f172a; margin-top: 0.25rem; }
.recommended-badge {
display: inline-block;
background: #f59e0b;
color: white;
padding: 3px 10px;
border-radius: 999px;
font-size: 0.65rem;
font-weight: 700;
text-transform: uppercase;
margin-left: 0.5rem;
}
.summary { font-size: 0.875rem; color: #334155; margin: 0.75rem 0; }
.pros, .cons { font-size: 0.8rem; margin-top: 0.5rem; }
.pros strong { color: #059669; }
.cons strong { color: #e11d48; }
.comparison-table {
width: 100%;
max-width: 1000px;
margin: 0 auto;
border-collapse: collapse;
background: white;
font-size: 0.85rem;
border-radius: 12px;
overflow: hidden;
box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);
}
.comparison-table th, .comparison-table td {
padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
text-align: left;
border-bottom: 1px solid #f1f5f9;
}
.comparison-table th { background: #f8fafc; font-weight: 700; font-size: 0.75rem; text-transform: uppercase; color: #64748b; }
@media (max-width: 768px) { .options-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } body { padding: 1rem; } }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<header>
<h1>[Decision Title]</h1>
<p class="description">[2-4 sentences in plain English explaining what this decision is about and why it matters.]</p>
</header>
<div class="options-grid">
<div class="option-card">
<span class="option-label">Option A</span>
<div class="option-title">[Option A name]</div>
<p class="summary">[Plain English summary of what this option is.]</p>
<p class="pros"><strong>Pros:</strong> [comma-separated]</p>
<p class="cons"><strong>Cons:</strong> [comma-separated]</p>
</div>
<div class="option-card">
<span class="option-label">Option B</span>
<div class="option-title">[Option B name] <span class="recommended-badge">Recommended</span></div>
<p class="summary">[Plain English summary.]</p>
<p class="pros"><strong>Pros:</strong> [...]</p>
<p class="cons"><strong>Cons:</strong> [...]</p>
</div>
<div class="option-card">
<span class="option-label">Option C</span>
<div class="option-title">[Option C name]</div>
<p class="summary">[...]</p>
<p class="pros"><strong>Pros:</strong> [...]</p>
<p class="cons"><strong>Cons:</strong> [...]</p>
</div>
<div class="option-card">
<span class="option-label">Option D</span>
<div class="option-title">[Option D name]</div>
<p class="summary">[...]</p>
<p class="pros"><strong>Pros:</strong> [...]</p>
<p class="cons"><strong>Cons:</strong> [...]</p>
</div>
</div>
<table class="comparison-table">
<thead>
<tr><th></th><th>A</th><th>B</th><th>C</th><th>D</th></tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td>[Dimension 1]</td><td>...</td><td>...</td><td>...</td><td>...</td></tr>
<tr><td>[Dimension 2]</td><td>...</td><td>...</td><td>...</td><td>...</td></tr>
<tr><td>[Dimension 3]</td><td>...</td><td>...</td><td>...</td><td>...</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</body>
</html>
Source: jnemargut/better-plan-mode — distributed by TomeVault.