Design Alternatives

Generate structured engineering design alternatives and compare them against the problem constraints. This skill is for exploration and comparison, not final design.

Input Gate

Before searching, name the question, the artifact/scope (or say it is a literature review), the jurisdiction/edition, and the effort budget (user-set or thorough). Ask ONE clarifying question if the ask is too vague, then proceed. See references/input-gate.md.

Workflow

flowchart LR
    Input["Problem + Constraints"] --> Generate["Generate 3+ Alternatives"]
    Generate --> Criteria["Define Criteria"]
    Criteria --> Score["Score Each Alternative"]
    Score --> Matrix["Comparison Matrix"]
    Matrix --> Recommend["Ranked Recommendation"]

Invocation

/design-alternatives <problem statement>

Include constraints: performance targets, budget limits, spatial constraints, code requirements, environmental conditions, timeline.

Methodology

1. Parse constraints — hard (must meet), soft (preferences), evaluation criteria. Ask if unclear.
2. Generate 3-5 alternatives — technically feasible, distinct approaches. Each: Approach, Governing standards, Advantages, Limitations.
3. Comparison matrix — score 1-5 on Performance, Cost, Feasibility, Durability, Risk, Code compliance. Weight by priorities.
4. Recommend — best overall + best for specific priorities + trade-offs. Do NOT recommend a single answer.

Output

Inline Summary (chat response)

• Problem restatement with constraints
• 3-5 alternatives with one-line descriptions
• Comparison matrix (scored)
• Recommendation with trade-offs

Full Analysis (saved to disk)

Save to outputs/design-alternatives/<slug>.md: Problem Statement, Constraints, Alternatives (Approach/Governing standards/Advantages/Limitations each), Comparison Matrix (criteria × alternatives, scored 1-5 with weights), Recommendation (best overall + trade-offs).

Write outputs/design-alternatives/<slug>.provenance.md beside the analysis (sources consulted, accepted, and rejected; verification status). Minimal shape: references/provenance-sidecar.md.

Scope and Boundaries

• This skill compares alternatives — it does NOT produce final designs.
• Output is research and analysis, not construction documents.
• All alternatives must have a basis in engineering practice — no speculative or unproven approaches.
• Evidence quality: see references/evidence-quality-tiers.md.
• Research-only, not for final engineering sign-off.