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prototype

Skill8 starsChanged 2 months agoMITView on GitHub

Build a throwaway prototype to answer a specific design, state model, or UI exploration question. Use when evaluating whether an interface feels right, exploring UI concepts, or testing logic before committing to a full spec — even if the user says \"mock this up\". Do NOT use for production implementation.

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

5 rules. 0 are common, 4 are distinctive, and 1 is very specific to this project.

  • 0

    Common

    Most of the 177 edited versions we read keep these.

  • 4

    Distinctive

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 1

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  • could be automatic: a setting could enforce it
  1. Distinctive:

    Transparent State Exposure: Every action or transition must visually expose the complete underlying state payload.

    line 17
  2. Distinctive:

    Key Point: Check if the component has complex transition states (choose Logic) or styling/layout decisions (choose UI).

    line 46
  3. Distinctive:

    Action: Create the prototype with zero database persistence and minimal abstractions:

    line 50
  4. Very specific:

    Action: Commit the prototype to a scratch branch (prototype/<name>), link it in the ticket, and keep main clean.

    line 64
  5. Distinctive:

    Key Point: Never merge un-linted prototype hacks directly into main branches.

    line 65

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 177 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Prototype

Build throwaway exploratory code designed to answer a single load-bearing architectural, state machine, or UI question rapidly without production overhead.

Core Invariants

  1. Throwaway By Construction: Prototypes must be explicitly marked throwaway with zero production persistence or abstraction overhead.
  2. Branch Isolation: Separate logic/state-machine prototypes (LOGIC.md) from visual UI variant explorations (UI.md).
  3. Single-Command Launch: UI prototypes run with one command (pnpm dev, bun run ...); logic prototypes are single double-clickable HTML/JS files.
  4. Transparent State Exposure: Every action or transition must visually expose the complete underlying state payload.
  5. Decisions-Only Mainline Merge: Merge only the validated decision/type into main; commit the prototype code to a separate scratch branch.

Architecture & Map of Content (MOC)

[ Load-Bearing Design Question ] ──► [ Select Exploration Branch ] ──► [ Minimal Runnable Prototype ] ──► [ Extract Settled Decision ]
                                                 │
                        ┌────────────────────────┴────────────────────────┐
                        ▼                                                 ▼
             [ Logic / State Prototype ]                         [ UI Variant Explorer ]
             - Single HTML/JS file                               - Multi-variant route
             - Free-play + guided tabs                           - Bottom floating bar
             - Full state visualizer                             - URL parameter toggle
BranchQuestion AnsweredArtifact Format
Logic / State"Does this state machine or business rule feel right?"skills/prototype/LOGIC.md
UI Variations"What should this visual interaction look like?"skills/prototype/UI.md

Step-by-Step Procedure (TWI)

Step 1: Identify the Question & Exploration Branch

  • Action: Determine whether the core uncertainty is logical/stateful or visual/experiential.
  • Key Point: Check if the component has complex transition states (choose Logic) or styling/layout decisions (choose UI).
  • Why: Choosing the wrong format wastes time building UI for logical edge cases or state machines for static layouts.

Step 2: Implement the Minimal Runnable Prototype

  • Action: Create the prototype with zero database persistence and minimal abstractions:
    • Logic: Self-contained HTML with state buttons, transition logs, and guided walkthrough scenarios.
    • UI: Dedicated scratch route with 2–4 radically different variants toggled via query params.
  • Inline Checklist:
    • Marked as throwaway in filenames and comments
    • Launches via single standard command or browser click
    • Displays live internal state on every interaction

Step 3: Interactive Evaluation & Decision Extraction

  • Action: Walk the user through the prototype to evaluate edge cases and record the verdict.
  • Key Point: Extract the validated data shape, state machine reducer, or component layout into the issue tracker or spec.
  • Why: Capturing the distilled finding prevents throwaway prototype code from accidentally morphing into production spaghetti.

Step 4: Archive Prototype & Clean Main

  • Action: Commit the prototype to a scratch branch (prototype/<name>), link it in the ticket, and keep main clean.
  • Key Point: Never merge un-linted prototype hacks directly into main branches.
  • Why: Strict separation keeps the main codebase pristine while retaining historical design context.

Anti-Rationalization Guardrails

Tempting RationalizationBinding RuleEngineering Rationale
"Let's build this prototype directly inside the main production file."Forbidden. Keep prototypes in isolated scratch paths.Inlining prototypes into production code creates accidental dependencies and tech debt.
"Add full unit tests and error handling to the prototype."Skip production hardening in throwaway prototypes.Hardening exploratory code slows learning cycles and creates emotional attachment.
"Merge the entire prototype into main since it works."Extract decisions only; archive prototype branch.Prototypes lack production safety, validation, error boundaries, and documentation.

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