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mdsmithaustinmdsmithaustin/pstack/skills/principle-exhaust-the-design-space/SKILL.md

principle-exhaust-the-design-space

Skill9 starsChanged 37 days agoMITView on GitHub

Apply when facing a novel UI interaction or architectural decision with no precedent in the codebase. Build 2-3 competing prototypes and compare side by side before committing.

48 other projects use a version of this, 41 of them edited.

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2 rules. 2 are common, 0 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

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  1. Common:

    When a novel interaction or architectural decision has no established precedent, explore several concrete alternatives before …

    line 8
  2. Common:

    The rule: When the right answer is not obvious, build 2-3 competing prototypes or sketches.

    line 10

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 29 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.

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SKILL.md

Exhaust the Design Space

When a novel interaction or architectural decision has no established precedent, explore several concrete alternatives before implementation. Building the wrong thing costs more than exploring three options.

The rule. When the right answer is not obvious, build 2-3 competing prototypes or sketches. Compare them side by side. Only then commit. Design it twice is this rule by another name. A second flavor of the first shape does not count.

When it applies:

  • Novel UI interactions (no prior art in the codebase)
  • Architectural choices with multiple viable approaches
  • Product design decisions where user experience depends on feel, not logic

When it doesn't:

  • Mechanical implementation where the pattern is established
  • Bug fixes or refactors with a clear target state
  • Changes where constraints dictate a single viable approach

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