Design

Diverge on solutions for "$ARGUMENTS". Generate multiple solution concepts, evaluate feasibility, and prioritize the most promising approaches.

Arguments. $ARGUMENTS may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as <project> and treat --skip-checks as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use <project>. If --skip-checks is present, skip the prerequisite check and, before writing any artifact, append one line to .singularskills/log.jsonl: {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"research-design","workflow":"research","phase":3,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"03-design.md","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}.

Prerequisites

Part of a workflow. This skill is phase 3 (Design) of the Double Diamond workflow (research); cross-domain workflows run it too. First check .singularskills/log.jsonl for an open run for this project: a run-started line with "project":"<project>" and no later run-finished line for the same workflow and project. If one exists, the conductor is running you: continue here. Otherwise, if the user asked to start, run, continue or resume a process or workflow rather than this one step, do not continue here: invoke the workflow skill with the workflow the user asked for, or research when they named none, followed by <project>; it runs this phase in order, asks before it writes and records the run. Otherwise continue here: a later phase runs on its own, behind its gate.

Run this skill's gate before writing: sh <this skill's folder>/scripts/gate.sh <project> <project root>, where <project root> is the folder that contains .singularskills/ (use . when you are already there). If it exits non-zero, stop and tell the user what it printed, unless --skip-checks was given (see Arguments). On a refusal, before you stop, append this line to .singularskills/log.jsonl (create the folder and file if missing): {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"research-design","workflow":"research","phase":3,"project":"<project>","event":"refused","artifact":"03-design.md","note":"<what the gate printed>"}. Once the gate has passed, or under --skip-checks once you have appended the skipped line, append this line before you start work: {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"research-design","workflow":"research","phase":3,"project":"<project>","event":"started","artifact":"03-design.md","note":""}.

Read .singularskills/research/<project>/01-discover.md and .singularskills/research/<project>/02-define.md.

If 02-define.md does not exist, tell the user:

Phase 2 (Define) has not been completed for "<project>". Run /research-define <project> first, or use --skip-checks to bypass.

Process

1. Read context files:

   • Read .singularskills/research/<project>/01-discover.md for research findings
   • Read .singularskills/research/<project>/02-define.md for problem statement, HMW questions, and success criteria
   • Read references/double-diamond-guide.md for methodology reference

2. Research existing solutions:

   • Use WebSearch to find case studies, best practices, and proven approaches related to each HMW question
   • Use WebFetch to read detailed implementations or methodologies
   • Note what worked, what failed, and why

3. Generate solution concepts:

   • Create 3-5 distinct solution concepts, each addressing the problem statement from a different angle
   • For each concept: describe the approach, key components, and how it addresses the HMW questions
   • Include at least one unconventional or contrarian approach

4. Evaluate each concept:

   • Feasibility: How realistic is implementation? What resources are needed?
   • Impact: How well does it address the problem statement and success criteria?
   • Effort: What's the relative effort to implement?
   • Risk: What could go wrong? What assumptions are being made?

5. Prioritize and recommend:

   • Rank concepts by impact/feasibility balance
   • Recommend top 1-2 concepts for validation in the Deliver phase
   • Explain trade-offs between the top options

6. Write the artifact to .singularskills/research/<project>/03-design.md with sections:

   • Problem Recap — one-paragraph summary from Define
   • Solution Concepts — each concept with description and rationale
   • Evaluation Matrix — feasibility, impact, effort, risk per concept
   • Recommendations — top concepts with reasoning
   • Validation Plan — what to test in the Deliver phase

Output

The solution concepts written to .singularskills/research/<project>/03-design.md. Present a summary to the user highlighting:

• Number of concepts generated
• Top recommendation and why
• Key trade-offs between top options
• What needs validation in the Deliver phase

Record the run. After you have written the artifact, append this line to .singularskills/log.jsonl (the started line of Prerequisites, with "event":"finished"): {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"research-design","workflow":"research","phase":3,"project":"<project>","event":"finished","artifact":"03-design.md","note":""}.

Open the artifact with this frontmatter (agent is the agent you run in, or unknown; gate is passed when the gate ran clean and skipped under --skip-checks):

---
skill: research-design
workflow: research
phase: 3
project: <project>
started: <ISO timestamp>
finished: <ISO timestamp>
agent: <the agent you run in, or "unknown">
gate: <passed|skipped>
---

End the artifact with ## Decisions and ## Open questions, in this shape:

## Decisions
- <what was chosen> — <why> — <what was rejected>

## Open questions
- <what the next phase or a reviewer must settle>