Design

<gate> No code until user approves the spec. </gate>

Before designing

Goal too vague to name what to build, for whom, or what success looks like? Ask one question per turn until it's concrete. Don't propose solutions until then. Working notes can hold hypotheses, experiments, ruled-out directions (spike code → temporary worktree).

Goal clear? Propose 2-3 approaches with trade-offs; recommend one. Then write the spec.

Spec = list of decisions

A spec answers the open questions for THIS change. Typical:

• contract / interface?
• data shape?
• failure modes?
• out of scope?
• what test proves it?
• architecture?

Do spec idiomatically.

No question -> no section. Don't fill "Risks" / "Non-goals" if empty.

Use declarations, not narrative:

contract:  <interface>
invariant: <what must hold>
test:      <how we'll know>
deferred:  <not deciding now>

Reference code by path; never paste it.

Before handoff, close only decisions that affect implementation: contract, data, failure, test. Unresolved Working notes in those areas become decisions, deferred, or questions.

Two layers, one file: docs/staging/specs/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>.md

• Top: decisions, contracts, invariants (permanent).
• ## Working notes: scratch, open questions, hypotheses, ruled-out directions (stripped at ship).

Roadmap

docs/ROADMAP.md already exists?

• Does this work add new milestones? Append them to docs/ROADMAP.md.
• Otherwise, no roadmap action needed.

docs/ROADMAP.md does not exist?

• This work spans ≥ 3 milestones → create docs/ROADMAP.md:

  - [ ] M1: <one-line goal>
  - [ ] M2: <one-line goal>
  - [ ] M3: <one-line goal>
  

• Otherwise → no roadmap needed. Describe full scope in spec.

Stubs are intent, not commitment; update before expanding.

If roadmap exists or was created, reference the current milestone in staging spec:

milestone: M1 (see docs/ROADMAP.md)

Abandon

If the user decides not to proceed after clarification, stop here. No spec, no plan, no ship. Record reason briefly in working notes. If exploration produced a knowledge artifact (protocol spec, RE findings, data structure map), save it to docs/decisions/ via archive.

Gates

<gate>

1. docs/staging/specs/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>.md must exist on disk before handing off to plan.
2. Confirm with the user.

</gate>