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name: design description: Design Session - collaborative brainstorming to turn ideas into designs using Double Diamond methodology OR 6-phase planning pipeline. Use when user types "ds", "pl", "/plan", or wants to explore/design a feature before implementation. MUST load maestro-core skill first for routing.

Design & Planning

Turn ideas into fully-formed designs through collaborative dialogue or structured planning.

Entry Points

Trigger	Action
ds	Start design session (Double Diamond)
/conductor-design	Start design session (alias)
pl, /plan	Start planning pipeline (6-phase)
"design a feature"	Start design session
"let's think through X"	Start design session
"plan feature X"	Start planning pipeline

Quick Reference

Double Diamond (ds)

Phase	Purpose	Exit Criteria
DISCOVER	Explore problem	Problem articulated
DEFINE	Frame problem	Approach selected
DEVELOP	Explore solutions	Interfaces defined
DELIVER	Finalize design	Design verified

Planning Pipeline (pl)

Phase	Tool	Output
1. Discovery	Parallel Task() agents	design.md Section 2
2. Synthesis	Oracle	design.md Section 3 (Gap + Risk Map)
3. Verification	Spikes via Task()	design.md Section 5
4. Decomposition	fb (file-beads)	.beads/*.md
5. Validation	bv + Oracle	Validated dependency graph
6. Track Planning	bv --robot-plan	plan.md Track Assignments

See planning/pipeline.md for full details.

Core Principles

• One question at a time - Don't overwhelm
• Multiple choice preferred - Easier to answer
• YAGNI ruthlessly - Remove unnecessary features
• Explore alternatives - Always propose 2-3 approaches
• Research everything - Verify with parallel agents before finalizing

Session Flow

0. Load Core - Load maestro-core for routing table and fallback policies
1. Initialize - Load handoffs, CODEMAPS, verify conductor setup → session-init.md
2. Research - Spawn research agents BEFORE DISCOVER (mandatory) → research-verification.md
3. Route - Score complexity (< 4 = SPEED, > 6 = FULL) → design-routing-heuristics.md
4. Execute - Double Diamond phases with A/P/C checkpoints → double-diamond.md
5. Validate - Progressive validation at each checkpoint (CP1-4); Oracle audit at CP4 → validation/lifecycle.md
6. Handoff - Suggest next steps: cn (newtrack), ci (implement), fb (file beads)

Research & Validation Triggers

Trigger Point	Research	Validation
Session start	discover-hook (Locator + Pattern + CODEMAPS)	-
CP1 (DISCOVER)	-	WARN (product alignment)
CP2 (DEFINE)	-	WARN (problem clarity)
CP3 (DEVELOP)	grounding-hook (Locator + Analyzer + Pattern)	WARN (tech-stack)
CP4 (DELIVER)	Full + impact scan + Oracle audit	SPEED=WARN, FULL=HALT

Adaptive A/P/C System

A/P/C checkpoints now work adaptively across the entire workflow, not just in FULL DS mode.

State Ladder

INLINE → MICRO_APC → NUDGE → DS_FULL → DS_BRANCH → BRANCH_MERGE

State	Description	Trigger
INLINE	Normal flow (conductor/beads)	Default
MICRO_APC	Lightweight checkpoint at boundaries	End of spec/plan section
NUDGE	Suggest upgrade to DS	3+ design iterations
DS_FULL	Full Double Diamond with A/P/C	ds command or upgrade
DS_BRANCH	DS attached to design branch	Design rethink in track
BRANCH_MERGE	Apply branch changes	Branch complete

Micro A/P/C (Outside DS)

At natural checkpoint boundaries (end of spec section, plan step, etc.):

Design checkpoint:
[A] Advanced – deeper exploration (upgrades to DS)
[P] Party – multi-perspective feedback (upgrades to DS)
[C] Continue inline

Design Mode Nudge

After 3+ iterations on the same design topic without resolution:

We've iterated on this flow several times.
Want to switch into a structured Design Session with A/P/C checkpoints?

[Start Design Session] (recommended)
[Not now]

Branch-aware DS

When in implementation (ci) and design needs major rethink:

This change diverges from the original design.
[A] Explore alternatives in a design branch
[P] Get opinions first
[C] Keep current plan

Branch merge options at completion:

• [M1] Replace current design/plan
• [M2] Create new implementation track
• [M3] Keep as documented alternative

A/P/C in DS (FULL mode)

At end of each phase:

• [A] Advanced - Phase-specific deep dive
• [P] Party - Multi-agent feedback (BMAD v6) → bmad/
• [C] Continue - Proceed to next phase
• [↩ Back] - Return to previous phase

Priority Rules

1. Explicit commands (ds) always win
2. Active DS/Branch blocks passive triggers
3. Branch safety preferred when in implementation
4. Micro A/P/C at checkpoint boundaries
5. Nudge after 3+ iterations

See apc-checkpoints.md and adaptive-apc-system.ts for implementation details.

Mode Comparison

Aspect	SPEED (< 4)	FULL (> 6)
Phases	1 (quick)	4 (all)
A/P/C	No	Yes
Verification	Advisory	Mandatory
Use [E] to escalate	Yes	N/A

Anti-Patterns

• ❌ Jumping to solutions before understanding the problem
• ❌ Skipping verification at DELIVER phase
• ❌ Asking multiple questions at once
• ❌ Over-engineering simple features (use SPEED mode)

Next Steps (after design.md created)

Command	Description
cn	/conductor-newtrack - Create spec + plan from design
ci	/conductor-implement - Execute track
fb	File beads from plan

See maestro-core for full routing table.

Dependencies

Auto-loads: maestro-core for routing and fallback policies.

Related

• conductor - Track creation and implementation
• beads - Issue tracking after design