design-iteration-plan-file.md 3.9 KB

Design Plan File (MANDATORY)

CRITICAL: Before starting any design work, create a persistent design plan file.

Location: .tmp/design-plans/{project-name}-{feature-name}.md

Purpose:

  • Preserve design decisions across stages
  • Allow user to review and edit the plan
  • Maintain context for subagent calls
  • Track design evolution and iterations

When to Create:

  • BEFORE Stage 1 (Layout Design)
  • After understanding user requirements
  • Before any design work begins

Template

---
project: {project-name}
feature: {feature-name}
created: {ISO timestamp}
updated: {ISO timestamp}
status: in_progress
current_stage: layout
---

# Design Plan: {Feature Name}

## User Requirements
{What the user asked for - verbatim or close paraphrase}

## Design Goals
- {goal 1}
- {goal 2}
- {goal 3}

## Target Audience
{Who will use this UI}

## Technical Constraints
- Framework: {Next.js, React, etc.}
- Responsive: {Yes/No}
- Accessibility: {WCAG level}
- Browser support: {Modern, IE11+, etc.}

---

## Stage 1: Layout Design

### Status
- [ ] Layout planned
- [ ] ASCII wireframe created
- [ ] User approved

### Layout Structure
{ASCII wireframe will be added here}

### Component Breakdown
{Component list will be added here}

### User Feedback
{User comments and requested changes}

---

## Stage 2: Theme Design

### Status
- [ ] Design system selected
- [ ] Color palette chosen
- [ ] Typography defined
- [ ] User approved

### Theme Details
{Theme specifications will be added here}

### User Feedback
{User comments and requested changes}

---

## Stage 3: Animation Design

### Status
- [ ] Micro-interactions defined
- [ ] Animation timing set
- [ ] User approved

### Animation Details
{Animation specifications will be added here}

### User Feedback
{User comments and requested changes}

---

## Stage 4: Implementation

### Status
- [ ] HTML structure complete
- [ ] CSS applied
- [ ] Animations implemented
- [ ] User approved

### Output Files
- HTML: {file path}
- CSS: {file path}
- Assets: {file paths}

### User Feedback
{Final comments and requested changes}

---

## Design Evolution

### Iteration 1
- Date: {timestamp}
- Changes: {what changed}
- Reason: {why it changed}

### Iteration 2
- Date: {timestamp}
- Changes: {what changed}
- Reason: {why it changed}

Workflow Integration

  1. Create plan file → Write to .tmp/design-plans/{name}.md
  2. Each stage → Update plan file with decisions and user feedback
  3. User approval → Edit plan file with approved decisions
  4. User requests changes → Edit plan file with feedback, iterate
  5. Subagent calls → Pass plan file path for context preservation
  6. Completion → Plan file contains full design history

Benefits

  • ✅ Context preserved across subagent calls
  • ✅ User can review and edit plan directly
  • ✅ Design decisions documented
  • ✅ Easy to iterate and refine
  • ✅ Full design history tracked

Stage 0: Create Design Plan (MANDATORY FIRST STEP)

Purpose: Create persistent plan file before any design work

Process:

  1. Understand user requirements
  2. Identify design goals and constraints
  3. Create plan file at .tmp/design-plans/{project-name}-{feature-name}.md
  4. Populate with user requirements and goals
  5. Present plan file location to user
  6. Proceed to Stage 1

Deliverable: Design plan file created and initialized

Example:

✅ Design plan created: .tmp/design-plans/saas-landing-page.md

You can review and edit this file at any time. All design decisions will be tracked here.

Ready to proceed to Stage 1 (Layout Design)?

Approval Gate: "Plan file created. Ready to start layout design?"


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