SKILL.md
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- Major design direction decisions
- Departures from established patterns
- Controversial or debated choices
- Decisions that will be questioned later
- Changes from previous approaches
Rationale Quality Checklist
- Connects to user needs (not just designer preference)
- References evidence or principles
- Acknowledges alternatives and trade-offs
- Is specific enough to be useful months later
- Written for the audience who will read it
Best Practices
- Write rationale during the decision, not after
- Keep it concise but complete
- Store rationale alongside the design files
- Reference in handoff documentation
- Use rationale in design reviews to explain choices