created: 2026-01-19
last_tended: 2026-01-21
status: [evergreen, tending]
aliases:
tags: [frameworks, philosophy, knowledge-work, citizen-development, AI]
up: ["[[The Shed]]"]
related: ["[[Socratic Prototyping]]"]
---
> [!tldr] What this is:
A 7-phase methodology for reflective, question-first tool and workflow design.
## The 7 Phases
---
### 1. Frame the Desire
- What is this meant to *do*, *solve*, or *change*?
### 2. Define Constraints
- Tools allowed? Platform limitations? Dependency restrictions?
### 3. Map the Environment
- Where does this run? How does it interact with other systems?
### 4. Sketch Ideal Behaviours
- What *should* the experience feel like? What actions must be available?
### 5. Pre-Mortem Engineering
- What are likely failure points? What edge cases to design against?
### 6. Prototype Gently
- Start with the lowest-friction version (Shortcut > Scriptable > App)
### 7. Reflect & Refine
- What worked? What surprised? What reusable patterns emerged?
## Protection Against
- Overbuilding without clarity
- Wasting time on brittle solutions
- Abandoning tools due to frustration
- Performative productivity
## Integration Practices
---
- Log explorations with a relevant `tag`.
- Use `/` commands or `< >` signals for documentation.
- Store implementation notes in project folders - test and reflect.
## Related
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- [[Socratic Prototyping]]
- [[Hesitation as Data]]
- [[The Hesitation-to-Learning Loop Framework]]
- [[Capability Development]]