design-it-twice
Design It Twice
When invoked with $ARGUMENTS, treat the argument as the design problem to explore. Do not assume a solution. Start from the problem statement and generate at least two fundamentally different approaches independently. If a design already exists in the conversation or codebase, dispatch the clean-room-alternative agent (see Isolation Mode below) rather than trying to produce a second attempt yourself — a design already sitting in your context contaminates anything you write next, no matter how deliberately you try to ignore it. Then compare all approaches on concrete criteria.
This skill has two modes. Before a design exists, use it to generate and compare alternatives directly. After a design exists, dispatch the isolated agent described below to produce an independent second attempt that isn't anchored to the first. Either way, the first idea is unlikely to produce the best design, not because the designer isn't smart, but because the problems are genuinely hard.
When to Apply
- Before committing to a class, module, or API design
- When choosing between architectural approaches
- When an interface feels awkward but "good enough"
- When writing a design document or RFC
- When you catch yourself thinking "this is obviously the right way"