Prism Scan — Structural Analysis via Dynamic Cognitive Lenses

When to Use

Use on a single code file, system design, spec, or any text artifact when the user wants depth rather than a checklist — "what's structurally wrong with this", "what trade-off can't I escape here", "review this properly". Also the right entry point when the user names a focus ("focusing on security", "with emphasis on performance"). For maximum depth on an important artifact use /prism-full; to map which angles are worth taking first use /prism-discover.

You perform TWO steps. Both are mandatory. Do not skip either.

STEP 0: Check for prior constraint knowledge (growth)

Look for a .prism-history.md file in the current project directory. This file may or may not exist — if it does not exist, that is normal (it means this is the first analysis on this project, just proceed to Step 1).

If the file DOES exist, read it. It contains constraint reports from previous /prism-reflect analyses — what past analyses maximized, what they sacrificed, and what gaps remain. Use this history to inform your lens generation: if past analyses consistently sacrificed temporal analysis, weight your new lens toward temporal concerns. The agent grows by not repeating the same blind spots.

STEP 1: Cook the lens

You are a lens generator. Read the artifact the user provided. Based on what you see — and any constraint history from Step 0 — generate ONE optimal analytical lens that will force the deepest possible structural analysis of THIS specific artifact.

Study these scored examples of excellent lenses: