DEFINE - What are you designing? (class, API, service)
GENERATE - 2-3 RADICALLY different approaches
SKETCH - Rough outline each (important methods only, no implementation)
COMPARE - List pros/cons, especially ease of use for callers
EVALUATE - Is there a clear winner or hybrid?
VERIFY - Does chosen design pass depth evaluation?
IMPLEMENT - Only then write the code


**Time bound:** Smaller modules: 1-2 hours. Larger modules: scale proportionally. This is design time, not implementation time.

**If none attractive:** Use identified problems to drive a new iteration of step 2.

---

## Depth Evaluation

| Metric | Deep (Good) | Shallow (Bad) |
|--------|-------------|---------------|
| Interface size | Few methods | Many methods |
| Method reusability | Multiple use cases | Single use case |
| Hidden information | High | Low |
| Caller cognitive load | Low | High |
| Common case | Simple | Complex |

**Exemplar:** Unix file I/O - 5 methods hide hundreds of thousands of lines of implementation.

---

## Three Questions Framework

Ask these when designing interfaces:

| Question | Purpose | Red Flag Answer |
|----------|---------|-----------------|
| "What is the simplest interface that covers all current needs?" | Minimize method count | "I need many methods" |
| "In how many situations will this method be used?" | Detect over-specialization | "Just this one situation" |
| "Is this easy to use for my current needs?" | Guard against over-generalization | "I need lots of wrapper code" |

---

## Information Hiding Checklist

When embedding functionality in a module:

- [ ] Data structures and algorithms stay internal
- [ ] Lower-level details (page sizes, buffer sizes) hidden
- [ ] Higher-level assumptions (most files are small) hidden
- [ ] No knowledge shared across module boundaries unnecessarily
- [ ] Common case requires no knowledge of internal details

---

## Generality Sweet Spot

**Target:** Somewhat general-purpose

| Aspect | Should Be |
|--------|-----------|
| Functionality | Reflects current needs |
| Interface | Supports multiple uses |
| Specialization | Pushed up to callers OR down into variants |

**Push specialization UP:** Top-level code handles specific features; lower layers stay general.

**Push specialization DOWN:** Define general interface, implement with device-specific variants.

---

## Red Flags

| Red Flag | Symptom | Fix |
|----------|---------|-----|
| **Shallow Module** | Interface complexity rivals implementation | Combine with related functionality |
| **Classitis** | Many small classes with little functionality each | Consolidate related classes |
| **Single-Use Method** | Method designed for exactly one caller | Generalize to handle multiple cases |
| **Information Leakage** | Same knowledge in multiple modules | Consolidate in single module |
| **Temporal Decomposition** | Structure mirrors execution order | Structure by knowledge encapsulation |
| **False Abstraction** | Interface hides info caller actually needs | Expose necessary information |
| **Granularity Mismatch** | Caller must do work that belongs in module | Move logic into module |

---

## Process Integrity Checks

Before finalizing your design choice, verify:

- [ ] I wrote out alternatives BEFORE evaluating them (not just "thought through" them)
- [ ] My comparison has at least one criterion where my preferred option loses
- [ ] If I chose a hybrid, I stated what I'm sacrificing from each parent approach
- [ ] Someone could reasonably disagree with my choice based on the same comparison

**If user expresses impatience:** Acknowledge it, but complete the process. Say: "I hear the urgency - this comparison takes 2 minutes and helps avoid rework."

---

## Emergency Bypass Criteria

Skip the normal workflow ONLY when ALL of these conditions are true:

1. Production is down RIGHT NOW (not "might break soon")
2. Users are actively impacted, security breach in progress, OR data loss occurring
3. The fix is minimal (rollback or single-line change)
4. You commit to returning for proper implementation within 24 hours

---

## Mandatory Output Format

When designing, produce:

Design: [Component Name]

Approaches Considered

[Approach A] - [1-2 sentence description]
[Approach B] - [1-2 sentence description]
[Approach C] - [1-2 sentence description] (if applicable)

Comparison

Criterion	A	B	C
Interface simplicity
Information hiding
Caller ease of use
[Domain-specific criterion]

Choice: [A/B/C/Hybrid]

Rationale: [Why this wins, what's sacrificed]

Depth Check

Interface methods: [count]
Hidden details: [list]
Common case complexity: [simple/moderate/complex]



---

## Chain

| After | Next |
|-------|------|
| Design chosen | cc-pseudocode-programming |

aposd-designing-deep-modules

Skill: aposd-designing-deep-modules

STOP - Before Implementing

Design-It-Twice Workflow