Design-First (Progressive Design Facilitation)

The 5 Levels

Level 1: Capabilities (The "What")

Purpose: Confirm scope. Surface the user-facing outcomes the system must deliver. Shared vocabulary check — ensure the human and the AI are talking about the same feature with the same boundaries.

Output format: Numbered list of user-facing capabilities, max 5. Each capability is a plain-language outcome, not an implementation detail.

Boundary: No components, no architecture, no technical detail. If a capability mentions a specific technology, class, or data structure, it belongs at a later level. This level answers only "what does the user get?"

Checkpoint: "Does this Level 1 (Capabilities) look correct? Should I proceed to Level 2 (Components)?"

Level 2: Components (The "Who")

Purpose: Identify the building blocks. What major pieces does the system have, and what is each one responsible for?

Output format: 3-5 components, each with a single responsibility and a one-line description. Include an ASCII or Mermaid diagram showing how they relate. Note integration points with existing infrastructure.