Exhaust the Design Space

When a novel interaction or architectural decision has no established precedent, explore several concrete alternatives before implementation. Building the wrong thing costs more than exploring three options.

The rule. When the right answer is not obvious, build 2-3 competing prototypes or sketches. Compare them side by side. Only then commit. Design it twice is this rule by another name. A second flavor of the first shape does not count.

When it applies:

• Novel UI interactions (no prior art in the codebase)
• Architectural choices with multiple viable approaches
• Product design decisions where user experience depends on feel, not logic

When it doesn’t:

• Mechanical implementation where the pattern is established
• Bug fixes or refactors with a clear target state
• Changes where constraints dictate a single viable approach

pitwall adaptation

• Without a design file or a source UI to match, the 2–3 alternatives are a step-1 throwaway prototype (screenshots in the PR / briefing); the chosen design is still the human’s call (parked or asked in briefing). No new design tokens outside the repo’s token source.