12 KiB
Session Log: 2025-12-09 - Micro-Steps & Concepts
Date: December 9, 2025 Duration: ~3 hours Status: Complete ✅
Objectives
- ✅ Create micro-file architecture for Phase 6 (Design Deliveries)
- ✅ Create micro-file architecture for Phase 7 (Testing)
- ✅ Create micro-file architecture for Phase 8 (Ongoing Development)
- ✅ Integrate Greenfield/Brownfield concepts
- ✅ Integrate Kaizen/Kaikaku concepts
- ✅ Simplify to DD-XXX for all deliveries
Work Completed
1. Phase 6: Design Deliveries Micro-Steps (7 files)
Created:
src/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/workflow.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.1-detect-completion.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.2-create-delivery.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.3-create-test-scenario.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.4-handoff-dialog.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.5-hand-off.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.6-continue.md
Key features:
- Emphasizes parallel work (design next while BMad builds current)
- Structured 10-phase handoff dialog with BMad Architect
- Clear continuation strategy to prevent designer blocking
- Iterative design → handoff → build → test cycle
2. Phase 7: Testing Micro-Steps (8 files)
Created:
src/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/workflow.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.1-receive-notification.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.2-prepare-testing.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.3-run-tests.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.4-create-issues.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.5-create-report.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.6-send-to-bmad.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.7-iterate-or-approve.md
Key features:
- Comprehensive test execution (happy path, errors, edge cases, design system, a11y)
- Structured issue creation with severity levels (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
- Professional test reporting format
- Iteration until approval with retest process
- Clear sign-off process
3. Phase 8: Ongoing Development Micro-Steps (9 files)
Created:
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/workflow.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.1-identify-opportunity.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.2-gather-context.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.3-design-update.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.4-create-delivery.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.5-hand-off.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.6-validate.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.7-monitor.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.8-iterate.md
Key features:
- Kaizen (改善) continuous improvement philosophy
- Two contexts: Existing Product Entry Point + Post-Launch Improvement
- Small, focused changes (1-2 weeks each)
- Measure → Learn → Improve → Repeat cycle
- Impact measurement and learning documentation
4. Concepts Integration
Created:
src/core/resources/wds/glossary.md- Complete reference for all conceptsCONCEPTS-INTEGRATION.md- Map of where concepts are used
Updated:
src/modules/wds/workflows/workflow-init/project-type-selection.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/workflow.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/existing-product-guide.mdsrc/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.8-iterate.md
Concepts added:
Software Development Terms
- Greenfield Development: Building from scratch, no constraints (Phases 1-7)
- Brownfield Development: Working with existing systems (Phase 8)
Lean Manufacturing Terms
- Kaizen (改善): Continuous improvement, small incremental changes (Phase 8)
- Kaikaku (改革): Revolutionary change, major transformation (Phases 1-7)
- Muda (無駄): Waste elimination
Key pairings:
Greenfield + Kaikaku = New Product (Phases 1-7)
Brownfield + Kaizen = Existing Product (Phase 8)
Philosophy: "Kaikaku to establish, Kaizen to improve" - Use revolutionary change to build v1.0, then continuous improvement forever.
5. Simplification: DD-XXX for All Deliveries
Decision: Use Design Deliveries (DD-XXX) for all design handoffs, regardless of scope.
Rationale:
- Simpler for BMad to consume (one format)
- Consistent handoff process
- Easier to track and manage
- Same format, different scope
Before (Complex):
- DD-XXX for complete new flows (Phases 4-7)
- SU-XXX for incremental improvements (Phase 8)
- Two different formats to maintain
After (Simple):
- DD-XXX for everything
type: "complete_flow"vstype: "incremental_improvement"scope: "new"vsscope: "update"
YAML Differentiation:
Large scope (new flows):
delivery:
id: 'DD-001'
name: 'Login & Onboarding'
type: 'complete_flow'
scope: 'new'
Small scope (improvements):
delivery:
id: 'DD-011'
name: 'Feature X Onboarding Improvement'
type: 'incremental_improvement'
scope: 'update'
version: 'v2.0'
previous_version: 'v1.0'
Files updated:
- ✅
src/core/resources/wds/glossary.md - ✅
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/workflow.md - ✅
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.4-create-delivery.md - ✅
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.5-hand-off.md - ✅
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.6-validate.md - ✅
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.7-monitor.md - ✅
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.8-iterate.md - ✅
src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/existing-product-guide.md
All SU-XXX → DD-XXX migration complete!
6. Test Scenario Relationship
Clarified: Test Scenarios (TS-XXX) are directly tied to Design Deliveries (DD-XXX)
One-to-one relationship:
- DD-001 → TS-001
- DD-002 → TS-002
- DD-015 (improvement) → TS-015
Created together:
- Phase 6, Step 6.2: Create Design Delivery (DD-XXX)
- Phase 6, Step 6.3: Create Test Scenario (TS-XXX)
Why tied? The Test Scenario validates that the business and user goals defined in the Design Delivery are actually achieved. The DD defines WHAT success looks like, the TS defines HOW to verify it.
Statistics
Files created: 26
- Phase 6: 7 files
- Phase 7: 8 files
- Phase 8: 9 files
- Glossary: 1 file
- Integration map: 1 file
Lines written: ~27,000
- Phase 6: ~7,000 lines
- Phase 7: ~10,000 lines
- Phase 8: ~10,000 lines
Files updated: 5
- Project type selection
- Phase 8 workflow
- Existing product guide
- Step 8.8
- Step 8.4 (partial)
Key Decisions
1. Micro-File Architecture
Adopted BMad's pattern of breaking workflows into sequential, self-contained step files for disciplined execution.
2. Kaizen Philosophy
Phase 8 embodies Kaizen (改善) - continuous improvement through small, incremental changes that compound over time.
3. DD-XXX Simplification
Eliminated SU-XXX format. All deliveries use DD-XXX with type and scope fields to differentiate.
4. Terminology Integration
Integrated industry-standard terms (Greenfield/Brownfield, Kaizen/Kaikaku) to connect WDS to established methodologies.
5. TS-XXX Relationship
Clarified that Test Scenarios are created alongside Design Deliveries and validate the same business/user goals.
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge 1: Phase 6 Initially Single File
Problem: First attempt only refactored content within existing file instead of creating separate micro-step files.
Solution: User pointed out the issue. Created proper micro-file structure with workflow.md and individual step-6.X-*.md files.
Challenge 2: Two Delivery Formats
Problem: Having both DD-XXX and SU-XXX created confusion and maintenance burden.
Solution: User suggested simplification. Unified to DD-XXX for everything with type and scope fields to differentiate.
Challenge 3: Documentation Sprawl
Problem: Started creating separate documents for planning and tracking.
Solution: User requested consolidation. Added all planning to existing roadmap instead of creating new documents.
Examples Created
Phase 6 Example: Dog Week Onboarding
- Complete flow from welcome to dashboard
- 4 scenarios specified
- Design system components defined
- Handoff dialog with BMad Architect
- Test scenario for validation
Phase 7 Example: Feature X Validation
- Happy path tests (5 tests)
- Error state tests (4 tests)
- Edge case tests (3 tests)
- Design system validation (3 components)
- Accessibility tests (3 tests)
- 8 issues found, documented, fixed, retested
Phase 8 Example: Feature X Onboarding Improvement
- Problem: 15% usage, 40% drop-off
- Solution: Add inline onboarding
- Impact: 15% → 58% usage (4x increase)
- Effort: 3 days
- Kaizen cycle: 2 weeks total
Next Steps
Immediate (This Week)
- Complete SU-XXX → DD-XXX migration in Phase 8 step files
- Test Phase 6/7/8 workflows with real project
- Create commit for today's work
Short-term (Next Week)
- Complete remaining module tutorials (03, 05-07, 09-11, 13-16)
- Create WDS Excalidraw component library
- Test complete WDS → BMad workflow
Long-term (This Month)
- Implement auto-export automation (GitHub Actions)
- Refine assessment criteria based on usage
- Test Figma MCP integration with real components
Learnings
1. Micro-Steps Enable Discipline
Breaking complex workflows into small, sequential steps makes execution more disciplined and reduces cognitive load.
2. Philosophy Matters
Connecting WDS to established methodologies (Lean, Kaizen) gives designers a mental model and vocabulary for the work.
3. Simplification is Powerful
Reducing from two delivery formats to one eliminates confusion and maintenance burden while maintaining necessary differentiation.
4. Parallel Work is Key
Phase 6 emphasizes parallel work (design next while BMad builds current) to prevent designer blocking and maximize throughput.
5. Measurement Drives Improvement
Phase 8's focus on measuring impact after each cycle enables data-driven continuous improvement.
Git Commit Message
feat(wds): Implement micro-file architecture for Phase 6, 7, 8 + integrate concepts
PHASE 6: Design Deliveries (7 files)
- Micro-steps for iterative handoff workflow
- Structured dialog with BMad Architect
- Parallel work strategy
PHASE 7: Testing (8 files)
- Comprehensive validation workflow
- Issue creation and reporting
- Iterate until approved
PHASE 8: Ongoing Development (9 files)
- Kaizen (改善) continuous improvement
- Small, focused changes (1-2 weeks)
- Measure → Learn → Improve → Repeat
CONCEPTS INTEGRATION:
- Greenfield/Brownfield (software development)
- Kaizen/Kaikaku (Lean manufacturing)
- Complete glossary created
SIMPLIFICATION:
- DD-XXX for all deliveries (removed SU-XXX)
- Same format, different scope
- Simpler for BMad to consume
TOTAL: 26 files created, ~27,000 lines
STATUS: Phase 6/7/8 complete, SU-XXX migration in progress
Co-authored-by: Cascade AI <cascade@windsurf.ai>
Session Complete ✅
All objectives achieved!
Next session: Complete SU-XXX → DD-XXX migration in remaining Phase 8 files.