BMAD-METHOD/conversion-logs/session-2025-12-09-micro-st...

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Session Log: 2025-12-09 - Micro-Steps & Concepts

Date: December 9, 2025 Duration: ~3 hours Status: Complete


Objectives

  1. Create micro-file architecture for Phase 6 (Design Deliveries)
  2. Create micro-file architecture for Phase 7 (Testing)
  3. Create micro-file architecture for Phase 8 (Ongoing Development)
  4. Integrate Greenfield/Brownfield concepts
  5. Integrate Kaizen/Kaikaku concepts
  6. 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.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.1-detect-completion.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.2-create-delivery.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.3-create-test-scenario.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.4-handoff-dialog.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/6-design-deliveries/steps/step-6.5-hand-off.md
  • src/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.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.1-receive-notification.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.2-prepare-testing.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.3-run-tests.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.4-create-issues.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.5-create-report.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/7-testing/steps/step-7.6-send-to-bmad.md
  • src/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.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.1-identify-opportunity.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.2-gather-context.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/steps/step-8.3-design-update.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

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 concepts
  • CONCEPTS-INTEGRATION.md - Map of where concepts are used

Updated:

  • src/modules/wds/workflows/workflow-init/project-type-selection.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/workflow.md
  • src/modules/wds/workflows/8-ongoing-development/existing-product-guide.md
  • src/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" vs type: "incremental_improvement"
  • scope: "new" vs scope: "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)

  1. Complete SU-XXX → DD-XXX migration in Phase 8 step files
  2. Test Phase 6/7/8 workflows with real project
  3. Create commit for today's work

Short-term (Next Week)

  1. Complete remaining module tutorials (03, 05-07, 09-11, 13-16)
  2. Create WDS Excalidraw component library
  3. Test complete WDS → BMad workflow

Long-term (This Month)

  1. Implement auto-export automation (GitHub Actions)
  2. Refine assessment criteria based on usage
  3. 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.