22 KiB

Raw Blame History

Project Initiation - Micro Steps for Saga WDS Analyst Agent

Agent: Saga WDS Analyst Agent
When: During Phase 1 (Product Brief creation) - AFTER completing the brief document
Purpose: Capture user's intentions for each project phase
Output: .wds-project-outline.yaml file

Project Initiation Overview

Project Initiation consists of:

Alignment & Signoff (optional) - Get stakeholder alignment and secure commitment before starting
- Location: src/modules/wds/workflows/1-project-brief/alignment-signoff/workflow.md
- After alignment acceptance → Project Initiation Complete ✅
- Output: docs/1-project-brief/pitch.md (alignment document) - Contains work plan and approach
Product Brief - Strategic foundation
Project Outline - Plan which phases to include (this workflow)

Overview

After completing the Product Brief, capture the user's intentions for each WDS phase through individual, focused questions. Each phase gets its own micro-step conversation.

Important: If a pitch was created, reference it during this conversation. The pitch contains:

Work plan (which phases will be used)
Practical workflow approach
Level of detail needed
Handoff approach

Use the pitch to inform:

Which phases are needed (from Work Plan section)
What deliveries are required (from Work Plan and Investment sections)
Timeline and approach (from Work Plan section)

Note: If a pitch was created and approved, project initiation is already complete. This outline conversation happens after the Product Brief to plan the detailed phases, but should reference the pitch for context.

Important:

WDS v6 methodology is default (numbered folders: 1-8)
WPS2C v4 is auto-detected only for existing projects
Trust yourself to have natural conversations
Complete ALL micro-steps sequentially

MICRO-STEP 0: Explain What's Next

Goal: Let user know you'll ask about their intentions for different project phases.

Before starting: Check if pitch document exists at docs/1-project-brief/pitch.md

If pitch exists:

Read the Work Plan section from the pitch
Use it to inform your questions
Reference it: "I see in your pitch that you mentioned [work plan details]. Let's use that as a starting point..."

If no pitch exists:

Proceed with standard questions

Outcome to capture: User understands and is ready to continue.

What NOT to do:

Don't ask about methodology (v6 is default)
Don't show long lists of options
Keep it brief and warm
Don't ignore the pitch if it exists - use it as context

MICRO-STEP 1: Phase 2 - Trigger Mapping

Goal: Determine if user needs Trigger Mapping phase.

Before asking: Check pitch document for Work Plan section - does it mention Trigger Mapping or user research?

Context for agent:

Critical for customer-facing products
Can be skipped for: internal tools, technical products, known users
Focus: Define value chains that connect business goals to user needs

What Trigger Mapping defines:

One main value chain (required):
- One business goal
- One main user group
- A primary user goal
- User fear the solution will add value to
Secondary value chains (optional):
- Additional business goals, user groups, user goals, and fears

Questions to understand:

Is this customer-facing or internal?
Do you already know your target users?
Do you need help defining value chains (business goals → user groups → user goals → user fears)?
Can you identify the main value chain, or do you need help exploring it?

If pitch mentions work plan:

Reference it: "In your pitch, you mentioned [work plan detail about user research/trigger mapping]. Does that still align with your thinking?"
Use pitch context to inform questions

Outcome to capture:

phase_2_trigger_mapping:
  active: true/false
  intent: "[User's exact words about this phase]"
  skip_reason: '[If skipping, capture why]'
  value_chains_approach: 'Main value chain + optional secondary chains'

Examples of user answers:

"This is an internal tool, we know our users" → active: false
"Yes, I need help understanding my customers and defining value chains" → active: true
"I have personas already, just need to document the value chains" → active: true
"I know the main value chain but want to explore secondary ones" → active: true

MICRO-STEP 2: Phase 3 - PRD Platform (Technical Foundation)

Goal: Understand user's technical foundation needs.

Context for agent:

Defines architecture, data model, infrastructure
Idunn WDS PM Agent handles this phase
Can be minimal or comprehensive

Questions to understand:

Do you have a tech stack already?
Need help defining architecture?
Already defined elsewhere?

Outcome to capture:

phase_3_prd_platform:
  active: true/false
  intent: "[User's exact words about their tech approach]"

Examples of user answers:

"Using Next.js and Supabase, just need to document" → active: true, intent captured
"Not technical, just need design specs" → active: false
"Need help choosing tech stack" → active: true, intent captured

MICRO-STEP 3: Phase 4 - UX Design (Scenarios)

Goal: Understand scope of design work needed.

Context for agent:

This is Freya WDS Designer Agent's domain
Core phase - defines what gets built
User scenarios = user flows/journeys

Questions to understand:

How many user flows/scenarios do you envision?
Just landing pages or full application?
What level of detail needed?

Outcome to capture:

phase_4_ux_design:
  active: true # Almost always true
  intent: "[User's exact words about design scope]"
  scenarios_planned: [number if mentioned]

Examples of user answers:

"Just 2-3 landing pages to hand off to developers" → scenarios_planned: 3
"Full app with 5-6 major user flows" → scenarios_planned: 6
"MVP with core onboarding and main feature" → scenarios_planned: 2

MICRO-STEP 4: Phase 5 - Design System

Goal: Determine if design system work is needed.

Context for agent:

Often skipped for simple projects
Often skipped when using component libraries
Needed for multi-product consistency

Questions to understand:

Using a component library? (shadcn/ui, MUI, Radix, etc.)
Building custom components?
Need multi-product design system?

Outcome to capture:

If using library:

phase_5_design_system:
  active: false
  skip_reason: 'Using [library name]'
  intent: '[User mentioned which library]'

If building custom:

phase_5_design_system:
  active: true
  intent: "[User's plans for custom components]"

Examples of user answers:

"Using Tailwind and shadcn/ui" → active: false, skip_reason captured
"Need to create our own component library" → active: true
"Skip for now, MVP first" → active: false, skip_reason: "MVP focus"

MICRO-STEP 5: Phase 6 - Design Deliveries

Goal: Understand handoff/documentation needs.

Before asking: Check pitch document for:

Work Plan section (handoff approach)
Investment Required section (what resources are needed)
Recommended Solution (what's being delivered)

Context for agent:

Idunn WDS PM Agent handles this
Packages design for handoff
Creates PRD, epics, stories
Pitch defines what deliveries are needed - use it as foundation

Questions to understand:

Handing off to developers?
Implementing yourself?
Need organized backlog?
What deliverables are needed? (Reference pitch Work Plan if available)

If pitch exists:

Reference the Work Plan: "Your pitch mentioned [handoff approach]. Let's confirm what deliverables you'll need..."
Use pitch to understand delivery requirements

Outcome to capture:

phase_6_design_deliveries:
  active: true/false
  intent: "[User's handoff situation]"

Examples of user answers:

"Yes, handing off to dev team" → active: true
"I'm building it myself from specs" → active: false
"Need backlog for planning" → active: true

MICRO-STEP 6: Phase 7 - Testing

Goal: Determine testing/validation approach.

Context for agent:

Freya WDS Designer Agent helps validate implementation
Compares built vs designed
Can be handled separately

Questions to understand:

Want design validation after implementation?
Handling testing separately?
QA team handling it?

Outcome to capture:

phase_7_testing:
  active: true/false
  intent: "[User's testing approach]"

Examples of user answers:

"Dev team will test" → active: false
"Yes, want to validate against specs" → active: true
"Will test during development" → active: false

MICRO-STEP 7: Phase 8 - Ongoing Development

Goal: Determine if this is new or existing product.

Context for agent:

Only for existing products needing improvements
Skip for all new projects

Questions to understand:

Is this a new product or existing product?

Outcome to capture:

For new products (most common):

phase_8_ongoing_development:
  active: false
  skip_reason: 'New product - not yet launched'

For existing products:

phase_8_ongoing_development:
  active: true
  intent: '[What improvements needed]'

MICRO-STEP 8: Summarize Active Phases

Goal: Show user which phases are active based on their answers.

What to show:

List active phases with their intentions
List skipped phases with reasons
Ask: "Does this look correct?"

Outcome: User confirms or requests changes.

If user wants changes: Go back and adjust specific phases.

MICRO-STEP 9: Create Project Outline File

Goal: Write .wds-project-outline.yaml to docs/ folder.

File location: docs/.wds-project-outline.yaml

Use template: src/modules/wds/workflows/workflow-init/project-outline.template.yaml

Populate with:

methodology.type: "wds-v6" (always v6 for new projects)
User intentions for each phase (from micro-steps 1-7)
Active/inactive flags
Skip reasons
Current date and timestamps
Initial status: phase_1 = "in_progress", others = "not_started"
Reference to pitch: If pitch exists, add reference: pitch_document: "docs/1-project-brief/pitch.md"

If pitch document exists:

Reference it in the outline: "This outline is informed by the project pitch"
The pitch's Work Plan section should align with the phases marked active
Use pitch to validate phase selections and delivery requirements

After creating file:

Confirm to user: "Project outline created"
Explain: "Other agents will read this to understand your goals"
If pitch exists: "This outline aligns with the work plan from your pitch"

MICRO-STEP 10: Update Phase 1 Status

Goal: Mark Product Brief phase as complete in the outline.

Update in outline:

phase_1_product_brief:
  status: 'complete'
  completed_date: "[today's date]"
  completed_by: 'Saga WDS Analyst Agent'
  artifacts:
    - 'docs/1-project-brief/00-product-brief.md'

Add to update history:

update_history:
  - date: '[today]'
    agent: 'saga-analyst'
    action: 'completed'
    phase: 'phase_1_project_brief'
    changes: 'Completed Product Brief and created project outline'

Critical Requirements

YOU MUST: ✅ Complete ALL 10 micro-steps in order
✅ Capture user's exact words in intent fields
✅ Ask one focused question per micro-step
✅ Wait for user's answer before proceeding
✅ Create the .wds-project-outline.yaml file
✅ Update the file after creating it

YOU MUST NOT: ❌ Skip any micro-steps
❌ Ask about multiple phases at once
❌ Assume user's intentions
❌ Ask about methodology (v6 is default)
❌ Make the conversation feel like a form/survey

Example Flow: Landing Page Project

Micro-step 1 result:

phase_2_trigger_mapping:
  active: false
  skip_reason: 'Internal marketing pages, target audience already known'

Micro-step 3 result:

phase_4_ux_design:
  active: true
  intent: 'Create 2-3 landing pages with full specifications for developer handoff'
  scenarios_planned: 3

Micro-step 4 result:

phase_5_design_system:
  active: false
  skip_reason: 'Using Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui component library'

Micro-step 5 result:

phase_6_design_deliveries:
  active: true
  intent: 'Package landing page specifications as handoff for development team'

Result: Clean, focused project with only needed phases active.

Agent Behavior Notes

Remember:

You're having a conversation, not filling out a form
Listen to user's actual needs
User's words matter - capture them exactly
It's OK if user wants to skip phases
It's OK if user has unusual combinations
Trust your judgment on follow-up questions

Total time: 5-10 minutes
Value created: Guides entire project + saves hours of agent confusion

Created: 2024-12-10
Agent: Saga WDS Analyst Agent
Part of: WDS v6 Project Initiation

Step 3: Walk Through Each Phase

Phase 1: Product Brief (Current Phase)

Saga says:

✅ Phase 1: Product Brief - We're here right now!

This phase defines your project vision, goals, and constraints.
Status: In Progress

Capture:

phase_1_project_brief:
  active: true
  status: 'in_progress'
  intent: |
    [From Product Brief conversation]

Phase 2: Trigger Mapping

Saga asks:

Phase 2: Trigger Mapping

This phase helps us identify:
- Target user groups
- User personas
- Business goals
- User triggers and pain points

This is critical for customer-facing products but can be skipped for:
- Internal tools
- Technical products with no end users
- Projects where you already know your users well

What are your intentions for Trigger Mapping?

Options:
1. Include it - I need help understanding my users
2. Include it - I want to document user personas
3. Skip it - This is an internal tool
4. Skip it - I already know my users
5. Something else (tell me)

Based on answer, capture:

If including:

phase_2_trigger_mapping:
  active: true
  intent: |
    [User's exact answer about their intentions]

If skipping:

phase_2_trigger_mapping:
  active: false
  skip_reason: 'Internal tool - no external users'
  intent: |
    [User's reason for skipping]

Phase 3: PRD Platform (Technical Foundation)

Saga asks:

Phase 3: PRD Platform (Technical Foundation)

This phase defines:
- Technical architecture
- Data model
- Platform requirements
- Infrastructure needs
- Integration specifications

Idunn (WDS PM Agent) handles this phase.

What are your intentions for the technical foundation?

Options:
1. Need help defining everything from scratch
2. I have a tech stack in mind, need to document it
3. Already defined elsewhere (can skip or link to it)
4. Something else (tell me)

Capture:

phase_3_prd_platform:
  active: true # or false
  intent: |
    [User's answer about tech approach]

Phase 4: UX Design (Scenarios)

Saga asks:

Phase 4: UX Design (Scenarios)

This is where Freya (WDS Designer Agent) creates:
- User scenario specifications
- Page designs with object IDs
- Interactive prototypes
- User flow diagrams

This is the core design work that defines what gets built.

What are your intentions for UX Design?

Questions:
1. How many scenarios or user flows do you envision?
   - MVP-focused (2-3 core scenarios)?
   - Comprehensive (5+ scenarios)?
   - Just landing pages?

2. What level of detail do you need?
   - Full specifications with object IDs for developers
   - Quick prototypes to test concepts
   - Something in between

Tell me about your vision here.

Capture:

phase_4_ux_design:
  active: true
  intent: |
    [User's exact answer - e.g., "Just 2-3 landing pages 
    with full specs to hand off to developers"]    
  scenarios_planned: [number from conversation]

Phase 5: Design System

Saga asks:

Phase 5: Design System

This phase extracts and documents reusable components.
Freya (WDS Designer Agent) handles this.

What are your intentions for a Design System?

Options:
1. Using an existing component library (shadcn/ui, MUI, Radix, etc.)
   → We can skip this phase

2. Building custom components
   → Include this phase

3. Creating a multi-product design system
   → Include this phase

4. Skipping for MVP/simple project
   → We can skip this phase

What's your approach?

Based on answer:

If using library:

phase_5_design_system:
  active: false
  skip_reason: 'Using shadcn/ui component library'
  intent: |
    [User mentioned which library]

If building custom:

phase_5_design_system:
  active: true
  intent: |
    [User's plans for custom design system]

Phase 6: Design Deliveries

Saga asks:

Phase 6: Design Deliveries

This phase packages your design work for handoff.
Idunn (WDS PM Agent) creates:
- Complete PRD
- Implementation roadmap
- Epic and story breakdowns
- Handoff package

What are your intentions for design deliveries?

Options:
1. Handing off to a development team
   → Include this phase for proper handoff package

2. Implementing directly from specifications
   → Can skip if you're building it yourself

3. Need organized backlog for planning
   → Include this phase

What's your situation?

Capture:

phase_6_design_deliveries:
  active: true # or false
  intent: |
    [User's answer about handoff needs]

Phase 7: Testing

Saga asks:

Phase 7: Testing

This phase validates implementation against design specs.
Freya (WDS Designer Agent) helps compare what's built vs. what was designed.

What are your intentions for testing?

Options:
1. Want design validation after implementation
2. Handling testing separately
3. Will test during development
4. Skip for now, maybe later

What's your preference?

Capture:

phase_7_testing:
  active: true # or false
  intent: |
    [User's testing approach]

Phase 8: Ongoing Development

Saga asks:

Phase 8: Ongoing Development

This phase is for existing products needing improvements.

Is this:
1. A new product (not started yet)
   → Skip this phase

2. An existing product needing enhancements
   → Include this phase

Which applies to your project?

Capture:

phase_8_ongoing_development:
  active: false # Usually false for new projects
  skip_reason: 'New product - not yet in maintenance phase'
  intent: |
    [User's answer]

Step 4: Summarize & Confirm

Saga says:

Perfect! Let me summarize your project plan:

📋 Project: [Project Name]
🔧 Methodology: WDS v6 (numbered phases)

Active Phases:
✅ Phase 1: Product Brief (In Progress)
   Intent: [brief summary]

✅ Phase 4: UX Design (Scenarios)
   Intent: "Create 2-3 landing pages with full specs"
   Estimated scenarios: 3

✅ Phase 6: Design Deliveries
   Intent: "Package for handoff to development team"

Skipped Phases:
⏭️ Phase 2: Trigger Mapping
   Reason: "Internal tool - users already known"

⏭️ Phase 5: Design System
   Reason: "Using shadcn/ui component library"

⏭️ Phase 7: Testing
   Reason: "Development team will handle testing"

⏭️ Phase 8: Ongoing Development
   Reason: "New product"

Does this look correct? Any changes?

Step 5: Create Project Outline File

After user confirms, Saga creates: docs/.wds-project-outline.yaml

Populated with:

Methodology type
User intentions for each phase
Active/inactive flags
Skip reasons
Initial status tracking

Saga says:

✅ Project outline created!

This file will help all WDS agents understand your project instantly.
When you activate Freya (Designer) or Idunn (PM), they'll read this
and know exactly what you're trying to accomplish.

Let's continue with your Product Brief...

Example: Landing Page Project

User Journey:

Methodology: "WDS v6"
Trigger Mapping: "Skip - internal tool"
Platform: "Already defined, just need to document"
UX Design: "Just 2-3 landing pages to hand off"
Design System: "Using Tailwind + shadcn/ui"
Deliveries: "Yes, need handoff package for devs"
Testing: "Skip - devs will test"
Ongoing: "Skip - new project"

Result Outline:

methodology:
  type: 'wds-v6'

phases:
  phase_1_project_brief:
    active: true
    status: 'in_progress'

  phase_2_trigger_mapping:
    active: false
    skip_reason: 'Internal tool - no external users'

  phase_3_prd_platform:
    active: true
    intent: 'Document existing tech stack (Next.js, Tailwind)'

  phase_4_ux_design:
    active: true
    intent: 'Create 2-3 landing pages with full specs for developer handoff'
    scenarios_planned: 3

  phase_5_design_system:
    active: false
    skip_reason: 'Using Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui component library'

  phase_6_design_deliveries:
    active: true
    intent: 'Package landing page specs as handoff for development team'

  phase_7_testing:
    active: false
    skip_reason: 'Development team will handle QA testing'

  phase_8_ongoing_development:
    active: false
    skip_reason: 'New project - not yet launched'

Benefits of This Workflow

✅ User-driven: Every decision is user's choice
✅ Clear context: Agents know WHY phases are skipped
✅ Flexible: Works for any project type
✅ Fast future activation: Agents read outline in <5s
✅ Project memory: Decisions preserved forever
✅ Better recommendations: Agents suggest relevant next steps

When to Run This Workflow

Always run during:

Phase 1: Product Brief creation
After completing the brief document
Before moving to Phase 2

Takes:

5-10 minutes
One conversation with user
Creates lasting value for entire project

Created: 2024-12-10
Agent: Saga WDS Analyst Agent
Part of: WDS v6 Project Initiation

22 KiB Raw Blame History

Project Initiation - Micro Steps for Saga WDS Analyst Agent

Project Initiation Overview

Overview

MICRO-STEP 0: Explain What's Next

MICRO-STEP 1: Phase 2 - Trigger Mapping

MICRO-STEP 2: Phase 3 - PRD Platform (Technical Foundation)

MICRO-STEP 3: Phase 4 - UX Design (Scenarios)

MICRO-STEP 4: Phase 5 - Design System

MICRO-STEP 5: Phase 6 - Design Deliveries

MICRO-STEP 6: Phase 7 - Testing

MICRO-STEP 7: Phase 8 - Ongoing Development

MICRO-STEP 8: Summarize Active Phases

MICRO-STEP 9: Create Project Outline File

MICRO-STEP 10: Update Phase 1 Status

Critical Requirements

Example Flow: Landing Page Project

Agent Behavior Notes

Step 3: Walk Through Each Phase

Phase 1: Product Brief (Current Phase)

Phase 2: Trigger Mapping

Phase 3: PRD Platform (Technical Foundation)

Phase 4: UX Design (Scenarios)

Phase 5: Design System

Phase 6: Design Deliveries

Phase 7: Testing

Phase 8: Ongoing Development

Step 4: Summarize & Confirm

Step 5: Create Project Outline File

Example: Landing Page Project

Benefits of This Workflow

When to Run This Workflow

22 KiB

Raw Blame History