Design Thinking Fundamentals

Design Thinking Fundamentals

For Claude: This skill provides foundational design thinking knowledge to help users understand the Design Partner workflow and methodology.

Core Design Thinking Process

Design Partner follows a structured 5-phase approach:

1. Context Capture

• Goal: Gather essential problem context
• Questions: Who is this for? What job needs to be done? What constraints matter?
• Output: Design Brief with problem, users, constraints, and success criteria

2. Divergent Exploration

• Goal: Generate multiple solution directions
• Approach: Explore different assumptions, perspectives, and approaches
• Output: 5+ idea cards with diverse core assumptions

3. Convergent Selection

• Goal: Choose the most promising direction(s)
• Approach: Evaluate ideas based on feasibility, desirability, and viability
• Output: Selected idea(s) for deeper exploration

4. Visualization & Prototyping

• Goal: Create concrete artifacts to explore the idea
• Approach: Generate UI mockups, concept art, user scenarios
• Output: High-resolution images via DALL-E 3 or Gemini Imagen

5. Critique & Iteration

• Goal: Identify risks and refine the approach
• Approach: Systematic risk analysis and rapid iteration
• Output: Refined concept with addressed concerns

Ideation Techniques

Divergent Thinking (Broadening)

• Reframe the problem from different perspectives
• Challenge core assumptions
• Explore extreme constraints or inversions
• Consider different user types or contexts

Convergent Thinking (Narrowing)

• Evaluate based on impact and feasibility
• Force-rank options
• Identify must-have vs nice-to-have features
• Select direction based on success criteria

Visual Exploration

Natural Language

Simply say "show me what this looks like" and Design Partner will:

1. Extract context from your conversation
2. Build an enhanced prompt from your Design Brief
3. Generate a high-resolution image
4. Link it to your design session

Image Types Available

• UI Mockups: Product screenshots for app interfaces
• Concept Art: Artistic representations of ideas
• User Scenarios: People using the product in context
• Marketing Visuals: Hero images for landing pages

Cost-Conscious Design

• DALL-E 3: $0.04/image (standard), $0.08/image (HD) - Best quality
• Gemini Imagen: $0.02/image - Budget-friendly, good quality
• Daily budget controls prevent overspending
• Provider fallback ensures continuous workflow

When to Use Design Partner

✅ Great For

• Early-stage product ideation
• Exploring multiple directions quickly
• Generating visuals for presentations
• Rapid prototyping and validation
• Team brainstorming sessions
• Design critiques

⚠️ Less Ideal For

• Final production design
• Technical implementation details
• Market research and data analysis
• Detailed project management

Best Practices

1. Start Broad, Then Narrow

Generate multiple ideas before selecting one. Diverge first, converge later.

2. Use Natural Language

No need to memorize commands. Say what you want:

• "Can we see what this looks like?"
• "Show me a few different styles"
• "Make it more minimal"

3. Iterate Rapidly

Generate variations to explore options:

• Different color schemes
• Alternative layouts
• Various styles (minimal, playful, professional)

4. Track Decisions

All choices are automatically logged in .claude/dp.local.md so you can:

• Review your decision trail
• Understand rationale for choices
• Resume sessions later
• Export complete design documentation

5. Stay Within Budget

• Set daily budget in .env file
• Use Gemini for iterations (cheaper)
• Use DALL-E for final visuals (better quality)
• Monitor costs with /dp:cost

Design Partner Philosophy

Collaboration over Automation Design Partner is a thinking partner, not an automated solution generator. It helps you explore, not replace your judgment.

Diverge then Converge Generate many options before selecting one. Breadth before depth.

Visual over Abstract "Show, don't tell" - create concrete visuals to evaluate ideas.

Iteration over Perfection Rapid cycles of generation and feedback beat lengthy planning.

Cost-Conscious Creativity Budget controls enable exploration without anxiety.

Commands Quick Reference

Command	Purpose
/dp:start	Begin new design session
/dp:visualize	Generate images
/dp:providers	Manage API keys and providers
/dp:cost	View spending and usage

Getting Help

If stuck, try these phrases:

• "What should I do next?" - Get process guidance
• "How does this work?" - Explain current phase
• "What are my options?" - Show available actions
• "Can I see examples?" - Show visual examples

Design Partner will guide you through the process with clear questions and options.