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design-an-interface

Generates multiple radically different interface designs for a module using parallel sub-agents.

3|Updated Nov 8, 2014
Search Tags:#api design#parallel agents#software architecture#interface design#module design#trade-off analysis#design it twice
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mintuz/.dotfiles --skill design-an-interface-mintuz
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: design-an-interface
Source: https://github.com/mintuz/.dotfiles/tree/main/agents/.agents/skills/design-an-interface
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mintuz/.dotfiles --skill design-an-interface-mintuz

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? First interface design ideas are rarely the best, yet teams often commit to them without exploring alternatives. This Skill applies the "Design It Twice" principle from "A Philosophy of Software Design" to force exploration of radically different module interfaces before committing to one. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Parallel Design Generation: Spawns 3+ sub-agents simultaneously, each constrained to produce a radically different interface approach (minimal methods, maximum flexibility, common-case optimization, paradigm-inspired). - Structured Comparison: Evaluates designs on interface simplicity, generality, implementation efficiency, module depth, and ease of correct use versus misuse. - Synthesis Guidance: Helps combine the strongest elements from multiple designs into a final interface. - Use Case: When designing a new API or module, use this Skill to explore whether a minimal 2-method interface, a flexible configuration-driven interface, or a common-case-optimized interface best fits your callers' needs. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to design an interface for your module using the design-it-twice approach with multiple parallel design explorations.

Frequently Asked Questions about design-an-interface

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I design a better API interface for a module?▼

Generate multiple radically different interface designs in parallel rather than committing to your first idea. Assign each design a different constraint, such as minimizing method count or maximizing flexibility, then compare them on simplicity, depth, and ease of correct use.

What is the Design It Twice principle in software design?▼

Design It Twice comes from "A Philosophy of Software Design" and states that your first design idea is unlikely to be the best. It recommends producing multiple radically different designs and comparing their trade-offs before choosing.

How do I compare different interface design options?▼

Compare designs on interface simplicity, general-purpose versus specialized shape, implementation efficiency, and module depth. A deep module with a small interface hiding significant complexity is preferable to a shallow module with a large interface.

When should I not use parallel interface design exploration?▼

Skip it when the interface is trivial, dictated by an existing standard, or when you need implementation rather than interface shape. This approach focuses purely on interface design and does not produce implementation code.

What makes a good module interface according to A Philosophy of Software Design?▼

A good interface is simple with few methods and simple parameters, general enough for future use cases without over-generalization, and deep, meaning a small interface hides significant internal complexity.

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