{"id":"f407bb5b-eab5-4486-b1db-6a4a4a11056b","shortId":"zpbA5r","kind":"skill","title":"develop-design-rationale","tagline":"Documents the reasoning behind design decisions including alternatives considered, trade-offs evaluated, and principles applied. Use when making significant UX decisions, aligning with stakeholders on design direction, or preserving design context for future reference.","description":"<!-- PM-Skills | https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills | Apache 2.0 -->\n# Design Rationale\n\nA design rationale document captures the \"why\" behind design decisions.the context, constraints, alternatives considered, and reasoning that led to a particular solution. While designs themselves show what was built, rationale documents preserve institutional knowledge about why it was built that way.\n\n## When to Use\n\n- When making significant UX decisions that affect user experience\n- Before design reviews to prepare stakeholder discussions\n- When multiple valid approaches exist and the choice needs justification\n- To onboard new team members to existing design decisions\n- When revisiting past decisions to understand original reasoning\n- During design system evolution to document pattern choices\n\n## Instructions\n\nWhen asked to document design rationale, follow these steps:\n\n1. **State the Decision**\n   Begin with a clear, one-sentence summary of what design decision was made. This becomes the title and reference point for the document.\n\n2. **Describe the Context**\n   Explain the situation that prompted this decision. What problem were you solving? What constraints existed? What user needs informed the direction? Include relevant research findings.\n\n3. **List Options Considered**\n   Document at least 2-3 alternatives that were evaluated. For each option, describe what it would look like and its key characteristics. Be fair to all options.avoid strawmen.\n\n4. **Define Evaluation Criteria**\n   Specify how options were assessed: usability heuristics, technical feasibility, brand alignment, user research findings, business requirements, or design principles.\n\n5. **Explain the Reasoning**\n   Walk through why the chosen option best meets the criteria. Be explicit about trade-offs.what you gained and what you sacrificed. Acknowledge where the decision is reversible vs. irreversible.\n\n6. **Document Trade-offs Accepted**\n   Every design decision involves trade-offs. Name what you gave up and why it was acceptable. This honesty helps future teams understand constraints.\n\n7. **Note Follow-up Considerations**\n   Capture anything that needs attention later: metrics to watch, conditions that might warrant revisiting the decision, or related decisions to make.\n\n## Output Format\n\nUse the template in `references/TEMPLATE.md` to structure the output.\n\n## Quality Checklist\n\nBefore finalizing, verify:\n\n- [ ] Decision is clearly stated in one sentence\n- [ ] Context explains the \"why now\" and constraints\n- [ ] Multiple alternatives are documented fairly\n- [ ] Evaluation criteria are explicit\n- [ ] Reasoning addresses why chosen option beats alternatives\n- [ ] Trade-offs are honestly acknowledged\n- [ ] Document is useful to someone inheriting this design\n\n## Examples\n\nSee `references/EXAMPLE.md` for a completed 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