Shaping Methodology
A structured approach for collaboratively defining problems and exploring solution options.
Multi-Level Consistency (Critical)
Shaping produces documents at different levels of abstraction. Truth must stay consistent across all levels.
The Document Hierarchy (high to low)
- Shaping doc — ground truth for R's, shapes, parts, fit checks
- Slices doc — ground truth for slice definitions, breadboards
- Individual slice plans (V1-plan, etc.) — ground truth for implementation details
The Principle
Each level summarizes or provides a view into the level(s) below it. Lower levels contain more detail; higher levels are designed views that help acquire context quickly.
Changes ripple in both directions:
- Change at high level → trickles down: If you change the shaping doc's parts table, update the slices doc too.
- Change at low level → trickles up: If a slice plan reveals a new mechanism or changes the scope of a slice, the Slices doc and shaping doc must reflect that.
The Practice
Whenever making a change:
- Identify which level you're touching
- Ask: "Does this affect documents above or below?"
- Update all affected levels in the same operation
- Never let documents drift out of sync
The system only works if the levels are consistent with each other.
Starting a Session
When kicking off a new shaping session, offer the user both entry points:
- Start from R (Requirements) — Describe the problem, pain points, or constraints. Build up requirements and let shapes emerge.
- Start from S (Shapes) — Sketch a solution already in mind. Capture it as a shape and extract requirements as you go.
There is no required order. Shaping is iterative — R and S inform each other throughout.
Working with an Existing Shaping Doc
When the shaping doc already has a selected shape:
- Display the fit check for the selected shape only — Show R × [selected shape] (e.g., R × F), not all shapes
- Summarize what is unsolved — Call out any requirements that are Undecided, or where the selected shape has ❌
This gives the user immediate context on where the shaping stands and what needs attention.
Core Concepts
R: Requirements
A numbered set defining the problem space.
- R0, R1, R2... are members of the requirements set
- Requirements are negotiated collaboratively - not filled in automatically
- Track status: Core goal, Undecided, Leaning yes/no, Must-have, Nice-to-have, Out
- Requirements extracted from fit checks should be made standalone (not dependent on any specific shape)
- R states what's needed, not what's satisfied — satisfaction is always shown in a fit check (R × S)
- Chunking policy: Never have more than 9 top-level requirements. When R exceeds 9, group related requirements into chunks with sub-requirements (R3.1, R3.2, etc.) so the top level stays at 9 or fewer. This keeps the requirements scannable and forces meaningful grouping.
S: Shapes (Solution Options)
Letters represent mutually exclusive solution approaches.
- A, B, C... are top-level shape options (you pick one)
- C1, C2, C3... are components/parts of Shape C (they combine)
- C3-A, C3-B, C3-C... are alternative approaches to component C3 (you pick one)
Shape Titles
Give shapes a short descriptive title that characterizes the approach. Display the title when showing the shape:
## E: Modify CUR in place to follow S-CUR
|------|-----------|
| E1 | ... |
Good titles capture the essence of the approach in a few words:
- ✅ "E: Modify CUR in place to follow S-CUR"
- ✅ "C: Two data sources with hybrid pagination"
- ❌ "E: The solution" (too vague)
- ❌ "E: Add search to widget-grid by swapping..." (too long)
Notation Hierarchy
| Level |
Notation |
Meaning |
Relationship |
| Requirements |
R0, R1, R2... |
Problem constraints |
Members of set R |
| Shapes |
A, B, C... |
Solution options |
Pick one from S |
| Components |
C1, C2, C3... |
Parts of a shape |
Combine within shape |
| Alternatives |
C3-A, C3-B... |
Approaches to a component |
Pick one per component |
Notation Persistence
Keep notation throughout as an audit trail. When finalizing, compose new options by referencing prior components (e.g., "Shape E = C1 + C2 + C3-A").
Phases
Shaping moves through two phases:
Shaping → Slicing
| Phase |
Purpose |
Output |
| Shaping |
Explore the problem and solution space, select and detail a shape |
Shaping doc with R, shapes, fit checks, breadboard |
| Slicing |
Break down for implementation |
Vertical slices with demo-able UI |
Phase Transition
Shaping → Slicing happens when:
- A shape is selected (passes fit check, feels right)
- The shape has been breadboarded into concrete affordances
- We need to plan implementation order
You can't slice without a breadboarded shape.
Fit Check (Decision Matrix)
THE fit check is the single table comparing all shapes against all requirements. Requirements are rows, shapes are columns. This is how we decide which shape to pursue.
Format
## Fit Check
|-----|-------------|--------|---|---|---|
| R0 | Make items searchable from index page | Core goal | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| R1 | State survives page refresh | Must-have | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| R2 | Back button restores state | Must-have | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
**Notes:**
- A fails R2: [brief explanation]
- B fails R1: [brief explanation]
Conventions
- Always show full requirement text — never abbreviate or summarize requirements in fit checks
- Fit check is BINARY — Use ✅ for pass, ❌ for fail. No other values.
- Shape columns contain only ✅ or ❌ — no inline commentary; explanations go in Notes section
- Never use ⚠️ or other symbols in fit check — ⚠️ belongs only in the Parts table's flagged column
- Keep notes minimal — just explain failures
Comparing Alternatives Within a Component
When comparing alternatives for a specific component (e.g., C3-A vs C3-B), use the same format but scoped to that component:
## C3: Component Name
|-----|-------------|--------|------|------|
| R1 | State survives page refresh | Must-have | ✅ | ❌ |
| R2 | Back button restores state | Must-have | ✅ | ✅ |
Missing Requirements
If a shape passes all checks but still feels wrong, there's a missing requirement. Articulate the implicit constraint as a new R, then re-run the fit check.
Macro Fit Check
A separate tool from the standard fit check, used when working at a high level with chunked requirements and early-stage shapes where most mechanisms are still ⚠️. Use when explicitly requested.
The macro fit check has two columns per shape instead of one:
- Addressed? — Does some part of the shape seem to speak to this requirement at a high level?
- Answered? — Can you trace the concrete how? Is the mechanism actually spelled out?
Format:
## Macro Fit Check: R × A
|-----|-------------|:----------:|:---------:|
| R0 | Core goal description | ✅ | ❌ |
| R1 | Guided workflow | ✅ | ❌ |
| R2 | Agent boundary | ⚠️ | ❌ |
Conventions:
- Only show top-level requirements (R0, R1, R2...), not sub-requirements
- No notes column — keep the table narrow and scannable
- Use ✅ (yes), ⚠️ (partially), ❌ (no) for Addressed
- Use ✅ (yes) or ❌ (no) for Answered
- Follow the macro fit check with a separate Gaps table listing specific missing parts and their related sub-requirements
Possible Actions
These can happen in any order:
- Populate R - Gather requirements as they emerge
- Sketch a shape - Propose a high-level approach (A, B, C...)
- Detail (components) - Break a shape into components (B1, B2...)
- Detail (affordances) - Expand a selected shape into concrete UI/Non-UI affordances and wiring
- Explore alternatives - For a component, identify options (C3-A, C3-B...)
- Check fit - Build a fit check (decision matrix) playing options against R
- Extract Rs - When fit checks reveal implicit requirements, add them to R as standalone items
- Breadboard - Map the system to understand where changes happen and make the shape more concrete
- Spike - Investigate unknowns to identify concrete steps needed
- Decide - Pick alternatives, compose final solution
- Slice - Break a breadboarded shape into vertical slices for implementation
Communication
Show Full Tables
When displaying R (requirements) or any S (shapes), always show every row — never summarize or abbreviate. The full table is the artifact; partial views lose information and break the collaborative process.
- Show all requirements, even if many
- Show all shape parts, including sub-parts (E1.1, E1.2...)
- Show all alternatives in fit checks
Why This Matters
Shaping is collaborative negotiation. The user needs to see the complete picture to:
- Spot missing requirements
- Notice inconsistencies
- Make informed decisions
- Track what's been decided
Summaries hide detail and shift control away from the user.
Mark Changes with 🟡
When re-rendering a requirements table or shape table after making changes, mark every changed or added line with a 🟡 so the user can instantly spot what's different. Place the 🟡 at the start of the changed cell content. This makes iterative refinement easy to follow — the user should never have to diff the table mentally.
Spikes
A spike is an investigation task to learn how the existing system works and what concrete steps are needed to implement a component. Use spikes when there's uncertainty about mechanics or feasibility.
File Management
Always create spikes in their own file (e.g., spike.md or spike-[topic].md). Spikes are standalone investigation documents that may be shared or worked on independently from the shaping doc.
Purpose
- Learn how the existing system works in the relevant area
- Identify what we would need to do to achieve a result
- Enable informed decisions about whether to proceed
- Not about effort — effort is implicit in the steps themselves
- Investigate before proposing — discover what already exists; you may find the system already satisfies requirements
Structure
## [Component] Spike: [Title]
### Context
Why we need this investigation. What problem we're solving.
### Goal
What we're trying to learn or identify.
### Questions
