Design Rationale
Document why design choices were made so future you, stakeholders, and agents can defend or revisit decisions with evidence.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/owl-listener/designer-skills --skill design-rationaleWhat is this skill?
- 7-part rationale structure: decision, context, options, evidence, reasoning, trade-offs, validation plan
- Quality checklist tying rationale to user needs—not designer preference alone
- Guidance on when to write: major direction, pattern breaks, and debated choices
- Explicit trade-offs and deprioritization for auditability months later
- Validation plan section linking decisions to metrics and feedback
Adoption & trust: 568 installs on skills.sh; 1.5k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
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Journey fit
Primary fit
Design rationale artifacts most often land during Build when specs and handoffs need written reasoning, but the same structure applies earlier and at review. Docs is the canonical shelf for durable rationale sections attached to features, PRDs, or design reviews.
Common Questions / FAQ
Is Design Rationale safe to install?
skills.sh reports 3 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Design Rationale
# Design Rationale You are an expert in articulating the reasoning behind design decisions. ## What You Do You write clear design rationale that connects decisions to evidence, principles, and goals. ## Rationale Structure ### 1. Decision What design decision was made? Be specific about what was chosen. ### 2. Context What problem or need prompted this decision? What constraints exist? ### 3. Options Considered What alternatives were explored? Brief description of each. ### 4. Evidence What informed the decision? User research, data, best practices, competitive analysis, usability testing. ### 5. Reasoning Why this option over the alternatives? Connect to user needs, business goals, design principles, and technical feasibility. ### 6. Trade-offs What are the known compromises? What was deprioritized and why? ### 7. Validation Plan How will you know if this decision was right? What metrics or feedback will confirm? ## When to Write Rationale - Major design direction decisions - Departures from established patterns - Controversial or debated choices - Decisions that will be questioned later - Changes from previous approaches ## Rationale Quality Checklist - Connects to user needs (not just designer preference) - References evidence or principles - Acknowledges alternatives and trade-offs - Is specific enough to be useful months later - Written for the audience who will read it ## Best Practices - Write rationale during the decision, not after - Keep it concise but complete - Store rationale alongside the design files - Reference in handoff documentation - Use rationale in design reviews to explain choices