Clarity System

Purpose: Never start significant work without shared understanding. When to trigger: Beginning any task, feature, fix, or when confusion arises.

Messy Input Protocol (Token-Efficient)

When to use: Only when input is vague, stream-of-consciousness, or unclear. When to skip: If the request is already clear, go straight to execution.

The Process

1. •Listen fully - Let the user finish their thought
2. •Extract core intent in 2-3 lines max:
   code

   WHAT: [one line]
   WHY: [one line, if apparent]
   SCOPE: [brief bounds, if mentioned]
   

3. •Confirm briefly: "Is that right?"
4. •If gaps exist: Ask 1-2 specific questions (not a list of 10)
5. •Once confirmed: Execute immediately - don't over-document

Example

User: "I want to like... maybe add something where users can
      see their stuff performing, you know what I mean?"

Claude: "Got it:
        WHAT: Add performance metrics for articles
        WHY: Users want to see if content is working

        Should this use GSC data or something else?"

User: "Yeah GSC"

Claude: [Executes - no further ceremony needed]

Efficiency Rules

• •Clear request → Skip this, just do it
• •Slightly unclear → One-line confirm, then do it
• •Very unclear → Extract + confirm + 1-2 questions max
• •Never over-document simple tasks

The Full Clarity Protocol

For significant/complex work, complete these steps:

Step 1: WHAT (Problem Definition)

Ask and document:

• •What exactly are we trying to accomplish?
• •What does "done" look like? (Specific acceptance criteria)
• •What is the expected outcome?

Step 2: WHY (Context & Impact)

Ask and document:

• •Why does this matter?
• •What's the user/business impact?
• •What happens if we don't do this?
• •How does this connect to the larger goal?

Step 3: HOW (Constraints & Boundaries)

Ask and document:

• •What technical constraints exist?
• •What's the scope boundary? (What are we NOT doing?)
• •What dependencies exist?
• •What existing code/patterns must we work with?

Step 4: KNOWN UNKNOWNS

Ask and document:

• •What questions remain unanswered?
• •What assumptions are we making?
• •What could invalidate our approach?
• •What do we need to investigate first?

Output Requirements

After completing the clarity protocol, update .claude/active-context.md with:

# Active Context

## Current Task
[One sentence description]

## Success Criteria
- [ ] Criterion 1
- [ ] Criterion 2
- [ ] Criterion 3

## Scope Boundaries
**In Scope:**
- Item 1
- Item 2

**Out of Scope:**
- Item 1
- Item 2

## Constraints
- Constraint 1
- Constraint 2

## Open Questions
- Question 1
- Question 2

## Assumptions
- Assumption 1
- Assumption 2

---
*Last updated: [timestamp]*

Rules

1. •Never skip clarity for significant work - Even if it seems obvious, document it
2. •Ask before assuming - If requirements are ambiguous, ask the user
3. •Update when scope changes - If understanding evolves, update active-context.md
4. •Reference SOURCE_OF_TRUTH.md - Check existing project context before starting

Transition

Once clarity is established:

• •If there might be blockers → Proceed to Identity System
• •If priorities are unclear → Proceed to Priority System
• •If everything is clear → Proceed to Execution System

This is System 1 of 5: Clarity → Identity → Priority → Execution → Reset