Directions Workflow Skill
A methodology for AI-assisted development that maintains context across sessions.
Core Concepts
Project Phases
Projects move through phases: discovery → planning → implementation → polish → shipping
Each phase has different focus areas and relevant documentation.
Session Management
- •Every session should check PROJECT_STATE.md for current focus
- •Sessions are logged in
docs/sessions/with date-based filenames - •Handoff documents capture state for future sessions
Decision Logging
Architectural and design decisions are logged to docs/decisions.md with:
- •Date
- •What was decided
- •Why (reasoning/trade-offs)
- •Alternatives considered
Blocker Tracking
Blockers are tracked in PROJECT_STATE.md with:
- •What's blocked
- •What was tried
- •What would unblock
File Structure
code
docs/ ├── 00_base.md # System overview (read first) ├── PROJECT_STATE.md # Current phase, focus, blockers ├── decisions.md # Decision log ├── sessions/ │ ├── _index.md # Session index │ └── YYYY-MM-DD-*.md # Individual session logs └── [numbered docs] # Reference documentation
Available Commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/setup | Initialize or detect Directions |
/status | Show current project state |
/log | Create/update session log |
/decide | Record a decision |
/interview | Run discovery interview |
/learned | Add glossary term |
/reorg | Reorganize folder structure |
/update-directions | Pull latest updates |
/execute | Wave-based parallel execution |
/cookbook | Manage reusable code patterns |
Workflow Principles
- •Context First - Always read PROJECT_STATE.md before starting work
- •Log As You Go - Don't wait until end of session to log
- •Decisions Are Permanent - Log decisions when made, not retroactively
- •Blockers Are Signals - Track blockers to identify patterns
- •Handoffs Enable Continuity - Write handoffs as if for another person
Context Management
Prevent quality degradation during long sessions:
- •File Size Limits - PROJECT_STATE.md <80 lines, session logs ~200 lines
- •Temporary Files - PLAN.md and RESUME.md delete after use
- •Orchestrator Pattern - Keep main context <40%, spawn subagents for heavy work
- •Wave Execution - Group tasks by dependency, run parallel waves with fresh contexts
- •Atomic Commits - One task = one commit for easy revert/bisect
See 52_context-management.md for full details.