Imported from GeorgeQLe/agentic-skills (
packs/product-design/claude/user-flow-map/archive/v1.5/SKILL.md). Install upstream withnpx skills add GeorgeQLe/agentic-skills --skill v1.5. Copyright stays with the author.
Pack Availability Guard
Before telling the user to run a skill from another project-local pack, check .agents/project.json.enabled_packs. If the target pack is not enabled, recommend npx skillpacks install <pack> from the project shell, instead of the target skill. Only the currently running skill and skills verified available in the active session or project-local install state are directly recommendable. For unavailable pack skills, recommend npx skillpacks install <pack-or-skill>; for unavailable base skills, recommend npx skillpacks init before the skill.
User Flow Map
Invoke as /user-flow-map.
Use this skill after positioning and before UX/UI/prototype work when a product, feature, or goal sequence needs concrete user-flow structure: entry points, screens/routes, actions, decisions, branches, states, failure paths, handoffs, and low-fidelity wireframe notes. Treat the output as the root of a wireframe tree: each mapped user flow can fan out into /ux-variations [flow], where the team explores alternate ways users can progress through that specific flow before any one variation is promoted into /ui-interview. After the flow map is approved, the recommended next step is /state-model [topic] — an orthogonal sibling that authors the flow-anchored logical domain model (entities, state machines, events, logical contracts) once, so /ux-variations and /ui-interview re-skin a real substrate rather than inventing the model per presentation. /state-model is optional and does not change the flow-tree route; route directly to /ux-variations when the domain is trivial.
Use /user-flow-map --prototype-build-plan [topic] after /ui-interview branch decisions exist to synthesize the approved design tree into one prototype build ledger. This later synthesis mode does not remap the original flows; it reads the flow-tree manifest, branch decisions, UX variation plans, UI branch packets, and any user overrides, then writes design/prototype-build-plan-[topic].md as the todo contract for /prototype.
Follow DESIGN-TREE-LOOP.md for prototype-phase routing, state storage, approval boundaries, and task classification. This skill owns the wireframe-tree root and later build-plan synthesis; it does not use Pattern A selected-framework manifests or tasks/todo.md for branch progress.
This skill does not create polished UI, visual styling, production specs, or runnable prototypes. Keep layout and styling out of scope except for wireframe-level structural notes such as "summary panel beside task list" or "confirmation step before destructive action." Do not flatten the tree into a single UI requirements path; preserve named user flows as branch roots for downstream variation work.
Design-Tree Flow
This skill runs the unified 5-stage design-tree flow (interrogation → research → design → plan → implement(scoped)) from DESIGN-TREE-LOOP.md, and is the root orchestrator that creates the design tree. The ## Process steps below group by stage:
- Stage 0 — Interrogation: the stage-zero loop in
## Interrogation Page/INTERROGATION-PAGE.mdplus the Flow Assumptions Checkpoint (step 2) — confirm persona, scope, and flow boundaries before mapping. - Stage 1 — Research: Resolve Context (step 1) — read idea/research/positioning/journey evidence and existing
design/artifacts; Product-Path Scope Resolution and the Design Flow Tree Manifest (steps 0/0b) resolve where the tree lives. - Stage 2 — Design: Map The Flow (step 3) and the Flow Coverage Checkpoint (step 4) — author flow structure, screens, states, branches, and low-fidelity wireframe notes.
- Stage 3 — Plan: Prototype Build-Plan Synthesis Mode (step 5) — synthesize the approved tree into the
design/prototype-build-plan-[topic].mdslice/prototyperealizes. - Stage 4 — Implement (scoped): write the flow doc, initialize the
flow-tree-[topic].yamlroot, grow one user-flow branch per flow, and pass the single binding alignment gate (## Alignment Page) before any canonical write.
Per-branch iteration contract. Each session cold-starts, reads the flow-tree manifest, resolves the next pending unit (the next unmapped flow, or in build-plan mode the next branch needing a build item), runs the staged flow scoped to it, grows the child nodes on approval, and stops with the handoff in ## Next Work.
Modify-back. Downstream validation can re-open this root's branches: a modify decision recorded in the flow-tree decisions[] names targets[] pointing at a user-flow branch to re-open, returning it to pending so this skill re-runs its flow on that branch and marks descendant branches stale.
Process
0. Product-Path Scope Resolution
Resolve research scope by product path before using code or app structure as a hint:
- If
$ARGUMENTSnames a non-archivedresearch/{slug}/directory or a product-path ID whosescope_pathpoints there, use that path. Treat{slug}as the product/app name, not the ICP, audience, or segment label. - If
$ARGUMENTSnames onlyresearch/_archive/{slug}/or a manifest entry withstatus: archivedor legacystatus: abandoned, stop and warn that the path is archived; do not write or update scoped outputs there. - Read
research/.progress.yamlwhen present. Normalize legacyactive_pathtoactive_pathson read and write backactive_pathson manifest updates. Treat legacyabandonedasarchived; excludearchived,abandoned,deferred,revisit_candidate,promoted, and anyscope_pathunderresearch/_archive/from active target selection. - If active product paths exist in the manifest, use those paths. If multiple active paths exist, ask which one to target unless this skill explicitly supports cross-path output.
- If no active manifest target exists, list non-archived product directories under
research/, excludingresearch/_archive/and dot directories. Auto-select only when exactly one exists; ask when multiple exist. - If no product directories exist, use flat
research/single-product mode. - Detect monorepo/app/package structure only as a secondary hint. Suggest creating a missing
research/{slug}/product path when code clearly exposes an app, but do not require code or monorepo detection before usingresearch/{slug}/.
When product path {slug} is active, read and write research under research/{slug}/, pre-prototype design artifacts under design/{slug}/, finalized post-prototype implementation specs under specs/{slug}/, and treat top-level research/*.md and design/*.md files as flat-mode documents or cross-path summaries.
0b. Design Flow Tree Manifest
Use design/flow-tree.schema.json as the machine-readable contract for the pre-prototype product-design tree.
- Product-path mode writes one scoped manifest at
design/{slug}/flow-tree-{topic}.yaml. - Flat mode writes one scoped manifest at
design/flow-tree-{topic}.yaml. - Initialize the manifest when writing the flow map. Set
schema_version: v0.3,mode,topic,product_pathwhen scoped,route: [user-flow-map, ux-variations, ui-interview, prototype, consolidate-prototypes, spec-interview],source_artifacts, and onebranches[]entry per named user-flow branch. - Order
branches[]by journey progression by default: activation or setup before first-value, first-value before ongoing-use, recovery and handoff where they actually occur, and ascendingjourney_sequenceinside each stage. Use raw authoring order only as a stable tiebreaker after journey sequence and explicit fit/rationale metadata. - Each user-flow branch must include
journey_stage,journey_sequence,priority_rationale, andprogressive_reviewmetadata. The progressive review entry must name the first value moment, primary task path, and progressive review sequence for reviewers before downstream UX/UI work begins. - If the user explicitly overrides the default branch order, keep the user-chosen order and explain the override in
priority_rationale. Persist branch order override metadata indesign/**/flow-tree-*.yamlwith who/what changed and why. - In prototype-build-plan mode, add or update the manifest
prototype_build_planobject with artifact references and one build item per approved UI review that should be prototyped. - Track user-flow, UX-variation, UI review, prototype build item, and approve/reject/retry decision state only in the design manifest. Do not write UX branch state to
research/.progress.yaml; that file remains product-path/product-line tracking. - Reference all pre-prototype design artifacts from the manifest using repo-relative paths.
- Do not mirror user-flow, UX variation, UI review, prototype build, or branch decision progress into
tasks/todo.md.
0c. Session model — chunked per-section spec sessions vs. one continuous session
For a large flow, the step-3 mapping fans out into several heavy per-section work products, and holding them all in one context is the dominant per-session cost. Estimate flow size from the Flow Assumptions Checkpoint's likely screen/route count (step 2): if the flow is large — screen/route inventory ≥ ~6 screens — and --no-chunk was not passed, enter chunked mode; otherwise run one continuous session exactly as a single pass through steps 1–4 (the common case). Chunked mode follows the Intra-Skill Substep Chunking + Shared Context Brief mechanism in DESIGN-TREE-LOOP.md: a setup session (steps 1–2 + step-3 sub-steps 1–5) writes a pure-context brief and stops; one spec session per step-3 heavy section (in order: screen-inventory → action-state-matrices → failure-recovery → handoffs) authors a single section's intermediate; and a final assemble+approve session (step 4 + deliverables + the one alignment page) assembles the canonical flow map. The units here are more interdependent than ux-variations — later sections reference earlier ones — so the brief carries more shared context: persona, goal, happy path, entry points, and decision/branch rules. The progress cursor is intermediate-file existence — the brief carries no step list, and there is no schema change and no tasks/todo.md use. Chunking applies to default flow-mapping only; prototype-build-plan synthesis mode (step 5) never chunks. For small flows or when --no-chunk is passed, write no brief and no intermediates and behave exactly as v0.8 did.
1. Resolve Context
Read available evidence before asking deep questions:
.agents/project.json,AGENTS.md,CLAUDE.md,README.md, and relevant task docs.research/idea-brief.md,research/icp.md,research/competitive-analysis.md,research/journey-map.md,research/positioning.md, and product-path-scoped equivalents.- Existing
design/, includingdesign/user-flow-*.md,design/ui-requirements-*.md,design/ui-*.md,design/ux-variations-*.md, product-path-scoped equivalents, anddesign/**/flow-tree-*.yaml. - Existing
specs/only as finalized post-prototype implementation context. - Existing route files, component files, app shells, navigation config, screenshots, wireframes, mockups, and design artifacts when present.
If research/positioning.md is missing for a business-product flow, recommend /positioning first. If product-design is not enabled, recommend npx skillpacks install product-design from the project shell.
2. Flow Assumptions Checkpoint
Before deep probing, present a concise Flow Assumptions Checkpoint inline as the final message text of its own turn — never only as mid-turn text in a turn that ends with a tool call — then ask the user to confirm, correct, or flag it in the next turn. AskUserQuestion option previews may mirror the checkpoint as a supplement but are never the sole channel. Tag each assumption with [from idea], [from research], [from positioning], [from journey], [from spec], [from codebase], [from artifact], or [inferred].
Cover:
- Persona, role, and goal.
- Entry points and triggers.
- First success or completion condition.
- Happy path sequence.
- Alternate paths and branch points.
- Decisions the user or system must make.
- Screens/routes likely required.
- Actions per screen.
- States to represent: empty, loading, error, partial, success, permission-denied, offline, validation, and edge states.
- Failure and recovery paths.
- Cross-role, cross-device, external-system, or manual handoffs.
- Flow boundaries and explicit non-goals.
Do not proceed until the user has reviewed the checkpoint. If the user confirms it as-is, continue. If they correct an assumption, carry the correction into both deliverables.
3. Map The Flow
Build the flow map at workflow level, not visual-design level:
Chunked-mode sessions (step 0c). When chunked mode is active (large flow, no --no-chunk): the setup session runs sub-steps 1–5 below (persona/goal/success, entry points, happy path, alternate paths, decision points), then writes the shared context brief to design/{slug}/_working/user-flow-map-{topic}-brief.md (flat mode: design/_working/user-flow-map-{topic}-brief.md) containing pure context only — persona/role/goal, success condition, entry points, happy path, alternate paths, and decision/branch rules — with no step list and no status field, and STOPs with the terminal handoff (below). Each spec session then reads the brief and scans which {section-id}.md files exist under design/{slug}/user-flow-map-{topic}/, fills the first missing section in order — screen-inventory (sub-step 6, with its per-screen low-fidelity wireframe notes from sub-step 10), action-state-matrices (sub-step 7), failure-recovery (sub-step 8), then handoffs (sub-step 9) — to its intermediate path, appends any cross-section facts to the brief, and STOPs with the terminal handoff. In non-chunked mode, run all sub-steps below in one continuous session as before.
Every chunked STOP (setup and each spec session) must emit the Terminal handoff format from DESIGN-TREE-LOOP.md: state the intermediate just written, name the next missing section in plain English — never only the internal {section-id} (e.g. write "Next section: action–state matrices — the per-screen matrix of actions, navigation, validation, and visual state for each screen in the inventory," not "continue with action-state-matrices") — and give the exact resolved next command with {slug}/{topic} filled to literal values, e.g. /user-flow-map alignment-page-review writing into design/alignmeant/user-flow-map-alignment-page-review/action-state-matrices.md. The setup STOP names the first section (screen-inventory) and its command. When the section just written was the last one (handoffs), the handoff points to the assemble+approve session instead of another spec session. Continue-vs-stop framing follows that convention's Routing Rules — do not restate it.
- Define the primary persona, goal, success condition, and triggering context.
- List every entry point and precondition.
- Write the happy path as ordered steps with the screen/route used by each step.
- List alternate paths, including optional setup, skip paths, backtracking, cancellation, save-for-later, review/edit, and escalation.
- List decision points and branch rules. Distinguish user decisions, system decisions, permissions decisions, and external/manual decisions.
5a. Order
branches[]by journey progression by default when turning named flows into manifest branches. Record any explicit user branch-order override before writing deliverables. - Create a screen/route inventory with purpose, inputs, outputs, source evidence, and downstream destination.
- For each screen, list required actions, available navigation, disabled/blocked rules, validation rules, and state coverage.
- Map failures and recovery: invalid input, no data, permissions, lost connection, backend failure, timeouts, interrupted work, and contradictory user choices.
- Map handoffs across roles, devices, systems, documents, notifications, approvals, payments, support, or manual operations.
- Add low-fidelity wireframe notes for each screen: rough regions, primary/secondary content, key controls, data groupings, progressive disclosure, and fixed/sticky elements only when structurally necessary.
4. Coverage Checkpoint
Chunked-mode assemble+approve session (step 0c). When chunked mode is active, begin this session only once every section's {section-id}.md intermediate exists under design/{slug}/user-flow-map-{topic}/. Assemble those per-section intermediates plus the brief into the canonical flow map (the deliverables below), run this coverage checkpoint over the whole assembled flow, and build the one alignment page. On approval, update the scoped flow-tree manifest branch state and archive the brief and per-section intermediates per the convention's archive-at-canonical-write timing. There is exactly one alignment gate for the whole flow, not one per section.
Before writing deliverables, present a Flow Coverage Checkpoint inline as the final message text of its own turn (never only as mid-turn text before a tool call):
- Persona and goal covered.
- Entry points covered.
- Happy path covered.
- Branches and decision points covered.
- Screen/route inventory covered.
- Actions per screen covered.
- Required states covered.
- Failure/recovery paths covered.
- Handoffs covered.
- Wireframe-level notes covered.
- Layout/styling non-goals preserved.
In the next turn, ask whether any flow branch, state, or handoff is missing before writing.
5. Prototype Build-Plan Synthesis Mode
When invoked with --prototype-build-plan, "prototype build plan", "prototype todo", or equivalent wording, run this mode after the normal flow/UX/UI branch work exists:
- Read the scoped
design/**/flow-tree-*.yaml,design/user-flow-*.md,design/ux-variations-*.md, anddesign/ui-*.mdartifacts. - Identify every user-flow branch, UX variation branch, and UI review branch with an approved or retryable decision.
- Create one prototype build item for each approved UI review that should be made tangible in
/prototype. - Mark rejected branches as dropped and do not include them as buildable items unless the user explicitly overrides.
- Mark out-of-scope, expensive, or low-confidence branches as deferred when the user chooses not to prototype them now.
- Mark branches that need design or UI correction before prototyping as needs-revision.
- Preserve user overrides, including building from a concept-only root when the user explicitly bypasses missing research.
- Produce a build sequence that keeps the work lightweight and independently reviewable; each item should be small enough for
/prototype --variant Nto build or rebuild.
Before writing the build plan, present a Prototype Build Plan Checkpoint as the final message text of its own turn. Include:
- Build items to prototype now.
- Items that need revision before prototyping.
- Items deferred or dropped, with rationale.
- Source user-flow branch, UX variation, and UI review IDs for each item.
- Expected prototype path for each buildable item.
- Any user overrides or research gaps carried into the plan.
Ask the user to confirm, correct, defer, or drop items before writing the build plan.
Deliverables
Write:
design/user-flow-[topic].mdin flat mode ordesign/{slug}/user-flow-[topic].mdin product-path mode.design/user-flow-[topic]-interview.mdin flat mode ordesign/{slug}/user-flow-[topic]-interview.mdin product-path mode.design/flow-tree-[topic].yamlin flat mode ordesign/{slug}/flow-tree-[topic].yamlin product-path mode.
In prototype-build-plan mode, write instead:
design/prototype-build-plan-[topic].mdin flat mode ordesign/{slug}/prototype-build-plan-[topic].mdin product-path mode.- Update
design/flow-tree-[topic].yamlin flat mode ordesign/{slug}/flow-tree-[topic].yamlin product-path mode withprototype_build_plan.artifacts[]andprototype_build_plan.items[].
The user-flow spec must include:
- Scope, source evidence, and assumptions checkpoint.
- Persona, goal, and success condition.
- Entry points and preconditions.
- Happy path.
- Alternate paths and branches.
- Decision-point table.
- Screen/route inventory.
- Per-screen action/state matrix.
- Failure and recovery paths.
- Handoffs and external/manual dependencies.
- Low-fidelity wireframe notes per screen.
- Open questions, risks, and explicit non-goals.
- Downstream handoff choices for
/ux-variations [specific-user-flow]. - Flow-tree manifest branch IDs and artifact references.
- Ordered branch table showing journey stage, journey sequence, priority rationale, first value moment, primary task path, and progressive review sequence for each
branches[]entry. - Record explicit user branch-order overrides in
design/user-flow-[topic].md, including the requested order, rationale, affected branch IDs, and whether the override changes first-value or activation review order.
The interview log must include:
- Evidence consulted.
- The Flow Assumptions Checkpoint and user corrections.
- Questions asked, options presented, recommendations, and user responses.
- Flow Coverage Checkpoint and remaining gaps.
- Record explicit user branch-order overrides in
design/user-flow-[topic]-interview.md, including the question or checkpoint where the override was captured and any rejected default ordering.
The prototype build plan must include:
- Scope, source evidence, and user overrides.
- Build item table with
id, source user-flow branch, source UX variation, source UI review, status, expected prototype path, and rationale. - Status definitions:
pending,built,needs-revision,deferred, anddropped. - Build sequence and chunking notes for
/prototype --variant N. - Revision/defer/drop rationale for branches not ready to build.
- Flow-tree manifest build item IDs and artifact references.
After approved files are written, hand off instead of auto-running or auto-invoking the next skill. How you hand off depends on how the approval YAML was consumed:
- Same session that built the page (the page-building conversation is still in context): present a two-option choice — (1) Stop here so the user can clear context and run
/state-model [topic](recommended) or/ux-variations [specific-user-flow]in a fresh session, or (2) Continue immediately in this session with/state-model [topic]to author the logical domain model before variation work, or/ux-variations [specific-user-flow]for the first unresolved user-flow branch when the domain is trivial. - Already-fresh session (the page-building conversation is not in context — e.g. the user cleared context and pasted the compiled approval YAML to start this session): there is no accumulated build context to shed, so do not present or recommend another context clear. Default to continue-now — invoke
/state-model [topic](recommended) to author the logical domain model before variation work, or/ux-variations [specific-user-flow]for the first unresolved user-flow branch when the domain is trivial, and immediately enter its first required interaction gate. The user may still choose to stop.
After approved prototype-build-plan files are written, route to /prototype [topic] or /prototype [topic] --variant N for the first pending build item. Do not route to /prototype before the build plan exists unless the user explicitly accepts an untracked ad hoc prototype run.
If the user chooses to continue immediately, the next skill must still execute its own required interaction gates. user-flow-map approval authorizes the wireframe-tree root and provides source evidence; it does not approve any UX variation branch, visual mockup, UI proposal, or implementation path, and it does not count as ui-interview interview completion.
Interrogation Page
Before producing research, run the stage-zero interrogation loop following INTERROGATION-PAGE.md in this skill's directory. Build one HTML page per round at interrogation/user-flow-map-r{N}-{branch}.html, starting with the assumptions manifest as round 1, and loop until the confidence gate passes. This skill cannot advance to stage one (the framework/scope alignment page) until the confidence gate passes with at least one completed interrogation round and every interview area covered or waived. Each round page must contain at least one genuinely open input (data-open-input).
Next Work
Next work: after the flow map is approved, author the flow-anchored logical domain model with /state-model [topic] (optional sibling), or grow the first unresolved user-flow branch with /ux-variations [specific-user-flow] when the domain is trivial. In prototype-build-plan mode, the next work is the first pending build item via /prototype [topic]. Name the next pending branch in plain English in the handoff; never route by internal {branch-id}.
Recommended next command: /state-model [topic] (or /ux-variations [specific-user-flow]).
Invoke With YAML
Emit the agent_routing payload with the exact resolved next-invocation command, {slug}/{topic}/branch filled to literal values:
- Default:
/state-model [topic], then/ux-variations [specific-user-flow]. - Build-plan mode:
/user-flow-map --prototype-build-plan [topic]→/prototype [topic].
Alignment Page
When this skill produces durable deliverables (research, specs, plans, reports, prototypes, or any document output), build a full-depth HTML alignment page following ALIGNMENT-PAGE.md in this skill's directory. Output: alignment/user-flow-map-{topic}.html.
Archive-First Replacement Policy
- Before replacing or substantively rewriting an existing canonical research/design/spec document (
research/**/*.md,design/**/*.md,specs/**/*.md, ordocs/specifications/**/*.md), copy the current file todocs/history/archive/YYYY-MM-DD/HHMMSS/<original-relative-path>. - Preserve the archived snapshot exactly as it existed before the change; do not edit the archived copy after creating it.
- After the archive snapshot exists, write the updated document to the original canonical path.
- Report both the archive path and the updated canonical path in the final output.
- New files do not need archive snapshots. Append-only updates do not need archive snapshots unless an existing section is regenerated or rewritten.
Constraints
- Keep this skill before UX variation, UI layout, and prototype work in the AFPS route.
- Do not produce high-fidelity mockups, component styling, color palettes, design systems, production architecture, database schemas, or implementation plans.
- Do not collapse branches or states into generic "standard flow" language. Name each branch/state or mark it explicitly out of scope.
- Do not route directly to
/ui-interviewfrom an approved flow map unless the user explicitly bypasses variation exploration for a named flow. The normal route is/user-flow-map->/state-model [topic](optional sibling) ->/ux-variations [specific-user-flow]->/ui-interview [specific-ux-variation]./state-modelauthors the flow-anchored logical domain model and writes only an optionalmodel_tree_refpointer into the flow tree; it never alters the flow-treeroutearray. - Do not write pre-prototype flow maps to
specs/.design/is the canonical home for flow maps, UX variation plans, UI branch packets, branch decisions, mockup references, and flow-tree manifests. - Do not auto-run or auto-invoke downstream skills after approval. When consuming the approval YAML in the same session that built the page, present the stop/clear-context versus continue-now choice; when consuming it in an already-fresh session (no build context to shed), default to continue-now without prompting another context clear. Either way, preserve the next skill's required gates — continue-now means invoking the next skill and immediately entering its own interaction gates under user control, not running it unattended.
- Do not treat
design/ux-variations-*.mdas the prototype todo list once branch decisions exist. Use prototype-build-plan mode to create the explicit ledger before/prototype. - Do not use
tasks/todo.mdfor design/prototype branch progress. Human prototype evaluation belongs intasks/manual-todo.md; implementation fixes may entertasks/todo.mdonly after human evidence exists. - When recommending a skill from another pack, verify pack availability through
.agents/project.json.enabled_packs.
Default Shipping Contract
Follow the shared shipping contract convention in CLAUDE.md.