Shaping Skills
Skill
Ryan Singer's Shape Up workflow packaged for Pi: framing problems, comparing solution shapes, breadboarding affordances, and writing kickoff docs.
By Ryan Singer · Packaged for Pi by Vedang Manerikar · git:github.com/vedang/shaping-skills · View source
What it does
Shaping Skills brings a structured pre-code workflow into Pi so complex features get shaped before anyone writes implementation code. It separates problem framing from solution design: you can distill messy stakeholder notes into a Framing Doc, iterate on Requirements (R) and Shapes (A, B, C...) with explicit fit checks, and map UI and code affordances into vertical implementation slices.
Once implementation is underway, /skill:breadboard-reflection compares the real code back against the breadboard to surface drift and update the design artifacts, and /skill:kickoff-doc packages a shaped slice for an autonomous agent or teammate to build.
When to reach for it
Invocation: Invoke /skill:framing-doc, /skill:shaping, /skill:breadboarding, /skill:breadboard-reflection, or /skill:kickoff-doc when designing or reviewing a feature.
- Turning rough notes into a clear problem
- Use /skill:framing-doc to extract grounded pain points, concrete examples, and appetite before proposing solutions.
- Comparing design options and slicing work
- Use /skill:shaping and /skill:breadboarding to test candidate shapes against requirements and slice them into vertical demo-able increments.
- Checking implementation drift
- Use /skill:breadboard-reflection after coding to verify the implementation still matches the breadboard.
What it adds
- Five composable skills: framing-doc, shaping, breadboarding, breadboard-reflection, and kickoff-doc.
- Notation for requirements (R0..Rn), shapes (A, B, C), fit check matrices, and UI/Code affordance wiring (U/N/S).
Commands: /skill:framing-doc, /skill:shaping, /skill:breadboarding, /skill:breadboard-reflection, /skill:kickoff-doc
How it fits
- Modularity Skills — Shaping defines what to build and how affordances connect; Modularity evaluates the module boundaries and coupling of the resulting design.
- ADR — When a shaping session settles a lasting architectural tradeoff, record the decision as an ADR.
Good to know
- Keep framing and kickoff docs grounded in the source material—both skills explicitly forbid inventing timelines or stakeholder claims.
Source and setup
- Loaded via
git:github.com/vedang/shaping-skills- Attribution
- By Ryan Singer · Packaged for Pi by Vedang Manerikar