A lightweight framework for engineering teams that want to stop building plausible things that aren't the customer thing.
The core idea: make intent testable before you build, so rework becomes the exception.
Teams build features where the interface or contract intent was ambiguous:
- Dashboard that exposed raw data, but users needed actionable insights
- Powerful API with 20 endpoints, but the UI only needed 3 operations
- Feature X implemented, but customer actually needed Feature Y
Not pervasive, but completely avoidable. The cost is engineering time spent building the right thing twice.
Contract-first = UX flow and API contract reviewed together before build starts.
Four layers. Nothing novel. The key constraint: the contract (UX flow + API surface) is reviewed as a unit before build starts.
If the mock or contract is missing, you build plausible outcomes that aren't the customer outcome. This chain prevents that.
| Folder | What it is | Start here if... |
|---|---|---|
templates/ |
Fill-in-the-blank artifacts for your next feature | You want to use the framework today |
case-studies/ |
Walkthroughs of the process applied to real features | You want to see what good looks like |
automation/ |
Blueprint + reference implementation for ticket gatekeeping | You want to build enforcement tooling |
decisions/ |
Decision template for adopting the framework | You're leading adoption for your team |
| Template | Purpose | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| PRD-lite | One-page problem/solution/criteria | Before design starts |
| Design note | Technical approach, API impacts, data model, security | Before coding starts |
| UX mock | Screen layout + user journey + API surface | Before coding starts |
Each template includes a filled-in example so you can see what good looks like.
This framework defines what to do. PRDEngine automates the hardest part: generating the right-sized requirements artifact from a feature description.
| Template | PRDEngine tier | Output |
|---|---|---|
| PRD-lite | Lightweight | ~1 page scope with problem, criteria, and non-goals |
| Design note | Standard | ~3-5 pages with API design, data model, security |
| UX mock | Comprehensive+ | ~8-15 pages with user personas, cross-service impact |
The ticket gatekeeping bot can invoke PRDEngine to auto-generate these stubs when work starts -- enforcement and artifact creation in one step.
If you're an engineer: Copy a template for your next feature. Start with the PRD-lite if requirements feel ambiguous, or the design note if you're about to write code.
If you're a tech lead: Read the case studies to see contract-first applied end-to-end -- with a UI and without one. Then review the decision template with your team.
If you're building tooling: The ticket gatekeeping blueprint has the design and a reference implementation you can fork. It enforces this framework at the ticket system level.