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design-cognition-skill

by S0ulFood · S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill

Four-role design-thinking framework (Strategist, Researcher, Executor, Critic) for Claude Code — works for any domain, not just product design.

A domain-agnostic design-thinking skill. Claude plays four roles in sequence: Strategist (what matters), Researcher (what's true), Executor (what to build), Critic (what's wrong). Useful for any non-trivial decision — features, essays, architecture, roadmaps.

▶ Watch demo 📦 Install 💡 Use Cases

Why use it

Key features

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

design-cognition-skill.replay ▶ ready
0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json  · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-cognition-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-cognition-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-cognition-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-cognition-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json
{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "design-cognition-skill",
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json
{
  "context_servers": {
    "design-cognition-skill": {
      "command": {
        "path": "git",
        "args": [
          "clone",
          "https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill",
          "~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add design-cognition-skill -- git clone https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill ~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use design-cognition-skill

Decide whether and how to ship a feature

👤 Product managers, founders ⏱ ~60 min intermediate

When to use: You're weighing a feature and the team's split.

Prerequisites
  • Skill installed — git clone https://github.com/S0ulFood/design-cognition-skill ~/.claude/skills/design-cognition-skill
Flow
  1. Strategist
    Use design-cognition-skill. Strategist role: should we build [feature]? What are the strategic tradeoffs?✓ Copied
    → Strategic framing — not just pros/cons, but tradeoffs against stated goals
  2. Researcher
    Researcher role: what's known from our data, users, competitors?✓ Copied
    → Evidence summary with gaps noted
  3. Executor
    Executor role: if we build it, what's the smallest valuable version?✓ Copied
    → Concrete MVP definition
  4. Critic
    Critic role: what's wrong with this plan? Be harsh.✓ Copied
    → Specific pushback, not generic risk flags

Outcome: A decision doc you can share that shows the thinking, not just the conclusion.

Pitfalls
  • Roles blur together — Run each role in its own prompt; don't ask for all four at once
Combine with: filesystem

Get four kinds of feedback on a draft essay

👤 Writers ⏱ ~20 min beginner

When to use: Your essay needs more than 'looks good' or copy-editing.

Flow
  1. Run each role on the draft
    Use design-cognition-skill on my essay. Strategist (is the point worth making?), Researcher (are claims defensible?), Executor (is the structure tight?), Critic (what would a hostile reader attack?).✓ Copied
    → Four distinct critiques

Outcome: Feedback a friend wouldn't give you but a good editor would.

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

design-cognition-skill + filesystem

Save each role's output as a separate doc

Save outputs to decision/<topic>/<role>.md for each role.✓ Copied
design-cognition-skill + infinite-gratitude-skill

Pair with multi-agent research for breadth plus this for depth

Use infinite-gratitude for discovery, then design-cognition for the final decision doc.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

ToolInputsWhen to callCost
strategist question What matters here 0
researcher question + context What's true 0
executor direction What to build 0
critic plan or artifact What's wrong 0

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota
None
Tokens per call
Moderate — 4 roles, each non-trivial
Monetary
Free
Tip
Invoke single roles when you only need one lens.

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: None
Data egress: None from skill

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Critic is too gentle

Prompt for adversarial framing — 'what would a hostile VC attack'

Roles produce same content

Separate into 4 prompts; prime each role explicitly

Alternatives

design-cognition-skill vs others

AlternativeWhen to use it insteadTradeoff
Single prompt asking for 'pros and cons'Quick vibe checkNo structure; easy to skip hard questions
planning-with-files-skillYou need session persistence across a long projectNot a decision framework

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills