This file is byte-identical to the first copy the registry indexed, one of 4 indexed copies. Same content hash, so the same checks give both the same grade.
principle-exhaust-the-design-space from barbieri/local-openfinance is an agent skill: a SKILL.md folder an AI agent loads when a task calls for it.
Apply when facing a novel UI interaction or architectural decision with no precedent in the codebase. Build 2-3 competing prototypes and compare side by side before committing.
Collected from public GitHub. Every version is saved exactly as it was and never changes. Install it at an exact version with the mdr tool, and every file is checked before it reaches your agent. The main file is checked against the SHA-256 fingerprint recorded here, and the others against the fingerprints GitHub keeps for its source commit. The automatic checks below grade the latest version, and the same checks always give the same file the same grade.
What the file says
# Exhaust the Design Space
When a novel interaction or architectural decision has no established precedent, explore several concrete alternatives before implementation. Building the wrong thing costs more than exploring three options.
**The rule.** When the right answer is not obvious, build 2-3 competing prototypes or sketches. Compare them side by side. Only then commit. Design it twice is this rule by another name. A second flavor of the first shape does not count.
**When it applies:**
- Novel UI interactions (no prior art in the codebase)
- Architectural choices with multiple viable approaches
- Product design decisions where user experience depends on feel, not logic
**When it doesn't:**
- Mechanical implementation where the pattern is established
- Bug fixes or refactors with a clear target state
- Changes where constraints dictate a single viable approach
The line at the top of this page pins the label git:20260909.1e5ab42, which is what most people want. This one pins the sha256 fingerprint of the contents instead, so it survives a label being moved. Either way the exact version is written to mdr.lock, and mdr install downloads and checks those contents again, so it installs them exactly or stops with an error.
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/artifacts/art_u3mvlaxyncmt4mnz
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/resolve?ref=barbieri/local-openfinance/principle-exhaust-the-design-space
GET https://markdownregistry.com/api/v1/blob/8583310d7297b7823d75494faa57b003564d436807febecdecbd8321abe5cf6e
Your AI assistant does the legwork. You hear about the deals worth your word. Hand yours the standing instructions at modelranch.com and it joins the network that reads files like this one.
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michael-denyer/pstack-claude · plugins/pstack/skills/principle-exhaust-the-design-space/SKILL.md · Apply when facing a novel UI interaction or architectural decision with no precedent in the codebase. Build 2-3…
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