Two Workflows

The toolkit operates two primary workflows, each designed for a different type of work.

At a glance

graph TB
    subgraph design["Product Design"]
        direction LR
        P0["/vt-d-pd-0-start"] --> P1["/vt-d-pd-1-research"] --> P2["/vt-d-pd-2-prd"] --> P3["/vt-d-pd-3-prototype"] --> P4["/vt-d-pd-4-validate"] --> P6["/vt-d-pd-6-handoff"]
    end

    subgraph bridge["Spec Generation"]
        direction LR
        SFP["/vt-d-specs-from-prd"]
        SFR["/vt-d-spec-from-requirements"]
        ACT["/vt-d-activate"]
        SFP --> ACT
        SFR --> ACT
    end

    subgraph dev["Development"]
        direction LR
        D1["/vt-d-1-bootstrap"] --> D2["/vt-d-2-plan"] --> D3["/vt-d-3-build"] --> D4["/vt-d-4-review"] --> D5["/vt-d-5-finalize"] --> D6["/vt-d-6-operate"]
    end

    P6 -->|"PRD ready"| SFP
    ACT --> D2
    SFR -.->|"No PRD?<br/>Direct entry"| ACT

    subgraph kw["Knowledge Work (legacy)"]
        direction LR
        K0["/vt-d-activate"] --> K1["/vt-d-2-plan"] --> K2["/vt-d-3-build"] --> K3["/vt-d-4-review"] --> K4["/vt-d-5-finalize"]
    end

Which workflow should I use?

If you're...	Use	Start with
Building a product (research, design, build, deploy)	Unified Product Development	/vt-d-pd-0-start
Already have a validated design, jumping straight to code	Unified Product Development	/vt-d-0-start
Creating non-code deliverables (docs, research, processes)	Unified Product Development (with document deliverable_type) or Knowledge Work (legacy)	/vt-d-pd-0-start or /vt-d-activate

Not sure?

Start with /vt-d-pd-0-start or /vt-d-activate. Each shows the full workflow for its type and validates that your project is ready.

Unified Product Development

A single end-to-end workflow spanning product design, implementation, and operations. Design artifacts flow directly into implementation planning — no handoff friction.

Design Phase (6 phases + iterative loop)

Phase	Command	What happens
0. Start	/vt-d-pd-0-start	See the workflow, validate readiness
1. Research	/vt-d-pd-1-research	User interviews, personas, analysis
2. PRD	/vt-d-pd-2-prd	Product Requirements Document
3. Prototype	/vt-d-pd-3-prototype	Deployable HTML/React prototype
4. Validate	/vt-d-pd-4-validate	Usability testing with real users
5. Handoff	/vt-d-pd-6-handoff	Development handoff package

The design phase includes an iterative design loop (/vt-d-pd-inbox-scan → /vt-d-pd-analyze-changes → /vt-d-pd-route-decision) that lets you respond to new feedback without restarting.

Spec Generation (bridge between design and development)

This is the line between agreement and construction. Everything before it settles the business question with the customer; everything after it builds. The specs generated here are therefore internal implementation artifacts — one per feature, no customer sign-off, no second "implementation-facing" copy. See What a Spec Is.

Entry point	Command	When to use
From PRD	/vt-d-specs-from-prd	You have a completed PRD — generates all feature specs automatically
From requirements	/vt-d-spec-from-requirements	No formal PRD — create specs from documents, notes, or a topic description
Activate	/vt-d-activate	Load generated specs, see the wave dashboard, start building

Implementation Phase (7 phases)

Phase	Command	What happens
0. Start	/vt-d-0-start	See the workflow, validate readiness
1. Bootstrap	/vt-d-1-bootstrap	Scaffold project structure
2. Plan	/vt-d-2-plan	Architecture and spec via conceptual orchestrator
3. Build	/vt-d-3-build	Implementation with knowledge capture
4. Review	/vt-d-4-review	a diff-scoped set of parallel code reviewers
5. Finalize	/vt-d-5-finalize	Final quality verification
6. Operate	/vt-d-6-operate	Bug investigation and incident response

See Development Workflow and Product Design Workflow for the full guides.

Knowledge Work

Unified model

Knowledge Work phases are functional but deprecated as a standalone workflow. New projects should use Unified Product Development with deliverable_types dispatch in spec frontmatter. The KW skills remain available for legacy projects and pure documentation work.

5 phases for non-code deliverables like documentation, research, and processes.

Phase	Command	What happens
0. Start	/vt-d-activate	See the workflow, validate readiness
1. Plan	/vt-d-2-plan	Define approach, structure, and risks
2. Execute	/vt-d-3-build	Do the work with learning capture
3. Review	/vt-d-4-review	Quality review without code assumptions
4. Publish	/vt-d-5-finalize	Finalize and deliver

See Knowledge Work Workflow for the full guide.

How workflows connect

A typical product might use both workflows:

1. Unified Product Development — research users, design, build, deploy, operate
2. Knowledge Work — create user guides, training materials, process docs alongside or after development