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Concept Selectionby owl-listener

Concept Selection Skill.

Choose a design direction against criteria agreed before comparison.

  • Concept Evaluation
  • Trade-offs
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Source Review · concept-selectionSKILL.md
Task Choose a design direction against criteria agreed before comparison. Produces Pre-agreed criteria classified as thresholds or tradeoffs. Before You Start Criteria written after seeing a preferred option can disguise preference as analysis.
Editorial summary · source reviewed 2026-11-02 · not a generated example

01 What It Does

Choose a design direction against criteria agreed before comparison

Select among comparable design concepts with explicit thresholds, tradeoffs, rejected-option reasoning and conditions for revisiting the decision.

Source-based workflowNot an execution benchmark

The Working Approach

Concept Selection closes a design exploration with a documented decision. The skill starts by fixing criteria before comparing the options, then distinguishes hard thresholds from tradeoffs. A concept that fails a required constraint cannot compensate simply by looking stronger on another dimension.

The decision record includes the winning concept's cost as well as the reasons other concepts were rejected. For each rejected option, it preserves what the option was testing and what evidence might bring it back. This helps a team explain the choice later without relying on memory or a score alone.

Expected Deliverables

  • Pre-agreed criteria classified as thresholds or tradeoffs.
  • A selected direction with its explicit costs and reasons.
  • A decision record preserving rejected concepts and revisit conditions.
See the Example Brief

From Brief to Review

  1. 01
    Establish the decision rules

    Name the decision owner and derive criteria from the brief and product principles. Write criteria precise enough to rule a concept out.

  2. 02
    Compare like-for-like options

    Bring alternatives to comparable fidelity and apply the same criteria to the incumbent. Use evidence and constraints rather than the volume of support in the room.

  3. 03
    Resolve competing priorities

    If different concepts win on conflicting criteria, surface the priority decision. Avoid averaging them into an untested combination.

  4. 04
    Record the full decision

    Explain what the chosen direction gives up. For each rejected option, preserve its hypothesis, reason for rejection and conditions that would justify reconsideration.

02 When to Use It

When to Use It

Criteria written after seeing a preferred option can disguise preference as analysis.

A Good Fit

  • Several viable directions existThe team needs to commit to one after a parallel exploration.
  • A decision needs to survive handoffFuture reviewers need the rationale and rejected options, not just a winning screenshot.

Limits to Check

  • Criteria firstCriteria written after seeing a preferred option can disguise preference as analysis.
  • Evidence limitsUnresolved priority conflicts require a decision rather than a fabricated numerical compromise.
  • Different experiment typeThe source directs choices that can be measured through production traffic to A/B testing.

Bring These Inputs

  • Comparable conceptsProvide feasible alternatives at similar fidelity, including the current design where relevant.
  • Brief and principlesSupply success criteria and non-negotiable constraints.
  • Decision ownershipIdentify who makes the final choice and what evidence is available.

03 Decisions That Matter

Decisions That Matter

  1. Honest tradeoffs

    The winner's limitations remain visible in the record.

  2. Recoverable alternatives

    Rejected concepts retain their learning value.

  3. Stable rationale

    The choice can be revisited when stated conditions change.

04 Try a Focused Brief

Try a Focused Brief

The example brief below has not been tested. Check the skill’s setup before using it.

Review the Source and Setup

Provide feasible alternatives at similar fidelity, including the current design where relevant.

Upstream Source File
https://github.com/owl-listener/designer-skills/blob/9a6930cf84a822eb458624bd11c61aac5bbdf224/prototyping-testing/skills/concept-selection/SKILL.md

The reference below opens the upstream instructions. Review the repository setup before using them; it is not an installation command.

Start With One Deliverable

Adapt the scope, source material and constraints in this brief before running the skill.

Example Brief
Use concept-selection to compare our three file-import concepts. Before evaluating them, derive explicit criteria from the approved brief and mark each as a hard threshold or a tradeoff. Apply the same criteria to the existing wizard. Compare only options at similar fidelity, using the evidence we actually have. Recommend one direction, state what it sacrifices, and identify any priority conflict that still requires a decision. For every rejected concept, record what it tested, why it lost and what new evidence would justify bringing it back.

Inspect the Result

Check the actual output against these observable criteria.

  • Criteria were fixed independently of the preferred option.
  • The winning concept's cost and remaining uncertainty are stated.
  • Rejected options retain a rationale and concrete revisit conditions.

OpenDesign provides a local design workspace for coding agents. This listing does not mean the skill is bundled or that its external tools, credentials and software dependencies are included.

Download OpenDesignRead the Quickstart

05 Source and License

Source and License

This page describes the pinned source revision linked below. Upstream behavior and requirements can change.

Source Owner
owl-listener
Repository
owl-listener/designer-skills
Skill File
SKILL.md
License
MIT
Reviewed Snapshot
2026-11-02 · 9a6930cf84a8
Editorial Source Summary
Choose a design direction against criteria agreed before comparison.

Original summary by OpenDesign, based on the linked source. Repository stars are a dated popularity signal, not skill usage or a quality score.

06 Questions Before You Start

Questions Before You Start

Is a score enough to select a concept?

The source emphasizes the decision record and reasoning. Scores alone do not explain tradeoffs or resolve conflicting priorities.

Should the current design receive special treatment?

No. It should be evaluated against the same criteria as the alternatives.

Can the winner combine every option's favorite feature?

The source warns that this creates a new combination without the evidence that supported the original concepts.

OpenDesign

Keep Your Brief and Design Work Together.

Keep your brief, source material and design work together in a local workspace. Check the skill’s own setup before adding it to your workflow.

Download OpenDesignBrowse Design Skills
Upstream Source File
https://github.com/owl-listener/designer-skills/blob/9a6930cf84a822eb458624bd11c61aac5bbdf224/prototyping-testing/skills/concept-selection/SKILL.md