Tools
Every tool, Use it checklist and example in the Field Guide, grouped by form. Each one links to the chapter it comes from.
Use it checklists
- A quick slop test
Opening essay · Stop the design slop
- A practical status-quo audit
Chapter 1 · The Status Quo Is the Real Competitor
- A trigger test
Chapter 2 · The Trigger Is a Scene, Not a Segment
- The test
Chapter 3 · The Job Beneath the Prompt
- A review checklist
Chapter 4 · How to Write a Job Spec for an AI Agent
- A backward-forces audit
Chapter 5 · Why People Stay When the Pain Is Obvious
- Put relief into the brief
Chapter 6 · What Relief Looks Like Is a Requirement
- The handoff test
Chapter 7 · From Interview Quote to Product Decision
- An ordinary-day test plan
Chapter 8 · Ordinary-Day Truth
- The design standard
Chapter 9 · Design the Relationship, Not the Screen
- An evaluation audit
Chapter 10 · Ease of Evaluation Is the New Ease of Use
- Run a reaction-first session
Chapter 11 · Reactions Are Solid Gold. Feedback Is Cheap.
- Map your first fourteen
Chapter 12 · The First Fourteen: Where Trust Forms Before Value Is Explained
- A production-ready design test
Chapter 13 · Front-End Design Engineering Is the Product
- Run a state inventory
Chapter 14 · Every AI State Is a UX State
- A translation-tax audit
Chapter 15 · From Figma to Frontend Without the Translation Tax
- A recovery review
Chapter 16 · Error Recovery Is Product Strategy
- A context audit
Chapter 17 · AI Without Job Context Is Just Autocomplete
- A GOOD Iteration check
Chapter 18 · Generative Outcome-Oriented Design
- Check the boundaries for each agent action
Chapter 19 · Capability Isn’t Permission
- A system audit
Chapter 20 · The Agentic Design System
- Start a trust-token inventory
Chapter 21 · Trust Tokens: A Shared Grammar for Delegated Products
- A memory audit
Chapter 22 · Memory Is a Permission Model
- A pass-back checklist
Chapter 23 · Designing the Pass-Back
- A convergence audit
Chapter 24 · AI That Knows When to Stop
- A relief-first audit
Chapter 25 · Relief Before Belief
- Find your first yes
Chapter 26 · The First Yes
- Diagnose the broken R
Chapter 27 · The Six Rs of a Sticky Product
- Audit both clocks
Chapter 28 · Fast Sticky Opens the Door. Slow Sticky Keeps It Open.
- A stickiness ethics audit
Chapter 29 · Sticky Isn’t Lock-In
- Run a promise-to-behavior audit
Chapter 30 · The Product Is the Brand
- A sequence review
Chapter 31 · Sequence Beats Speed
- Plan the next return
Chapter 32 · The Hole in Tomorrow
Fill-in tables
- Objects and transitions
Opening essay · Stop the design slop
- Four forces
Chapter 1 · The Status Quo Is the Real Competitor
- Map the workflow people actually tolerate
Chapter 1 · The Status Quo Is the Real Competitor
- Conditional behavior
Chapter 4 · How to Write a Job Spec for an AI Agent
- Backward forces
Chapter 5 · Why People Stay When the Pain Is Obvious
- What the old way does well
Chapter 5 · Why People Stay When the Pain Is Obvious
- Decision ledger
Chapter 7 · From Interview Quote to Product Decision
- Situational prototype
Chapter 11 · Reactions Are Solid Gold. Feedback Is Cheap.
- Watch the silence
Chapter 11 · Reactions Are Solid Gold. Feedback Is Cheap.
- State inventory
Chapter 14 · Every AI State Is a UX State
- Scaling by accident vs. scaling by design
Chapter 18 · Generative Outcome-Oriented Design
- Core component families
Chapter 20 · The Agentic Design System
- Trust-token inventory
Chapter 21 · Trust Tokens: A Shared Grammar for Delegated Products
- Promise-to-behavior audit
Chapter 30 · The Product Is the Brand
Sequence maps
- Knurture’s process
Opening essay · Stop the design slop
- How to research the scene
Chapter 2 · The Trigger Is a Scene, Not a Segment
- Follow the chain
Chapter 7 · From Interview Quote to Product Decision
- The first fourteen
Chapter 12 · The First Fourteen: Where Trust Forms Before Value Is Explained
- Vertical slices
Chapter 15 · From Figma to Frontend Without the Translation Tax
- Convergence stages
Chapter 24 · AI That Knows When to Stop
- The Six Rs
Chapter 27 · The Six Rs of a Sticky Product
- Diagnose the earliest broken step
Chapter 31 · Sequence Beats Speed
Fill-in cards
- Trigger scene
Chapter 2 · The Trigger Is a Scene, Not a Segment
- A job-context card
Chapter 3 · The Job Beneath the Prompt
- The eight parts of an agent job spec
Chapter 4 · How to Write a Job Spec for an AI Agent
- Relief requirement
Chapter 6 · What Relief Looks Like Is a Requirement
- Ordinary-day prototype
Chapter 8 · Ordinary-Day Truth
- Relationship critique
Chapter 9 · Design the Relationship, Not the Screen
- Make the result inspectable
Chapter 10 · Ease of Evaluation Is the New Ease of Use
- Deliver intent, not output
Chapter 13 · Front-End Design Engineering Is the Product
- Design the arc, not isolated screens
Chapter 13 · Front-End Design Engineering Is the Product
- One component conversation
Chapter 15 · From Figma to Frontend Without the Translation Tax
- Safety net
Chapter 16 · Error Recovery Is Product Strategy
- Recovery path
Chapter 16 · Error Recovery Is Product Strategy
- Job context
Chapter 17 · AI Without Job Context Is Just Autocomplete
- The three questions
Chapter 18 · Generative Outcome-Oriented Design
- Four modes
Chapter 19 · Capability Isn’t Permission
- Consent scope
Chapter 19 · Capability Isn’t Permission
- Semantic contract
Chapter 20 · The Agentic Design System
- Trust token
Chapter 21 · Trust Tokens: A Shared Grammar for Delegated Products
- Memory scope
Chapter 22 · Memory Is a Permission Model
- Memory provenance
Chapter 22 · Memory Is a Permission Model
- Five pass-back questions
Chapter 23 · Designing the Pass-Back
- Readiness check
Chapter 24 · AI That Knows When to Stop
- Don’t front-load the relationship
Chapter 25 · Relief Before Belief
- Watch for the exhale
Chapter 25 · Relief Before Belief
- A good first yes
Chapter 26 · The First Yes
- First voluntary use
Chapter 26 · The First Yes
- Two clocks
Chapter 28 · Fast Sticky Opens the Door. Slow Sticky Keeps It Open.
- Design the bridge
Chapter 28 · Fast Sticky Opens the Door. Slow Sticky Keeps It Open.
- Compounding value without captivity
Chapter 29 · Sticky Isn’t Lock-In
- Watch the language
Chapter 29 · Sticky Isn’t Lock-In
- Leave the work ready to resume
Chapter 32 · The Hole in Tomorrow
- Situational cue
Chapter 32 · The Hole in Tomorrow
Examples
- Objects and transitions for an AI-improved project plan
Opening essay · Stop the design slop
- A project tracker nobody wants to give up
Chapter 1 · The Status Quo Is the Real Competitor
- Trigger scene: the quarterly review
Chapter 2 · The Trigger Is a Scene, Not a Segment
- A job-context card for “Write a response”
Chapter 3 · The Job Beneath the Prompt
- The renewal job, specified
Chapter 4 · How to Write a Job Spec for an AI Agent
- A backward-forces audit for a team’s brittle spreadsheet
Chapter 5 · Why People Stay When the Pain Is Obvious
- A renewal brief, rewritten as relief
Chapter 6 · What Relief Looks Like Is a Requirement
- Follow the chain: a weekly risk review
Chapter 7 · From Interview Quote to Product Decision
- The day-to-day scene, as a prototype
Chapter 8 · Ordinary-Day Truth
- Relationship critique: manual or autopilot
Chapter 9 · Design the Relationship, Not the Screen
- Make the result inspectable: a vendor agreement review
Chapter 10 · Ease of Evaluation Is the New Ease of Use
- An automation prototype
Chapter 11 · Reactions Are Solid Gold. Feedback Is Cheap.
- The first fourteen: an AI review product for a compliance lead
Chapter 12 · The First Fourteen: Where Trust Forms Before Value Is Explained
- Deliver intent, not output: action preview and consent
Chapter 13 · Front-End Design Engineering Is the Product
- State inventory: a draft that lost its policy record
Chapter 14 · Every AI State Is a UX State
- One component conversation: the frame from the opening
Chapter 15 · From Figma to Frontend Without the Translation Tax
- Recovery path: the unavailable research library
Chapter 16 · Error Recovery Is Product Strategy
- After an escalation: “Summarize this customer”
Chapter 17 · AI Without Job Context Is Just Autocomplete
- The three questions for “Build a collaboration feature”
Chapter 18 · Generative Outcome-Oriented Design
- Four modes: a support team rolls out an agent
Chapter 19 · Capability Isn’t Permission
- Core component families: states a spinner and a toast can’t carry
Chapter 20 · The Agentic Design System
- Trust token: an external, high-risk action
Chapter 21 · Trust Tokens: A Shared Grammar for Delegated Products
- Memory scope: a tone, a timezone, a recommendation
Chapter 22 · Memory Is a Permission Model
- Five pass-back questions: a rerouted invoice
Chapter 23 · Designing the Pass-Back
- Convergence stages: the draft from the opening
Chapter 24 · AI That Knows When to Stop
- Don’t front-load the relationship: ten minutes before a vendor call
Chapter 25 · Relief Before Belief
- A good first yes: one account the user is worried about
Chapter 26 · The First Yes
- The Six Rs: relief that never became a ritual
Chapter 27 · The Six Rs of a Sticky Product
- Two clocks: the magic trick and the enterprise maze
Chapter 28 · Fast Sticky Opens the Door. Slow Sticky Keeps It Open.
- Watch the language: two products, one dashboard
Chapter 29 · Sticky Isn’t Lock-In
- Promise-to-behavior audit: a research product that asks for everything first
Chapter 30 · The Product Is the Brand
- Diagnose the earliest broken step: high activation, mediocre retention
Chapter 31 · Sequence Beats Speed
- Situational cue: the half-finished competitor brief
Chapter 32 · The Hole in Tomorrow
