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. 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: - Mechan…