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Use when a product direction, feature, workflow, experiment, launch, feedback signal, automation, or scale decision needs judgment before execution or the next iteration.
Decide whether a product direction should continue, be verified, or be reframed anywhere in the product loop.
Execution includes design, implementation, prototype, launch, growth, automation, or investment.
Load in this order:
resources/schemas/session-config.schema.json: set working_language; keep
canonical_identifiers in English.resources/knowledge/ontology.json: use the canonical UX3 knowledge kernel and its
approved Flow definitions.resources/knowledge/rules.json: load required rules plus only triggered conditional
rules.resources/prompts/start-review.md.Then fill resources/templates/product-brief.md, select the smallest responsible mode,
and return resources/schemas/review-result.schema.json.
Validate every review result with resources/scripts/check_review.py. JSON Schema checks
shape and conditional fields; check_review.py is the canonical validator for
the worst-verdict, weakest-flow, and headline-tier semantic checks.
| Mode | Use when |
|---|---|
| Quick Gate | Small, reversible, low-risk change. |
| Standard Gate | New feature, workflow, or experiment. |
| UX3 Council | High uncertainty, external evidence, meaningful risk, multiple reviewers, or human-owned trade-off. |
Handoff is not a review mode. When a prior review already returned continue, reuse its context pack instead of running a new review.
Reversibility lowers mode, not the review requirement.
Review three connected dimensions:
| Flow | Core question |
|---|---|
| User Flow | Who is the product for, who is affected, what are they trying to accomplish, and what cost or loss of control exists now? |
| Evidence Flow | What signal was observed, where did it come from, what interpretation is being made, what counter-signal weakens it, and what decision impact follows? |
| Business Flow | Who creates value, receives value, pays or decides, bears cost or risk, and can the exchange remain viable and legitimate? |
Then inspect the intersections: Situated Understanding, Viable Learning, and Sustainable Value Exchange.
Apply the same reduction sequence to every submitted review:
resources/scripts/check_review.py.Do not average lanes. Human-owned calls are recorded through an accountable decision record; they are not converted into a machine score.
Before handoff, name product organization, issuer, stakeholder effects, and accountable owner. Missing issuer or owner blocks implementation.
verify branch: verify authorizes only the exact proof_step and never
general coding.continue branch: continue plus a valid context pack authorizes implementation.may_do, must_not_do, and must_ask.Load only rules whose observable trigger applies. These families refine the three Flow reviews; they do not create new verdicts or allow a strong Flow to outvote a weak one.
| Situation | Required rule |
|---|---|
| Mental-model mismatch, hidden capability, or misunderstood consequence | ux3.rule.mental_model_alignment |
| Cognitive or recovery burden across human, task, tool, and environment | ux3.rule.human_factors_load |
| Research claim, synthetic user, simulation, interview, survey, test, or analytics result | ux3.rule.research_validity |
| Value proposition, positioning, buyer, channel, or GTM path before fit is proven | ux3.rule.value_market_path |
| Agent plan or tool action that needs visibility, control, handoff, or recovery | ux3.rule.human_agent_interaction |
| Retention, personalization, or gamification that changes repeated behavior | ux3.rule.motivation_ethics |
| Verdict | Required next step |
|---|---|
| continue | Create resources/templates/context-pack.md within the execution boundary. |
| verify | Run one proof step only. |
| stop_reframe | Stop execution and return a better product question. |
Use triggered rule IDs for detail instead of duplicating every rule in prompts. Common triggers include ux3.rule.actor_boundary, ux3.rule.problem_hypothesis, ux3.rule.evidence_separation, ux3.rule.minimum_validated_proof, ux3.rule.feedback_classification, and ux3.rule.human_judgment. The distilled trigger table above covers additional rules that activate only when their specific product condition appears.
Use resources/docs/HARNESS.md for the handbook, resources/docs/OPERATING-PROTOCOL.md for the six-gate protocol, resources/docs/CONTRACTS.md for output rules, and resources/examples/ for worked reviews.
