# Design Alternatives

> >

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-adeerkhan-vitruvius-design-alternatives`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [adeerkhan](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/adeerkhan)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [adeerkhan](https://github.com/adeerkhan)
- **Source:** https://github.com/adeerkhan/vitruvius/tree/main/skills/design-alternatives

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-adeerkhan-vitruvius-design-alternatives
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Design Alternatives

Generate structured engineering design alternatives and compare them against
the problem constraints. This skill is for exploration and comparison, not
final design.

## Workflow

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    Input["Problem + Constraints"] --> Generate["Generate 3+ Alternatives"]
    Generate --> Criteria["Define Criteria"]
    Criteria --> Score["Score Each Alternative"]
    Score --> Matrix["Comparison Matrix"]
    Matrix --> Recommend["Ranked Recommendation"]
```

## Invocation

```
/design-alternatives 
```

Include constraints: performance targets, budget limits, spatial constraints,
code requirements, environmental conditions, timeline.

## Methodology

1. **Parse constraints** — hard (must meet), soft (preferences), evaluation criteria. Ask if unclear.
2. **Generate 3-5 alternatives** — technically feasible, distinct approaches. Each: Approach, Governing standards, Advantages, Limitations.
3. **Comparison matrix** — score 1-5 on Performance, Cost, Feasibility, Durability, Risk, Code compliance. Weight by priorities.
4. **Recommend** — best overall + best for specific priorities + trade-offs. Do NOT recommend a single answer.

## Output

### Inline Summary (chat response)

- Problem restatement with constraints
- 3-5 alternatives with one-line descriptions
- Comparison matrix (scored)
- Recommendation with trade-offs

### Full Analysis (saved to disk)

Save to `outputs/design-alternatives/.md`: Problem Statement, Constraints, Alternatives (Approach/Governing standards/Advantages/Limitations each), Comparison Matrix (criteria × alternatives, scored 1-5 with weights), Recommendation (best overall + trade-offs).

## Scope and Boundaries

- This skill compares alternatives — it does NOT produce final designs.
- Output is research and analysis, not construction documents.
- All alternatives must have a basis in engineering practice — no speculative or unproven approaches.
- Evidence quality: see `references/evidence-quality-tiers.md`.
- **Research-only, not for final engineering sign-off.**

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [adeerkhan](https://github.com/adeerkhan)
- **Source:** [adeerkhan/vitruvius](https://github.com/adeerkhan/vitruvius)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-adeerkhan-vitruvius-design-alternatives
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/adeerkhan
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

---
Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.