principle-redesign-from-first-principles

Read all affected files to understand the current design, then ask what you would build from scratch if the requirement existed from day one. Propagate the change through every reference including types, docs, and examples, and deliver the redesign incrementally.

It is a design method where you treat a new requirement as a foundational assumption and rethink the system as if building it from scratch. The goal is a coherent result rather than a patch bolted onto the existing structure.

Redesign when a new requirement conflicts with core assumptions of the current design, such as data models or API structure. Patching works for superficial changes, but foundational shifts need holistic rethinking to avoid accumulating inconsistency.

Think about the redesign holistically first, then deliver it incrementally in small, reviewable steps. Propagate changes through all references including types, documentation, and examples so each increment stays consistent.

It requires reading and understanding all affected files, which takes more upfront effort than a quick patch. For trivial or isolated changes, a full redesign may be unnecessary overhead.