# Phase 1.4: Enrich Checkpoint Workflow - Context

**Gathered:** 2026-01-25
**Status:** Ready for planning

<domain>
## Phase Boundary

Enhance the checkpoint workflow to better preserve work-in-progress state when clearing context between sessions. The checkpoint system exists (from Phase 1.3) - this phase enriches what gets captured and how fresh agents resume. Also adds revisit workflow for non-linear thinking after whiteboarding.

</domain>

<decisions>
## Implementation Decisions

### WORK.md Semantic Broadening
- Current semantic ("execution log") doesn't fit moodboard/whiteboard modes
- New semantic: **Session work log** - tracks all session-level work across all modes
- Structure: Hybrid (narrative at top + chronological log below)
- During moodboard: captures vision, user preferences
- During whiteboard: captures plan rationale, trade-offs
- During execution: captures actions, file changes, commands
- WORK.md survives checkpoints, deleted only on promotion

### Current Understanding Section (WORK.md top)
- Updated during checkpoint for fresh agent resume
- Structure follows OG GSD's pause-work pattern:

```markdown
## Current Understanding

<current_state>
[Where exactly are we? Phase, task, completion %]
</current_state>

<vision>
[What user wants - the intent, feel, references]
</vision>

<decisions>
[Key decisions with rationale - not just WHAT but WHY]
</decisions>

<blockers>
[Open questions, stuck items, waiting on user]
</blockers>

<next_action>
[Specific first action when resuming]
</next_action>
```

### Session Log Entries
- Chronological entries below Current Understanding
- Tagged by type: `[VISION]`, `[DECISION]`, `[PLAN]`, `[EXEC]`, `[BLOCKER]`
- Append-only during session
- Example: `**[VISION]** User wants Linear-like feel + Bloomberg density for power users`

### Revisit Workflow (revisit.md)
- User-initiated only (e.g., `/revisit` or "let me rethink this")
- Available after whiteboard-complete mode
- Purpose: Non-linear thinking - user returns with new ideas since original dreaming
- Capabilities:
  1. Review current plan (show PLAN.md state)
  2. Add new ideas from user (capture to WORK.md)
  3. Identify what changed (compare new vs original)
  4. Revise PLAN.md if needed
- Mode transition: whiteboard-complete → revisit → whiteboard-complete (ready for execution)
- Stays in planning layer (doesn't loop back to moodboard)

### Diagram Format
- No ASCII art anywhere in docs
- Use markdown headers + mermaid diagrams instead
- Rationale: Non-Claude agents underperform when rendering ASCII

### Claude's Discretion
- Exact wording of checkpoint prompts
- How agent determines when to suggest checkpoint (token budget thresholds)
- Formatting of session log entries within the tagged structure

</decisions>

<specifics>
## Specific Ideas

- Reference OG GSD's `/gsd:pause-work` for handoff structure (current_state, completed_work, remaining_work, decisions_made, blockers, context, next_action)
- The "Current Understanding" section should be readable by a fresh agent in 30 seconds
- WORK.md lifecycle: survives checkpoints, dies on promotion (promotes to external docs like PR)
- gsd-lite is for completing ONE phase effectively across sessions, not long-term project history

</specifics>

<deferred>
## Deferred Ideas

None - discussion stayed within phase scope

</deferred>

---

*Phase: 01.4-enrich-checkpoint-workflow*
*Context gathered: 2026-01-25*
