experiment: create single return-to-work handoff

2026-08-06 15:37:12 +01:00
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+# Current Return-to-Work Handoff — Confidence Engine
+
+> This file describes only the latest stopping point. Replace its current-work sections when the project moves on. Historical evidence remains in the design log and archive.
+
+## 1. Where We Left It
+
+- Engine experiments are paused after Experiment 25B;
+- UI experiments are paused;
+- Knowledge-management experiments are active;
+- Experiment 33 created task-specific context packs (four minimal document sets);
+- The working tree was clean at commit `b959cfa`.
+
+## 2. What Is True Now
+
+- Main active engine path: deterministic reasoning pipeline (scenario reconstruction, graph update, unknown selection, question formulation, turn orchestration).
+- Passive experimental classifiers from Experiments 18–25B remain isolated diagnostic layers; none control the user-facing investigation.
+- Keyword and phrase-based scope detection remains provisional scaffolding.
+- `docs/current-project-state.md` is the main entry point for active project state.
+- `docs/task-context-packs.md` chooses the minimum context documents for each work type.
+
+## 3. Why Work Is Paused
+
+Engine and UI work were deliberately paused because documentation had grown large enough to overload Claude and make returning across sessions difficult. The current phase is simplifying what a fresh session must load to understand the project, without losing evidential history. Historical material remains available under `docs/archive/`.
+
+## 4. What Was Just Completed
+
+Experiment 33 created four task-specific context packs — one for each work type — giving each a minimal four-document starting set plus targeted reading paths. Routing tests for engine and UI tasks passed. No source code changed. No additional context was required beyond the existing documents.
+
+**Commit:** `b959cfa` (experiment: create task-specific context packs)
+
+## 5. What Remains Open
+
+- Whether a single handoff is enough to resume accurately after an extended break;
+- Whether tasks crossing pack boundaries can still stay concise without loading excessive context;
+- Whether old return notes should remain historical evidence rather than being treated as current;
+- When knowledge-management work is complete enough to resume engine experiments.
+
+## 6. How to Resume
+
+1. Read `docs/current-handoff.md`.
+2. Read `docs/current-project-state.md`.
+3. Choose one pack from `docs/task-context-packs.md`.
+4. Read `.claude/architecture-guardrails.md` before any code change.
+5. Load extra context only for a named gap — record why.
+6. Check Git status before continuing.
+
+## 7. First Files by Work Type
+
+| Work type | Start with |
+|---|---|
+| Engine experiment | Engine Experiment pack |
+| UI or mock work | UI and Mock pack |
+| Architecture or contract review | Architecture or Contract pack |
+| Knowledge management | Knowledge-Management pack |
+
+## 8. Resume Check
+
+Answer before continuing:
+
+1. What work is currently active?
+2. What work is paused?
+3. What was the latest completed experiment?
+4. Which context pack applies to the next task?
+5. Is there any uncommitted work?
+
+---
+
+*Created by Experiment 34. Branch: `feature/user-workspace-ux-v0.7`.*
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ The following were built during Experiments 18–25B. They are isolated diagnost

 | When you need | Read this |
 |---|---|
+| Returning after a break | `docs/current-handoff.md` (first file) |
 | Where we are now | `docs/current-project-state.md` (this file) |
 | Current principles and reasoning guidance | `docs/current-working-principles.md` |
 | What to keep from code changes during UX work | `.claude/architecture-guardrails.md` |
@@ -117,6 +118,10 @@ Current principles now live in `docs/current-working-principles.md`. This short

 Task-specific context packs now exist in `docs/task-context-packs.md`, giving each work type a minimal four-document starting set plus targeted reading paths. Future sessions should start with `docs/current-project-state.md`, then choose one pack from `docs/task-context-packs.md`. Additional documents should be loaded only for a named gap, with the reason recorded. Engine and UI experiments remain paused. Branch: `feature/user-workspace-ux-v0.7`. First file to inspect when resuming: `docs/current-project-state.md`, then select the relevant pack from `docs/task-context-packs.md`.

+### Return-to-Work Note (Experiment 34)
+
+A single return-to-work handoff file now exists at `docs/current-handoff.md`. It carries the latest stopping point in approximately 68 lines and replaces scattered current return notes for immediate resumption. Historical evidence remains in the design log and archive. Engine and UI experiments remain paused after Experiment 25B. Branch: `feature/user-workspace-ux-v0.7`. First file to inspect when resuming: `docs/current-handoff.md`, then `docs/current-project-state.md`, then the relevant pack from `docs/task-context-packs.md`.
+
 ## Verification Marker

 Implementation status last checked against source: Experiment 28.
@@ -2003,4 +2003,49 @@ Each pack lists what to always read, what to read only when relevant, and what t

 Task-specific context packs now exist in `docs/task-context-packs.md`, giving each work type a minimal four-document starting set plus targeted reading paths. Future sessions should start with `docs/current-project-state.md`, then choose one pack from `docs/task-context-packs.md`. Additional documents should be loaded only for a named gap, with the reason recorded. Engine and UI experiments remain paused. Branch: `feature/user-workspace-ux-v0.7`. First file to inspect when resuming: `docs/current-project-state.md`, then select the relevant pack from `docs/task-context-packs.md`.

---
+---
+## Experiment 34 — Single Return-to-Work Handoff
+
+**Date:** 2026-08-06  
+**Branch:** `feature/user-workspace-ux-v0.7`
+
+### Hypothesis
+
+A single short handoff file can carry enough immediate context to resume work accurately while linking to deeper documents only when needed.
+
+### Handoff Structure
+
+Eight sections: Where We Left It, What Is True Now, Why Work Is Paused, What Was Just Completed, What Remains Open, How to Resume, First Files by Work Type (table), Resume Check (five questions). Plus a maintenance rule replacing current-work sections when the project moves on.
+
+### Document Length
+
+`docs/current-handoff.md`: 68 lines (target range: 60–100).
+
+### Practical Resume-Test Result
+
+**Task:** Return after two weeks, remember almost nothing. Explain where the project stands, what is paused, what was completed most recently, and what to read before an engine task — using only `docs/current-handoff.md` and `docs/task-context-packs.md`.
+
+| Check | Result |
+|---|---|
+| Identifies correct active phase (knowledge management) | Yes |
+| Identifies paused engine and UI work | Yes |
+| Identifies Experiment 33 as latest completed | Yes |
+| Chooses Engine Experiment pack for engine task | Yes |
+| Avoids opening full design history | Yes |
+| Does not confuse passive code with active behaviour | Yes |
+
+**Verdict:** Pass. The handoff alone is sufficient to resume accurately.
+
+### Missing Information
+
+- "When knowledge-management work is complete enough to resume engine experiments" — no objective criterion exists yet; this is a judgment call for Rob.
+- "Whether tasks crossing pack boundaries can still stay concise" — unanswered in principle; requires testing with actual cross-boundary tasks.
+- Whether `docs/current-handoff.md` remains useful after several more knowledge-management experiments add to it.
+
+### Can This Replace Scattered Current Return Notes?
+
+Yes, for immediate resumption context. The handoff carries the latest stopping point without accumulating old notes. Historical return notes remain in `docs/current-project-state.md` and `docs/design-evolution-log.md` as evidence, not as current guidance. Rob should decide whether to purge older return notes once confident in the handoff model.
+
+### Status
+
+Pending Rob's review.
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ These are the documents Claude should normally read before continuing Confidence
 - **Why required:** Provides a smaller starting context than the full inventory. Eliminates ambiguity about which documents to open first for each work type.
 - **Size:** small (~110 lines)

+### docs/current-handoff.md (new — Experiment 34)
+- **Purpose:** Single return-to-work handoff carrying the latest stopping point in one short document. Classifies as the shortest current resume entry point.
+- **Sections to read:** All eight sections when returning after a break; specific sections only when the resuming session has partial context.
+- **Why required:** Replaces scattered current return notes with one obvious file. Does not duplicate full current-state or experiment history.
+- **Size:** short (~68 lines)
+
 ### docs/03_Confidence_Engine_Language_Guide.md
 - **Purpose:** Exact language rules for user-facing output (voice, translations, what to avoid).
 - **Sections to read:** Entire file (~27 lines).