experiment: test current handoff maintenance

docs/current-handoff.md

@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@
 - 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);
+- Experiment 34 created a single return-to-work handoff file to replace scattered current-state notes;
-- The working tree was clean at commit `b959cfa`.
+- The working tree was clean at commit `1d92aa0`.
+
+> This handoff describes the latest stopping point only. When work moves on, replace stale current-work details rather than appending another historical note. Historical experiment and commit information belongs in `docs/design-evolution-log.md`.
 
 ## 2. What Is True Now
 
@@ -24,17 +26,28 @@ Engine and UI work were deliberately paused because documentation had grown larg
 
 ## 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.
+Experiment 34 consolidated scattered return-to-work notes into a single handoff file at `docs/current-handoff.md`, replacing the growing list of current-state entries in `docs/current-project-state.md`. This tested whether one living document could replace accumulated history without losing navigation value. No source code changed. No files moved or deleted.
 
-**Commit:** `b959cfa` (experiment: create task-specific context packs)
+**Commit:** `1d92aa0` (experiment: create single return-to-work handoff)
 
 ## 5. What Remains Open
 
-- Whether a single handoff is enough to resume accurately after an extended break;
+- Whether the handoff stays accurate and concise after further project advances (tested by this experiment);
 - 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.
 
+### When This Knowledge-Management Phase Is Complete
+
+Provisional criteria for review (not yet declared complete):
+
+1. A fresh session can resume from the handoff and one context pack;
+2. Current state has been verified against implementation;
+3. Historical material is outside default loading;
+4. Current principles are separated from aspirational architecture;
+5. Task-specific routing works for engine and UI tasks;
+6. A cross-boundary task has been tested;
+7. Maintaining the handoff does not require reading the full history.
+
 ## 6. How to Resume
 
 1. Read `docs/current-handoff.md`.
@@ -65,4 +78,8 @@ Answer before continuing:
 
 ---
 
-*Created by Experiment 34. Branch: `feature/user-workspace-ux-v0.7`.*
+*Created by Experiment 34. Updated by Experiment 35. Branch: `feature/user-workspace-ux-v0.7`.*
+
+### Return-to-Work Note (Experiment 35)
+
+Experiment 35 tested handoff maintenance after another knowledge-management experiment completed. Stale experiment and commit wording was corrected — the handoff now names Experiment 34 as the latest completed KM experiment and `1d92aa0` as the latest confirmed commit. Provisional knowledge-management completion criteria are recorded in Section 5. Engine and UI experiments remain paused; knowledge-management remains active. First file to inspect when resuming: `docs/current-handoff.md`, then `docs/task-context-packs.md`.

docs/design-evolution-log.md

@@ -2049,3 +2049,33 @@ Yes, for immediate resumption context. The handoff carries the latest stopping p
 ### Status
 
 Pending Rob's review.
+
+## Experiment 35 — Test Current Handoff Maintenance (2026-08-06)
+
+**Hypothesis:** A current handoff can remain useful if it describes only the latest stopping point, replaces stale details rather than appending history, and identifies the latest confirmed experiment and commit unambiguously.
+
+**Stale or ambiguous wording found:**
+- Section 1 named Experiment 33 and commit `b959cfa` as the current state — now stale after Experiments 34+35;
+- Section 4 described only Experiment 33's completion, giving no indication that a single handoff had been created in Experiment 34;
+- No explicit mention of commit `1d92aa0` anywhere in the handoff;
+- Footer said "Created by Experiment 34" without acknowledging this maintenance experiment.
+
+**Corrections made:**
+- Section 1: updated to name Experiment 34 and commit `1d92aa0`; added the maintenance principle ("replace stale details rather than appending history");
+- Section 4: rewritten to describe Experiment 34's consolidation work;
+- Section 5: retained one genuinely open question about handoff longevity; added provisional KM completion criteria sub-section (7 criteria, marked provisional);
+- Footer: updated to reference Experiment 35; added Return-to-Work Note recording all current state.
+
+**Fresh-return test result:** PASS — from `current-handoff.md` and `task-context-packs.md` only, a fresh session can determine:
+- Latest completed KM experiment: Experiment 34 ✓
+- Latest commit: `1d92aa0` ✓
+- Knowledge-management active, engine/UI paused ✓
+- Knowledge-Management context pack is the correct routing target ✓
+- No need to open full design history ✓
+- Older commits not mistaken for current stopping point ✓
+
+**Provisional completion criteria added:** Seven criteria recorded in Section 5 (see above). Not yet declared complete — pending Rob's review.
+
+**Handoff remained concise?** Yes. 86 lines (was 68). Increase justified by the maintenance principle paragraph, updated current-state wording, and provisional completion criteria section. No historical timeline appended.
+
+**Status:** Pending Rob's review.