Iterative Design: Propose, Review, Refine, Re-check
CoreSupport solution design through iteration and the simplest-approach principle · Difficulty 1/5
Explanation
The Iterative Loop
Claude helps design and refine solutions iteratively rather than in one shot: draft an approach, critique it, generate alternatives, and improve. The loop repeats:
- Propose an approach
- Review it against the actual needs
- Refine based on that review
- Re-check the refined version
Claude as Design Collaborator
Involving Claude directly in the review step turns it into a design collaborator, not just a drafting tool. Useful prompts for this role include "compare these two options and list tradeoffs" or "poke holes in this plan." Critically, the human keeps decision authority throughout -- Claude generates comparisons and critiques; the person decides which option to run with.
Why Iteration Matters
A first draft -- whether a plan, a workflow redesign, or a piece of written output -- is a starting point, not a finished solution. Skipping the review/refine steps and shipping the first draft forfeits the main benefit of using Claude as a design collaborator in the first place.
Common exam traps
- Accepting the first design instead of iterating and comparing alternatives -- the value of the loop is in the critique and refinement, not the first pass.
- Letting Claude's comparison or critique become the decision itself, rather than input to a decision the human still makes.
Key Takeaways
- The iterative loop is propose -> review against needs -> refine -> re-check, not a single pass
- Ask Claude to compare options/list tradeoffs or poke holes in a plan to use it as a design collaborator
- The human keeps decision authority; Claude's role is critique and alternatives, not the final call
- Accepting the first draft without iterating forfeits the main value of this collaboration
Glossary Terms
A two-pass architecture where a generator produces output and a separate evaluator assesses it against explicit criteria. For true quality assurance, the evaluator must be a separate Claude instance with independent context — using the same instance creates confirmation bias.
A Claude Code workflow pattern that builds solutions incrementally through small, verifiable steps rather than attempting complete implementation in one pass. Each step produces testable output; failures are caught early. Pair with test-driven iteration for maximum reliability.
Related Concepts