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feat(instructions): create dt-method-02-deep.instructions.md#700

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manasagudimella:feat/585-dt-method-02-deep
Feb 20, 2026
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feat(instructions): create dt-method-02-deep.instructions.md#700
WilliamBerryiii merged 4 commits intomicrosoft:mainfrom
manasagudimella:feat/585-dt-method-02-deep

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Pull Request

Description

Creates dt-method-02-deep.instructions.md, an on-demand deep reference for DT Method 2 (Design Research). The dt-coach agent loads this file via read_file when users require advanced research guidance beyond what the method-tier instruction provides.

The file contains 17 H3 subsections across 4 domains, each with prose, bullets, and a labeled coaching prompt:

  • Advanced Interview Techniques — pre-interview preparation, cognitive interview techniques, silence and pause usage, reframing resistance, cultural context adaptation
  • Ethnographic Observation Methods — contextual inquiry setup, shadow observation protocols, artifact analysis, environmental mapping
  • Evidence Triangulation — multi-source validation, contradictory evidence handling, pattern saturation assessment, insight confidence scoring
  • Manufacturing Research Patterns — shift-based research considerations, production floor observation, operator vs. supervisor perspectives, supply chain stakeholder mapping

Also adds .github/agents/design-thinking to chat.agentFilesLocations in .vscode/settings.json so the dt-coach agent appears in the VS Code agent dropdown.

Related Issue(s)

Closes #585

Type of Change

Select all that apply:

Code & Documentation:

  • Bug fix (non-breaking change fixing an issue)
  • New feature (non-breaking change adding functionality)
  • Breaking change (fix or feature causing existing functionality to change)
  • Documentation update

Infrastructure & Configuration:

  • GitHub Actions workflow
  • Linting configuration (markdown, PowerShell, etc.)
  • Security configuration
  • DevContainer configuration
  • Dependency update

AI Artifacts:

  • Reviewed contribution with prompt-builder agent and addressed all feedback
  • Copilot instructions (.github/instructions/*.instructions.md)
  • Copilot prompt (.github/prompts/*.prompt.md)
  • Copilot agent (.github/agents/*.agent.md)
  • Copilot skill (.github/skills/*/SKILL.md)

Other:

  • Script/automation (.ps1, .sh, .py)
  • Other (please describe):

Sample Prompts (for AI Artifact Contributions)

User Request:

"We're struggling to get honest answers in interviews — people keep telling us what they think we want to hear. How do we break through that?"

Execution Flow:

  1. dt-coach detects the user is in Method 2 (Design Research) with an advanced interview challenge
  2. Agent calls read_file on dt-method-02-deep.instructions.md to load the deep reference
  3. Agent surfaces the Cognitive Interview Techniques and Reframing Resistance subsections
  4. Agent responds using the coaching prompt: "What would it look like if participants felt safe enough to share what they actually think — and what's currently in the way of that?"

Output Artifacts:
No files created — the agent responds conversationally using the loaded deep reference to coach the user through the research challenge.

Success Indicators:

  • Agent surfaces subsection-specific coaching prompts rather than generic research advice
  • User receives technique-specific guidance (e.g., cognitive interviewing, silence usage) matched to their specific challenge
  • Coaching prompts feel contextual and non-prescriptive

Testing

  • Ran /prompt-analyze against dt-method-02-deep.instructions.md — 22/23 checks passed
  • Reviewed and addressed all prompt-builder feedback via /prompt-build
  • Verified applyTo pattern matches method-tier convention (**/.copilot-tracking/dt/**/method-02*)
  • Confirmed collection manifests (design-thinking, hve-core-all) updated and plugins regenerated
  • Rebased cleanly onto updated main (post upstream sync of 106 files including Methods 4–9)

Checklist

Required Checks

  • Documentation is updated (if applicable)
  • Files follow existing naming conventions
  • Changes are backwards compatible (if applicable)
  • Tests added for new functionality (if applicable)

AI Artifact Contributions

  • Used /prompt-analyze to review contribution
  • Addressed all feedback from prompt-builder review
  • Verified contribution follows common standards and type-specific requirements

Required Automated Checks

  • Markdown linting: npm run lint:md — ✅ 0 errors (181 files)
  • Spell checking: npm run spell-check⚠️ pre-existing environment issue (Node.js v20.16.0 < v20.18 required); unrelated to this PR
  • Frontmatter validation: npm run lint:frontmatter — ✅ 0 errors, 0 warnings (167 files)
  • Skill structure validation: npm run validate:skills — ✅ 0 errors (2 skills)
  • Link validation: npm run lint:md-links⚠️ pre-existing repo-wide ESM incompatibility in markdown-link-extractor; unrelated to this PR
  • PowerShell analysis: npm run lint:ps⚠️ 3 warnings in .copilot-tracking sandbox script (generate-dalle-images.ps1), which is gitignored and unrelated to this PR

Security Considerations

  • This PR does not contain any sensitive or NDA information
  • Any new dependencies have been reviewed for security issues
  • Security-related scripts follow the principle of least privilege

Additional Notes

The three automated check warnings are all pre-existing environment or infrastructure issues:

  1. spell-check: Requires Node.js ≥ 20.18; local environment is 20.16.0 — not introduced by this PR
  2. lint:md-links: markdown-link-extractor ESM compatibility error affects the entire repo — not introduced by this PR
  3. lint:ps: Warnings are in .copilot-tracking/design-thinking-for-hve-capabilities/scripts/generate-dalle-images.ps1, a gitignored sandbox file — not introduced by this PR

Supersedes #677.

Manasa Gudimella added 2 commits February 20, 2026 08:54
…arch techniques

- Add dt-method-02-deep.instructions.md with 17 H3 subsections covering advanced
  interview techniques, ethnographic observation, evidence triangulation, and
  manufacturing research patterns; each subsection includes a labeled coaching prompt
- Update design-thinking and hve-core-all collection manifests to include new file
- Add .github/agents/design-thinking to chat.agentFilesLocations in .vscode/settings.json
  so dt-coach appears in the VS Code agent dropdown
- Regenerate plugins

Closes microsoft#585
@manasagudimella manasagudimella requested a review from a team as a code owner February 20, 2026 13:57
@WilliamBerryiii WilliamBerryiii merged commit 4d4d0ca into microsoft:main Feb 20, 2026
19 checks passed
WilliamBerryiii pushed a commit that referenced this pull request Feb 20, 2026
🤖 I have created a release *beep* *boop*
---


##
[3.0.0](hve-core-v2.3.10...hve-core-v3.0.0)
(2026-02-20)


### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES

* **skills:** migrate PR reference generation to self-contained skill
([#669](#669))
* restructure RPI collection to HVE Core naming convention
([#668](#668))

### ✨ Features

* **agents:** add agile-coach agent
([#562](#562))
([de8d86c](de8d86c))
* **agents:** add DT coach agent with tiered instruction loading
([#656](#656))
([206d3a7](206d3a7))
* **agents:** add product manager advisor and UX/UI designer agents
([#627](#627))
([539eb8a](539eb8a))
* **agents:** add system architecture reviewer for design trade-offs and
ADR creation ([#626](#626))
([de5cfd6](de5cfd6))
* **build:** pin devcontainer image and align tool parity
([#704](#704))
([6258b1c](6258b1c))
* **design-thinking:** add manufacturing industry context template
([#682](#682))
([ce864bf](ce864bf))
* **instructions:** add DT coaching state protocol for session
persistence ([#654](#654))
([5a5be4e](5a5be4e))
* **instructions:** add dt-coaching-identity ambient instruction
([#642](#642))
([6209a0d](6209a0d))
* **instructions:** add dt-method-01-deep for advanced scope
conversation techniques
([#673](#673))
([cc92ef9](cc92ef9))
* **instructions:** add dt-method-03-deep for advanced input synthesis
techniques ([#676](#676))
([0079a4f](0079a4f))
* **instructions:** add dt-method-09-deep instructions for Method 9
advanced coaching
([#703](#703))
([150b2a6](150b2a6))
* **instructions:** add dt-method-sequencing ambient instruction
([#650](#650))
([e465b2f](e465b2f))
* **instructions:** add dt-quality-constraints and design-thinking
collection ([#645](#645))
([17002bd](17002bd))
* **instructions:** add DT-to-RPI handoff contract specification
([#679](#679))
([87f9962](87f9962))
* **instructions:** add energy industry context template
([#687](#687))
([41088d8](41088d8))
* **instructions:** add healthcare industry context template
([#686](#686))
([b2d5281](b2d5281))
* **instructions:** add Method 1 Scope Conversations coaching knowledge
([#651](#651))
([93e2d48](93e2d48))
* **instructions:** add Method 2 Design Research coaching knowledge
([#652](#652))
([30f7f3b](30f7f3b))
* **instructions:** add Method 3 Input Synthesis coaching knowledge
([#653](#653))
([1efdb7d](1efdb7d))
* **instructions:** add Method 7 High-Fidelity Prototypes coaching
instruction ([#666](#666))
([9233eab](9233eab))
* **instructions:** add pull request instructions for PR generation
workflow ([#706](#706))
([73d23eb](73d23eb))
* **instructions:** create DT curriculum content (9 modules)
([#690](#690))
([9f7378f](9f7378f)),
closes [#617](#617)
* **instructions:** create dt-method-02-deep.instructions.md
([#700](#700))
([4d4d0ca](4d4d0ca))
* **instructions:** create dt-method-06-lofi-prototypes.instructions.md
([#684](#684))
([4d5f757](4d5f757))
* **instructions:** create dt-method-07-deep.instructions.md
([#678](#678))
([d3ec70d](d3ec70d))
* **instructions:** Create dt-method-08-deep.instructions.md
([#683](#683))
([d9e1115](d9e1115))
* **instructions:** create dt-method-08-testing.instructions.md
([#681](#681))
([3008ad8](3008ad8))
* **instructions:** create dt-method-09-iteration.instructions.md
([#685](#685))
([9d7f4f5](9d7f4f5))
* **instructions:** create dt-rpi-research-context.instructions.md
([#689](#689))
([34c7b89](34c7b89))
* **instructions:** create manufacturing reference learning scenario
([#692](#692))
([1bd3994](1bd3994))
* **instructions:** Design Thinking Method 4 brainstorming instruction
file ([#664](#664))
([06f90b0](06f90b0))
* **prompts:** add DT start-project prompt for coaching initialization
([#657](#657))
([ce583d5](ce583d5))
* **prompts:** add dt-resume-coaching prompt for session recovery
([#665](#665))
([11b93cb](11b93cb))
* **prompts:** create dt-handoff-problem-space.prompt.md
([#688](#688))
([277963d](277963d))
* **scripts:** add collection-level maturity field with validation,
gating, and notices
([#697](#697))
([7b1c8e8](7b1c8e8))
* **scripts:** add per-violation CI annotations and colorized console
output ([#637](#637))
([bd7d512](bd7d512))
* **skills:** edit SKILL frontmatter schema, add CI validation, and
documentation ([#625](#625))
([0138a78](0138a78))
* **skills:** mandate unit testing and document language support
([#636](#636))
([9263617](9263617))
* **skills:** migrate PR reference generation to self-contained skill
([#669](#669))
([cf8805f](cf8805f))


### 🐛 Bug Fixes

* **collections:** migrate artifacts into collection-based
subdirectories
([#658](#658))
([dfa5261](dfa5261))
* **instructions:** optimize Phase 1 DT token budgets and close
[#564](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/issues/564)/[#565](https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core/issues/565)
gaps ([#675](#675))
([4f42f00](4f42f00))
* **scripts:** add CI annotations and step summary to copyright header
check ([#638](#638))
([5fa6328](5fa6328))
* **scripts:** add grouped link-lang console diagnostics and failure
summary ([#661](#661))
([4d6871f](4d6871f))
* **scripts:** add per-violation Write-Host and Write-CIAnnotation
output to Test-DependencyPinning
([#640](#640))
([9d3b71d](9d3b71d))
* **scripts:** align agent frontmatter schema with VS Code spec
([#469](#469))
([254d445](254d445))
* **scripts:** optimize PSScriptAnalyzer linting performance in WSL2
([#667](#667))
([f120b93](f120b93))
* **scripts:** stabilize YAML display key ordering in collection
manifest ([#701](#701))
([73c0d2c](73c0d2c))
* **scripts:** use text stubs for plugin links when symlinks unavailable
([#695](#695))
([d7650a3](d7650a3))
* **skills:** fix powershell test coverage in pr-reference skill
([#699](#699))
([408e6b7](408e6b7))


### 📚 Documentation

* **dt:** add Method 5 Concepts and Method 6 Lo-Fi Prototypes
instructions ([#693](#693))
([cfdcf11](cfdcf11))
* **hve-guide:** add role-based guides and project lifecycle
documentation ([#663](#663))
([17a85da](17a85da))


### ♻️ Refactoring

* restructure RPI collection to HVE Core naming convention
([#668](#668))
([120dde0](120dde0))
* **scripts:** consolidate duplicate logging into shared SecurityHelpers
module ([#655](#655))
([627a877](627a877))
* **scripts:** use shared SecurityHelpers and CIHelpers modules in
security scripts
([#705](#705))
([3a0baa7](3a0baa7))


### 🔧 Maintenance

* **deps-dev:** bump markdownlint-cli2 from 0.20.0 to 0.21.0 in the
npm-dependencies group
([#609](#609))
([1486dd7](1486dd7))

---
This PR was generated with [Release
Please](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please). See
[documentation](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please#release-please).

Co-authored-by: hve-core-release-please[bot] <254602402+hve-core-release-please[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
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