Artifacts
What Metapowers domains produce and how artifacts work across the system.
What Are Artifacts?
Artifacts are the structured Markdown files that each Metapowers domain produces as you work through its phases. Every phase writes a numbered file capturing its output — research findings, design contracts, implementation plans, legal drafts, and more. These files form a persistent memory that carries context across sessions and between domains.
Artifacts by Domain
| Domain | Directory | Phase Files | What Gets Produced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | .metapowers/design/ | 01-empathize.md through 05-test.md | Component contracts, variant matrices, token references, WCAG audits |
| Research | .metapowers/research/ | 01-discover.md through 04-deliver.md | Source bibliographies, problem statements, solution evaluations, validated recommendations |
| Marketing | .metapowers/marketing/ | 00-strategy.md through 04-engage.md | Buyer personas, campaign plans, email sequences, ad creative, analytics plans |
| Branding | .metapowers/branding/ | 01-discover.md through 05-guidelines.md | Color palettes, typography systems, brand voice, logo variations, brand guidelines |
| Project Management | .project/ | 00-initiate.md through 04-improve.md | Project charters, sprint backlogs, user stories, velocity data, retrospectives |
| Legal | .metapowers/legal/ | 00-assess.md through 04-govern.md | Contract drafts, compliance assessments, risk matrices, clause libraries |
| Coaching | .metapowers/coaching/ | ux-review.md, code-review.md, etc. | Scored reviews, issue inventories, improvement suggestions, learning references |
| Leadership | .metapowers/leadership/ | 01-assess.md through 05-sustain.md | Team assessments, vision/values, RACI matrices, growth plans, OKRs |
| Accessibility | .metapowers/accessibility/ | 01-scope.md through 05-retest.md | WCAG issue inventories, conformance matrices, remediation logs, conformance statements |
| Development | .metapowers/development/ | 01-plan.md through 03-test.md | Implementation plans, build logs, test reports, architecture decisions |
Artifact Format
All artifacts are Markdown files with structured content:
- Tables for matrices, comparisons, and inventories (props, variants, risks, issues)
- Bullet lists for insights, recommendations, and action items
- Code blocks for file paths, commands, and code examples
- Blockquotes for direct source quotes (Research domain)
- Checkboxes for compliance checklists (Legal domain)
Binary assets (images, fonts, SVGs) are only used in the Branding domain's assets/ subdirectory.
Cross-Domain References
Artifacts are designed to be read across domains. Common patterns:
- Design
02-define.mdis read by Development for component implementation - Research
04-deliver.mdis read by Design, Marketing, and Project Management for validated findings - Branding
03-verbal.mdand04-visual.mdare read by Marketing and Development for brand consistency - Legal
03-comply.mdis read by Development and Accessibility for compliance requirements - Project Management
01-plan.mdis read by Development for sprint backlogs and priorities
Utility Artifacts
Some domains also produce utility artifacts that are not tied to a specific phase:
- Marketing:
analytics-tracking.md,revops.md,marketing-ideas.md,copy-edits.md - Legal:
legal-research.md,clause-library.md,decision-log.md - Project Management:
risk-assessment.md,decision-log.md,capacity-planning.md,status-report.md - Leadership:
one-on-one.md,feedback.md,decision.md,okrs.md,retro.md
These files accumulate entries over time rather than being rewritten per phase.