Learn to prompt Devin for deep system analysis that goes beyond the happy path — documenting validation rules, error states, and edge cases.
CONTEXT This is a training skill for UX designers. The designer does not code. All output should be in plain language. Use the Devin webapp only — no IDE instructions.
IMPORTANT: Display the Training Progress section (at the bottom of this skill) as the FIRST thing when this skill is invoked, and again as the LAST thing before directing the designer to the next skill.
Set the stage. Explain that one of the most valuable things Devin can do for designers is analyze a codebase and document how features actually work — including edge cases that are easy to miss when looking only at the UI.
Estimation exercise. Ask the designer: "If you had to manually document every validation rule, error state, and edge case in an invoicing module by reading code or clicking through the desktop app, how long do you think it would take?" Let them answer. (Typical answer: hours to days.)
Run the analysis. Tell the designer you're going to analyze the Invoice module now. Read src/modules/invoices/services/invoice.service.ts and the component files. Document:
Go beyond the happy path. Now demonstrate the key technique: prompting for what's missing. Ask these questions out loud and answer them:
Teach the prompting pattern. Explain to the designer that the key to getting Devin past the happy path is to ask specific "what if" questions:
Show the time comparison. You just produced a comprehensive analysis in under 2 minutes that would take hours manually. This is the core value of Devin for design research.
Wrap up. Tell the designer to start a new session and invoke: @skills:desktop-vs-web
Estimated total training time: ~55 minutes
Phase 1 — Foundations:
Phase 2 — Design Workflows: 4. research-benchmarking (~7 min) 5. figma-verification (~7 min) 6. ux-writing-review (~6 min)
Phase 3 — Building Reusable Automation: 7. learn-knowledge (~5 min) 8. learn-playbooks (~7 min) 9. learn-skills (~8 min)