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Mai Development f775d2f137 docs(05): capture phase context

Phase 05: conversation-engine
- Implementation decisions documented
- Conversation flow patterns established
- Thinking transparency approach defined
- Response timing preferences captured
- Clarification handling strategy set

2026-01-28 21:50:55 -05:00

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Phase 5: Conversation Engine - Context

Gathered: 2026-01-28 Status: Ready for planning

## Phase Boundary

Build Mai's conversational intelligence - how she handles multi-turn conversations, thinks through problems, and communicates naturally. Focus on conversation flow, thinking transparency, response timing, and clarification handling.

## Implementation Decisions

Conversation flow patterns

Break down complex requests and confirm each part before proceeding
Always reference specific previous exchanges for follow-up questions
Ask for clarification when requests are ambiguous (don't make assumptions)
Track state and reference previous steps in multi-step conversations
Handle topic changes naturally without explicit acknowledgment
Wait for users to finish incomplete thoughts before responding
Use user's level of terminology for technical discussions
Offer to start over when user seems frustrated or confused

Thinking transparency

Offer thinking on demand (explain reasoning when users ask "how did you decide?")
Explain limitations only when relevant to the current answer
Be confident unless specifically unsure about an answer
Explain why asking questions only when the request is unusual

Response timing and pacing

Use variable timing based on context rather than fixed response times
Use natural conversation flow for thinking indicators (no explicit "thinking..." messages)
Stream long, complex responses as they're generated in real-time
Offer pacing preference for multi-step processes (step-by-step vs continuous)

Clarification handling

Proactively analyze user input to detect ambiguity and unclear requests
Phrase clarification questions gently and conversationally
Work with available information when users provide insufficient data (note assumptions)
Ask users which information is correct when detecting conflicting input

Claude's Discretion

Exact timing algorithms for response generation
Specific wording for clarification questions
Thresholds for detecting ambiguity vs confidence
Progress indicator designs for long processes

## Specific Ideas

"I want Mai to feel like a thoughtful conversation partner, not just a Q&A machine"
"When users are frustrated, offering a fresh start is better than trying to fix the current approach"
"Complex requests should feel collaborative - Mai breaks them down and gets buy-in on each part"
"Natural conversation flow means responses should feel like someone is actually thinking, not just processing"

## Deferred Ideas

Voice interaction patterns - separate phase for voice interface
Emotional intelligence and mood detection - future enhancement
Multi-language conversation handling - later phase
Conversation analytics and insights - separate phase

Phase: 05-conversation-engine Context gathered: 2026-01-28

2.9 KiB Raw Blame History