Compatibility And Start Here#
design-research is an optional umbrella package for the ecosystem, not the
only supported way to use the underlying libraries.
Use the compatibility matrix below when you want the tested package combination. Use the decision table below when you need to choose between the umbrella package and a direct sibling install.
Tested Package Combination#
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Monthly release context |
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These versions match the exact sibling pins in pyproject.toml and represent
the tested umbrella combination for the current docs baseline.
The bundled examples and smoke tests intentionally target the April 2026 family
interop seams directly: design_research_experiments.resolve_problem(...),
public design_research_agents.SeededRandomBaselineAgent and
design_research_agents.PromptWorkflowAgent participants, a prompt-built
design_research_agents.Workflow, and
design_research_analysis.integration. The shipped example scripts expect
installed sibling packages; adjacent sibling worktrees are preferred only by
the family-sync and subprocess example tests so the umbrella package can verify
current sibling main APIs during contributor workflows.
Start Here Vs Go Direct#
Start with |
Install a sibling package directly |
|---|---|
You want one stable namespace across problems, agents, experiments, and analysis. |
You only need one layer of the ecosystem for a focused workflow. |
You want the umbrella docs, examples, and compatibility guidance to stay in one place. |
You want package-specific internals, lower-level helpers, or a narrower dependency surface. |
You plan to compose end-to-end workflows and prefer a shared import style. |
You already know which component package owns the behavior you need. |
Direct sibling use is fully supported. The umbrella package is a convenience layer for discovery, stable imports, and composed workflow guidance.
The package root intentionally stays narrow: it exports only __version__
plus the four wrapper submodules. Stable user-facing symbols remain under
design_research.problems, design_research.agents,
design_research.experiments, and design_research.analysis rather than a
flattened root namespace.
Monthly Release Train#
Monthly release names coordinate ecosystem alignment work across repositories. They are scheduling and documentation markers, not alternate install coordinates. Use the version matrix above for tested package combinations, and use the current release callout in the README for the active milestone and due date.
Next Step#
If you want to see the umbrella package drive a real composed workflow, use the deterministic bundled examples for the smallest recipe-first entry points and continue to Prompt Strategy Comparison Walkthrough for the live canonical walkthrough.