METHODS.md

Polyphonic Design Review

Multi-perspective inline commentary where each voice brings a distinct lens to the same artifact. Derived from Shawn Wilson's talking circles (Research Is Ceremony, Ch.6) and applied to agent-mediated development.

Voices

Protocol

1. An artifact is created (PDE decomposition, spec, design decision)
2. The artifact is presented for review (web viewer, .pde/<UUID>.md, or inline)
3. Each voice annotates using VOICE:: prefix markers
4. Annotations are NOT consensus-seeking — they're multi-perspective
5. The human (Guillaume) holds final authority; agent voices inform, they don't decide
6. The annotated artifact is committed as a polyphonic record (git diff captures the review)

Kinship

• Wilson Ch.6 → four surfaces: Topic, Methods, Analysis, Presentation map to East, South, West, North
• PDE decomposition: EAST practice — names what wants to exist before acting
• STC creation: Resolves structural tension between desired outcome and current reality
• coaia-narrative: Entity/Relation JSONL as canonical kinship representation
• medicine-wheel-pi: Chains and pipelines as executable ceremony protocols

Relation to This Article

This article's methodology IS polyphonic design review. The article about decolonizing software is itself being developed through the method it describes. The .pde/ directory contains decompositions reviewed by multiple voices. The CLAUDE.md in each PDE session carries Guillaume's voice alongside agent voices. git diff is the audit trail.

Structural Tension

Desired outcome: A methodology section that is both academically rigorous and relationally accountable — documenting not just what was done but who spoke and how perspectives were held.

Current reality: This document is being written as the methodology is being practiced. The copilot-cli experiments, medicine-wheel-pi chain design, and agent-pi integration are all active surfaces of this method.

Wilson on Methodology, Strategy, and Methods

Wilson distinguishes three layers (Ch.2, pp.39-40):

• Methodology — part of the paradigm, based on ontology and epistemology. "The methodology can be seen as providing the final destination in the research journey."
• Strategy of inquiry — "a roadmap that helps you to get to where you want to go." By including a strategy step, "it becomes possible to change methods as best suits the situation."
• Methods — "the particular tools or techniques that you use to actually gather data... only means to an end."

"Thus, as long as the methods fit the ontology, epistemology and axiology of the Indigenous paradigm, they can be borrowed from other suitable research paradigms."

This polyphonic design review is a method (tool/technique) that emerged from within an Indigenous-aligned paradigm (relational ontology, structural tension, ceremony as process). It was not designed upfront — it emerged when the tools (agent-pi's show_file, VSCode, git) made it possible. Wilson: "if one starts from an Indigenous paradigm, then one can choose to use any tool from within that paradigm that may be effective."

Source

• Wilson, S. (2008). Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods. Ch.2: Strategy of Inquiry, pp.39-40. Ch.6: Relational Accountability.
• Fritz, R. (1989). The Path of Least Resistance. Structural tension as creative engine.
• Session PDE: .pde/2603250912__acb500e8-7958-4b5b-b43a-e8db8e28fb0f/CLAUDE.md
• Polyphonic review example: .mw/east/f70fbb0d-38ee-425d-8dce-d7297c43ce42.md → --polyphonic-review.md