Open a Desk

Create a new desk in the workshop with the standard structure.

When to use

• The operator wants to start a new workstream
• Work arrives that doesn't belong to any existing desk
• A topic needs its own frame (its own history, its own priors)

What it creates

Given a workshop directory and a desk name, create:

desks/<desk-name>/
  journal.md       # persistent memory — read at start, written at end
  .signals/        # structured signal output (JSON) — dashboard reads this

How to use

1. Choose a name. Short, descriptive, kebab-case. The name is

how the operator and other desks refer to this desk. Examples: security-scan, api-review, ops, cloud-workshop

1. Check if it already exists. If desks/<desk-name>/ already

has a journal.md, the desk is live — do not overwrite it. Instead, resume it: read the journal and continue from where it left off. If the operator explicitly wants a fresh start, they must rename or archive the existing desk first.

1. Create the structure. Make the directory, initial journal,

and signals folder:

desks/<desk-name>/journal.md desks/<desk-name>/.signals/

1. Write the first journal entry. The journal starts with:

• What this desk is for (its focus/purpose)
• What repos or work it covers (if applicable)
• Any initial context the first session needs

1. Announce it. Tell the operator what was created and what

the desk's focus is.

Session orientation

This skill initializes storage — it does not launch a session. A desk becomes active when a Copilot session references its directory. The session workflow:

1. The operator (or TA) starts a session and says "sit at the

<desk-name> desk"

1. The session reads desks/<desk-name>/journal.md to load priors
2. Work happens — the session uses signal-write to emit signals

and desk-journal to persist state at the end

1. The next session repeats from step 2

The desk identity comes from which journal is read, not from a persistent process. Desks are long-running in state (the journal carries forward), not in runtime (each session is independent).

Journal format

markdown
# <Desk Name> — Journal

## <date> — Desk opened
- **Purpose:** <what this desk focuses on>
- **Scope:** <repos, areas, or work this desk covers>
- **Next step:** <what the first session should do>

Principles

• A desk is a peer, not a sub-agent. It has equal standing to

disagree with other desks.

• The journal is the memory. Without it, the next session starts

blind. Write enough that someone starting from zero finds the way.

• One desk, one focus. If the scope is too broad, open two desks.

Each desk's value comes from its specific frame — dilute the frame and you lose the value.