# Household Management App: Vue + Headless UI Refactor Specification

## Executive Summary

This document outlines a comprehensive refactor strategy to transform the current household management app into a frictionless, conflict-reducing platform using Vue 3 with Composition API and headless UI libraries. The focus is on achieving sub-5-second interactions, zero-ambiguity states, and maximum adoption through radical simplification.

## Core Design Philosophy

### The 3-2-1 Rule
- **3 seconds**: Maximum time from app open to actionable information
- **2 taps**: Maximum interaction depth for common actions
- **1 source of truth**: Every piece of information has exactly one authoritative display

### Friction Elimination Principles
1. **Cognitive Load Minimization**: Default to the most common choice
2. **Progressive Disclosure**: Advanced features emerge only when needed
3. **Optimistic UI**: Show results immediately, sync in background
4. **Contextual Actions**: Surface relevant actions based on current state

---

## Technical Architecture Overview

### Vue 3 + Headless UI Stack
- **Vue 3.4+** with Composition API and `<script setup>`
- **Headless UI Vue** for accessible, unstyled components
- **Tailwind CSS 3.4+** with custom design tokens
- **VueUse** for composables and utilities
- **Pinia** for state management with persistence
- **Vue Router 4** with lazy loading
- **Vite** for build tooling and HMR

### State Management Strategy
- **Global Store Pattern**: Centralized household data with reactive updates
- **Optimistic Updates**: UI responds immediately, queues API calls
- **Offline-First**: Local persistence with background sync
- **Real-time Sync**: WebSocket connections for live updates

---

## Information Architecture Redesign

### Current State Analysis
Most household apps fail because they:
- Require too many decisions upfront
- Hide critical information behind navigation
- Create anxiety through overdue notifications
- Generate conflicts through unclear responsibilities

### New Information Hierarchy

```
Dashboard (Home) - Single source of truth
├── Personal Status (Above fold)
│   ├── My Next Action (1 item max)
│   ├── My Financial Status (Net balance)
│   └── Quick Win Suggestion
├── Universal Actions (FAB)
│   ├── Add Expense (80% of usage)
│   ├── Complete Chore (15% of usage)
│   └── Add to List (5% of usage)
└── Activity Feed (Social proof)
    ├── Completions (Positive reinforcement)
    ├── New Items (Transparency)
    └── Financial Updates (Trust building)
```

---

## Detailed Component Specifications

### 1. Authentication & Onboarding

#### AuthenticationSheet Component
**Purpose**: Single-screen auth with OAuth prioritization
**Headless UI**: `Dialog`, `RadioGroup`
**Key Features**:
- Auto-detect returning users via device fingerprinting
- Social login buttons with loading states
- Inline validation with immediate feedback
- Skip-ahead for demo mode

#### OnboardingCarousel Component
**Purpose**: 60-second guided setup
**Headless UI**: `Tabs` (hidden), `Transition`
**Progressive Steps**:
1. **Profile Setup**: Name + photo (auto-import from OAuth)
2. **Household Decision**: Join vs Create (large touch targets)
3. **Invite Flow**: QR code + shareable link generation
4. **Feature Showcase**: 4 cards with scroll-through interaction

#### HouseholdInvite Component
**Purpose**: Frictionless joining experience
**Features**:
- Auto-uppercase invite codes with hyphen forgiveness
- QR scanner with camera permissions handling
- Deep-link magic from external shares
- Real-time validation with helpful error states

### 2. Dashboard (Home Screen)

#### PersonalStatusCard Component
**Purpose**: Answer "What do I need to do right now?"
**Headless UI**: `Card` pattern with `Button` variants
**Smart Logic**:
- Priority algorithm: Overdue > Due Today > Financial Action > Upcoming
- Contextual messaging based on time of day
- Single-tap deep-linking to action item
- Empty state with gentle encouragement

#### UniversalFAB Component
**Purpose**: Context-aware action launcher
**Headless UI**: `Menu` with `Transition`
**Interaction Pattern**:
- Radial expansion on tap (iOS-style)
- Most-used action surfaces first based on usage patterns
- Haptic feedback on selection
- Auto-close on outside tap or scroll

#### ActivityFeed Component
**Purpose**: Transparent social proof of household activity
**Features**:
- Virtualized scrolling for performance
- Smart grouping by time and person
- Contextual actions on tap (view details, react)
- Gentle animations for new items

### 3. Chores Management

#### ChoresList Component
**Purpose**: Visual task management with minimal cognitive load
**Headless UI**: `Tabs`, `Checkbox`, `Listbox`
**Smart Categorization**:
- **Priority Tab**: Overdue + Due Today (red indicators)
- **Upcoming Tab**: This week's assignments
- **Available Tab**: Up-for-grabs tasks with point values
- **Archive Tab**: Completed items with celebration animations

#### QuickChoreAdd Component
**Purpose**: Inline task creation without modal interruption
**Features**:
- Autocomplete from common household tasks
- Smart assignment based on rotation patterns
- Default due dates based on task type
- One-tap recurrence setting

#### ChoreDetail Sheet
**Purpose**: Progressive disclosure for complex chore setup
**Headless UI**: `Dialog`, `Switch`, `RadioGroup`
**Accordion Sections**:
1. **Assignment Logic**: Single/Multiple/Rotation/Open
2. **Scheduling**: Smart presets + custom options
3. **Gamification**: Points, streaks, rewards (opt-in)
4. **Context**: Notes, location tags, supplies needed

### 4. Shopping Lists

#### ListDirectory Component
**Purpose**: Multiple list management with usage prioritization
**Features**:
- Shopping list always pinned at top
- Custom lists with emoji icons and member visibility
- Recently used items surface in quick-add
- Smart suggestions based on purchase history

#### SmartShoppingList Component
**Purpose**: Collaborative shopping with conflict prevention
**Headless UI**: `Checkbox`, `Command`, `Combobox`
**Anti-Conflict Features**:
- "Claiming" items shows real-time to other users
- Purchase confirmation with receipt scanning
- Automatic expense creation prompt
- Undo actions with 10-second grace period

#### ListItemComposer Component
**Purpose**: Intelligent item addition with context awareness
**Features**:
- Autocomplete from household purchase history
- Quantity and brand suggestions
- Store location tagging for shopping efficiency
- Voice input with speech-to-text

### 5. Expense Tracking & Splitting

#### ExpenseOverview Component
**Purpose**: Financial transparency and debt visualization
**Headless UI**: `Tabs`, `ProgressBar` pattern
**Trust-Building Features**:
- Net balance prominently displayed with color coding
- Transaction history with receipt thumbnails
- Debt graph showing money flow between members
- Settlement reminders with customizable frequency

#### ExpenseCreation Sheet
**Purpose**: Frictionless bill splitting with smart defaults
**Headless UI**: `Dialog`, `RadioGroup`, `NumberInput`
**Smart Splitting Logic**:
- Even split as default (covers 80% of cases)
- Receipt OCR for automatic amount extraction
- Category-based split suggestions (groceries, utilities)
- Per-person cost preview before confirmation

#### SettlementFlow Component
**Purpose**: Debt resolution with verification
**Features**:
- Line-item breakdown of what's owed
- Multiple payment method tracking
- Confirmation workflow with dispute options
- Integration hints for Venmo/PayPal/etc.

### 6. Group Management

#### HouseholdSettings Component
**Purpose**: Group governance and member management
**Headless UI**: `Switch`, `Textarea`, `AlertDialog`
**Governance Features**:
- Member roles and permissions
- House rules collaborative editing
- Notification preferences with granular control
- Leave/remove workflows with settlement requirements

#### InviteManager Component
**Purpose**: Growing the household safely
**Features**:
- Multiple invite methods (code, QR, link)
- Invite expiration and usage tracking
- New member onboarding delegation
- Member approval workflow for private households

---

## State Management Architecture

### Pinia Store Structure

#### `useHouseholdStore`
- Household metadata, members, settings
- Real-time membership updates
- Invite code generation and validation

#### `useChoresStore`
- Task creation, assignment, completion
- Rotation logic and fair assignment algorithms
- Point tracking and gamification state

#### `useExpensesStore`
- Expense creation and categorization
- Balance calculations and debt tracking
- Settlement history and dispute management

#### `useListsStore`
- Multi-list management (shopping, todo, custom)
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Purchase confirmation and expense integration

#### `useActivityStore`
- Cross-feature activity aggregation
- Notification generation and delivery
- Social proof and engagement metrics

### Composables Strategy

#### `useOptimisticUpdates`
- Immediate UI updates with background sync
- Conflict resolution for simultaneous edits
- Rollback mechanisms for failed operations

#### `useOfflineSync`
- Operation queuing during network outages
- Smart retry logic with exponential backoff
- User notification of sync status

#### `useFairness`
- Chore rotation algorithms
- Expense splitting fairness metrics
- Workload balance visualization

---

## UI/UX Implementation Guidelines

### Design Token System
```
Colors:
- Primary: Warm, trustworthy blue (#3B82F6)
- Success: Celebration green (#10B981)
- Warning: Gentle orange (#F59E0B)
- Error: Non-aggressive red (#EF4444)
- Neutral: Sophisticated grays (#64748B family)

Typography:
- Headings: Inter/SF Pro (system preference)
- Body: System font stack for optimal performance
- Monospace: JetBrains Mono for codes/numbers

Spacing:
- Base unit: 4px
- Component spacing: 16px, 24px, 32px
- Section spacing: 48px, 64px

Motion:
- Micro-interactions: 150ms ease-out
- Page transitions: 300ms ease-in-out
- Loading states: Skeleton animations
```

### Responsive Breakpoints
- **Mobile-first**: 320px base design
- **Tablet**: 768px with sidebar navigation
- **Desktop**: 1024px with multi-column layouts
- **Large**: 1280px with dashboard widgets

### Accessibility Standards
- **WCAG 2.1 AA compliance** throughout
- **Keyboard navigation** for all interactive elements
- **Screen reader optimization** with proper ARIA labels
- **High contrast mode** support
- **Reduced motion** respect for vestibular disorders

---

## Performance & Loading Strategies

### Code Splitting Strategy
- Route-based splitting for main sections
- Component-level splitting for heavy features (receipt scanning, charts)
- Vendor bundle optimization for frequently used libraries

### Data Loading Patterns
- **Critical Path**: Dashboard loads in <2 seconds
- **Progressive Enhancement**: Secondary features load in background
- **Skeleton States**: Immediate visual feedback while loading
- **Optimistic Caching**: Predict user actions and preload data

### Offline Capabilities
- **Service Worker**: Cache shell and critical assets
- **IndexedDB**: Store user data and pending operations
- **Background Sync**: Queue operations for when connection returns
- **Conflict Resolution**: Merge strategies for simultaneous edits

---

## Migration Strategy

### Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-2)
- Set up Vue 3 + Headless UI development environment
- Implement design token system and base components
- Create new state management architecture
- Build authentication and onboarding flows

### Phase 2: Core Features (Weeks 3-6)
- Migrate dashboard with optimistic updates
- Rebuild chores system with smart defaults
- Implement new expense splitting logic
- Create collaborative lists functionality

### Phase 3: Enhancement (Weeks 7-8)
- Add offline capabilities and sync
- Implement advanced features (gamification, disputes)
- Performance optimization and accessibility audit
- User testing and feedback integration

### Phase 4: Polish (Weeks 9-10)
- Micro-interactions and animation polish
- Advanced analytics and insights features
- Documentation and handoff preparation
- Gradual rollout to existing users

---

## Success Metrics

### User Experience Metrics
- **Time to First Action**: <3 seconds from app open
- **Onboarding Completion**: >85% reach active use
- **Daily Engagement**: >60% of household members check in daily
- **Task Completion Rate**: >90% of assigned chores completed on time

### Technical Performance Metrics
- **First Contentful Paint**: <1.5 seconds
- **Largest Contentful Paint**: <2.5 seconds
- **Cumulative Layout Shift**: <0.1
- **First Input Delay**: <100ms

### Conflict Reduction Metrics
- **Dispute Rate**: <5% of expenses flagged for disputes
- **Member Retention**: >95% stay in household for 30+ days
- **Positive Interactions**: 80% of activity feed items are completions/additions
- **Settlement Time**: Average debt resolved within 7 days

---

## Risk Mitigation

### Technical Risks
- **Data Migration**: Comprehensive backup and rollback procedures
- **Performance Regression**: Continuous monitoring and optimization
- **Browser Compatibility**: Progressive enhancement for older browsers
- **API Changes**: Versioning strategy and deprecation handling

### User Experience Risks
- **Feature Parity**: Ensure no critical functionality is lost
- **Learning Curve**: Extensive onboarding and help documentation
- **Adoption Resistance**: Gradual rollout with opt-in beta testing
- **Accessibility Gaps**: Third-party accessibility auditing

### Business Risks
- **User Churn**: A/B testing for major changes
- **Development Timeline**: Agile sprints with regular stakeholder check-ins
- **Resource Constraints**: Prioritized feature development with MVP focus
- **Market Changes**: Flexible architecture for future pivots

This refactor will transform the household management app from a feature-heavy tool into a delightful, frictionless experience that households actually want to use together.