Claude Code Director's Handbook

Your operations manual for directing Claude Code projects

What This Is

A comprehensive reference guide consolidating all frameworks, workflows, prompts, and best practices from the "Claude Code for Non-Programmers: A 20-Hour Curriculum" (Modules 1-8). This handbook serves as your go-to resource before starting any project, adding features, troubleshooting issues, or crafting effective instructions.

What's Inside

Section 1: Home / Quick Start

Task-oriented routing to get you to what you need immediately

Section 2: The Director's Mindset

Mental models and best practices for effective technical direction

Section 3: Project Foundations

Folder structures, file navigation, and documentation standards

Section 4: Communication Toolkit

WHAT-WHY-CONSTRAINTS framework and specificity techniques

Section 5: Systematic Workflows

7 complete workflows: project kickoff, setup, feature addition, refactoring, version control, committing, and documentation linking

Section 6: Troubleshooting Guide

Error reading, problem types, debug strategies, and the complete Bug Fixing workflow (5 steps)

Section 7: Project Type Patterns

Recognition guides for websites, web apps, and automation scripts

Section 8: Reference Library & Templates

Links to module reflections, project examples, and reusable templates

Section 9: Resources & Ongoing Learning

Ready-to-use prompts, prompt builder, practice recommendations, and growth milestones

How to Use

1. Open index.html in your browser
2. Use the smart routing on the home page: "What are you trying to do right now?"
3. Navigate between sections using the navigation bar
4. Search for specific content using the global search
5. Copy prompts and commands with one-click copy buttons
6. Check off items in interactive checklists (state saved automatically)

How to Update

Adding New Prompts

Edit assets/data/prompts-essential.json and add your new prompt to the appropriate category.

Adding New Workflows

Edit assets/data/workflows.json and follow the existing structure.

Adding New Content Sections

1. Create new HTML file in pages/
2. Add navigation link in assets/js/shared-nav.js
3. Update home page routing in assets/js/routing.js
4. Update this README

Features

• ✅ Multi-page architecture with smart navigation
• ✅ Interactive prompt library with search
• ✅ Copy-to-clipboard for all prompts and commands
• ✅ Interactive checklists with localStorage persistence
• ✅ Breadcrumb navigation
• ✅ Contextual "next steps" buttons
• ✅ Back-to-top button with smooth scrolling
• ✅ Accordion templates (expandable/collapsible)
• ✅ Mobile responsive design
• ✅ Professional black/gold/emerald color scheme

Credits

Built as the capstone project for the "Claude Code for Non-Programmers: A 20-Hour Curriculum" by Giovanni, January 2026.

This handbook consolidates learnings from 8 modules covering:

• Mental models for technical direction
• Project organization and documentation
• Effective communication with Claude Code
• Systematic workflows for features and bugs
• Troubleshooting strategies
• Version control for directors

Co-Built-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5

Version

Current Version: 1.0.0 (See CHANGELOG.md for version history)

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Last Updated: January 30, 2026