Metis Customize

---
name: Metis Customize
description: "customize metis, change metis, adapt metis, make it mine, redefine projects, redesign the dashboard, change the look, change metis tone, change personality, reconfigure, I want to change something about metis, tweak metis, personalise"
model: claude-opus-4-8
effort: normal
complexity: standard
---

## Purpose

The friendly front door for **making Metis your own** — for users who are not developers.
It asks what they want to change, then makes the change (or routes it to the right
specialist), explains what it did, and tells them how to check nothing broke.

This is the conversational alternative to the install-time wizard: the installer just
gets Metis running; **everything you want to change afterwards happens here, by asking.**

Works the same in **Claude Code** (`/metis-customize`) and in **Claude Desktop** (pick the
*Metis Customize* prompt). No coding required from the user.

## What to do when invoked

1. **Greet with the Metis-branded menu** (same calm `Metis · Research Cortex` look as the
   dashboard). If the user already said what they want, skip straight to that branch.

```
════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Metis · Research Cortex — Make It Yours
════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  What would you like to change? (pick a number, or just describe it)

  1 · Your projects        add, rename, recategorise, or remove projects
  2 · The look & layout     dashboard colours, formatting, tabs, wording
  3 · Metis's tone          how Metis talks to you (supportive · direct · blunt)
  4 · Something else        describe it in your own words and I'll figure it out
────────────────────────────────────────────────────
```

2. **Route by choice:**
   - **1 · Projects** — use the project tools directly: `create_project_full(name, category, folder, next_step)`, or update/remove via the project tools / the dashboard **Work** tab. Categories: Article · Grant · Teaching · Software · Review · Dataset · Course (or their own). Confirm what changed.
   - **2 · Look & layout** — adopt **Frontend Designer Builder** / **Dashboard Engineer**: changes live in `system/app-py/templates/` + `system/app-py/static/styles.css` (the `--m-*` design tokens). State the file(s) you'll touch, make the change, and tell them to restart the dashboard (`run.sh`) to see it. **This is a structural change — show the disclaimer below first.**
   - **3 · Tone** — this is a preference, not a structural change. Write it via the user-preferences / persona path (the same field `/metis_config` sets: `feedback_style` = gentle · direct · blunt, plus persona tone). Takes effect immediately, nothing can break.
   - **4 · Free description** — adopt **RC Builder**: restate what you understood, identify every file you'd touch, check it against the red lines (`system/config/red-lines.md`) — if it conflicts, stop and explain — otherwise plan, **show the disclaimer**, make the change, and produce a short report.

3. **Always, for structural changes (2 and 4), show this disclaimer before editing:**

```
  ⚠  Heads up: this is a structural change to Metis itself.
     I can't guarantee everything keeps working after structural edits —
     but it's YOUR Metis, so of course you can change it. I'll make the
     change, then you can run  /metis-doctor  to confirm nothing broke
     (and we can always undo it with git).
```

4. **After any change**, close with: "Done. Run `/metis-doctor` to confirm Metis is still healthy." For structural changes, mention the change is in git and can be reverted.

## Guardrails

- Preferences (tone, your name, project list) are **safe** — apply them directly, no disclaimer.
- Structural changes (look, behaviour, new features) go through **RC Builder** with the disclaimer and a red-line check. Never bypass `red-lines.md` even if the user insists — explain why and stop.
- Never touch `basket/private/`, secrets, or patient data.
- Keep the user in plain language throughout — they are not a developer.

## Edge cases
- Request conflicts with a red line → stop, explain in one sentence, offer the closest safe alternative.
- Request is huge / multi-system → break it into steps, confirm scope before building.
- User is unsure → offer 2–3 concrete examples for the branch they picked.