Claude Desktop
CO (Cognitive Orchestration) is a methodology for structured human-AI collaboration. It works in any professional domain, not just software development. If you can use Claude Desktop, you can use CO.
Claude Desktop now includes a Claude Code tab. It runs the same engine as the Claude Code command-line tool, with a visual interface: pick a folder, type in a chat box, approve changes as they happen. Claude Code reads the entire CO configuration inside your folder (agents, domain knowledge, guardrails, hooks, commands, and the phased workflow) exactly as the command line does. There is nothing extra to install and no plugin to add.
What you get
Section titled “What you get”CO gives your AI collaboration five layers of structure:
- Specialized agents that understand your field (not generic assistants)
- Domain knowledge that persists across sessions (not forgotten after each conversation)
- Guardrails that prevent domain-specific mistakes (not just generic safety)
- Phased workflows with approval gates (you stay in control at every step)
- A learning system that improves over time (patterns compound, they are not lost)
Choose your domain
Section titled “Choose your domain”Pick the CO application that matches your work. Then follow the setup steps below.
| Domain | What it does |
|---|---|
| Codegen (COC) | Build software with Claude Code. 30+ specialist agents, automated code review, test-driven implementation. Use the Claude Code path instead. |
| Research (COR) | Co-author academic papers. Citation integrity, literature synthesis, hostile reviewer simulation. |
| Learners (COL) | Subject-agnostic student CO. Study guides, practice problems, exam preparation. Works for any subject. |
| Learners-Finance (COL-F) | COL specialized for finance. Case analysis, financial modeling, portfolio theory, research papers. |
| Education (COE) | Design assessments and rubrics that account for AI use. Instructor-side tools. |
| Governance (COG) | Organizational self-governance. Constitutional compliance, RFC processes, transparency. |
| Compliance (COComp) | Regulatory analysis. Requirement extraction, control mapping, gap assessment, audit prep. |
| Your field | Build your own CO application from the CO template. |
Setup (5 minutes, one time)
Section titled “Setup (5 minutes, one time)”You need Claude Desktop and a Claude Pro, Max, or Team subscription. The Claude Code tab is available on macOS and Windows. On Windows, install Git for Windows first (the app prompts you on first open if it is missing).
Step 1: Download your domain workspace
Section titled “Step 1: Download your domain workspace”Each domain is a ready-made template that already contains everything CO needs: the specialist agents, domain knowledge, guardrails, hooks, and phased commands. You download it once and open it.
Go to the GitHub link for your chosen domain below. Click the green “Code” button, then click “Download ZIP”. Unzip the file and move the folder to your Documents.
Download workspace ZIP. Unzip and move the folder to your Documents.
Download workspace ZIP. Unzip and move the folder to your Documents.
Download workspace ZIP. Unzip and move the folder to your Documents.
Download workspace ZIP. Unzip and move the folder to your Documents.
Download workspace ZIP. Unzip and move the folder to your Documents.
Download workspace ZIP. Unzip and move the folder to your Documents.
Download template ZIP. Unzip and move the folder to your Documents.
Step 2: Open the Claude Code tab and select your folder
Section titled “Step 2: Open the Claude Code tab and select your folder”- Open Claude Desktop and sign in (the same account as your Pro, Max, or Team subscription).
- Switch to the Claude Code tab.
- Click “Select folder” and choose the workspace folder you downloaded (the main folder, not a subfolder).
That is the whole setup. Claude Code reads the CO configuration in that folder automatically: the agents, the domain knowledge, the guardrails, and the commands are all there. There is no sandbox to unlock, no network setting to change, and no plugin to install.
Step 3: Start
Section titled “Step 3: Start”Type /start in the chat box.
CO introduces itself, explains the phased workflow, and asks about your project. Answer in plain language.
Step 4: Work through the phases
Section titled “Step 4: Work through the phases”Every CO application follows the same six-phase pattern:
| Phase | What happens | You decide |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Analyze | CO researches your topic, gathers information, maps the landscape | Whether the analysis is complete |
| 02 Plan | CO creates a structured plan with tasks and deliverables | Whether the plan covers your needs |
| 03 Execute | CO works through tasks one at a time, producing outputs | Whether each output meets your standard |
| 04 Review | CO critiques the work, finds weaknesses, and produces the finalized output | Whether the final output meets your standard |
| 05 Learn | CO captures what it learned into reusable knowledge (stored in .claude/ artifacts, not the workspace) | Whether the captured knowledge is accurate |
| 06 Deliver | CO prepares and ships the final output to its destination | Whether it is ready to send |
You approve each phase before the next one begins. CO does not proceed without your sign-off.
Commands by domain
Section titled “Commands by domain”| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/start | Orientation and project setup |
/teach | Research tutor mode with context and debates |
/literature | Systematic literature search |
/deliberate | Record a structural decision |
/craft | Author writes, AI teaches and critiques |
/write-para | AI drafts paragraph with margin notes |
/validate-claim | Verify claims against cited sources |
/challenge | Hostile reviewer simulation |
/check-refs | Cross-reference and citation audit |
/preflight | Pre-submission deep validation |
/publish | Prepare for venue-specific submission |
/wrapup | Save session progress |
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/start | Orientation and course setup |
/study | Study guide for a finance topic |
/explain | Concept explanation at your level |
/formula | Formula quick reference |
/practice | Practice problems with solutions |
/exam-prep | Exam preparation plan |
/case | Case study analysis |
/research | Structured literature search |
/thesis | Thesis/paper planning |
/assignment | Work through a course assignment |
/cite | Citation formatting |
/wrapup | Save session progress |
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/start | Orientation and subject setup |
/study | Study guide for any topic |
/explain | Concept explanation at your level |
/outline | Structure an assignment or study plan |
/exam-prep | Exam preparation plan |
/draft | Draft your work with AI guidance |
/research | Structured literature search |
/review | Peer review of your writing |
/wrapup | Save session progress |
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/start | Orientation and course setup |
/design-assessment | Design an AI-aware assessment |
/build-rubric | Build a transparent rubric |
/map-outcomes | Map learning outcomes |
/audit-ai-resilience | Test assessment against AI gaming |
/design-course | Course design with AI integration |
/wrapup | Save session progress |
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/start | Orientation and project setup |
/check-constitution | Verify action against constitutional clauses |
/draft-rfc | Draft a Request for Comments |
/transparency-report | Generate transparency report |
/audit-compliance | Audit constitutional compliance |
/review-membership | Review membership application |
/wrapup | Save session progress |
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/start | Orientation and project setup |
/analyze-regulation | Analyze a regulation and extract requirements |
/map-controls | Map requirements to organizational controls |
/assess-gaps | Identify gaps between requirements and controls |
/draft-report | Draft a compliance report |
/prep-audit | Prepare audit documentation |
/wrapup | Save session progress |
Where your work goes
Section titled “Where your work goes”CO writes all output into your workspace folder in an organized structure. You can open these files anytime with any text editor or file manager. Nothing is hidden inside Claude.
workspaces/my-paper/ briefs/ ← paper scope, objectives, venue targets 01-analyze/ literature/ ← literature notes and paper assessments 03-drafts/ deliberation/ decisions/ ← structural decision records versions/ ← draft snapshots 04-validate/ reviews/ ← verification reports, challenge results craft-notes/ ← /craft output: literature gaps, challenges journal/ ← insight journal (8 entry types) todos/ active/ ← current tasks completed/ ← done tasksworkspaces/my-assignment/ briefs/ ← assignment description, requirements 01-research/ ← research notes, source assessments 02-outline/ ← paper/assignment structure 03-drafts/ ← active drafts 04-review/ ← peer reviews, quality checks → produces finalized output 05-output/ ← final deliverables (produced by Review phase) sources/ ← source materials and data journal/ ← decisions and progress notes todos/ active/ ← current tasks completed/ ← done tasksPhase 05 (Learn) captures reusable knowledge into .claude/ artifacts, not the workspace.
workspaces/my-subject/ briefs/ ← subject scope, learning objectives 01-research/ ← topic research, source assessments 02-outline/ ← assignment or study structure 03-drafts/ ← active drafts and working notes 04-review/ ← peer reviews, quality checks → produces finalized output 05-output/ ← final deliverables (produced by Review phase) sources/ ← source materials and references journal/ ← decisions and progress notes todos/ active/ ← current tasks completed/ ← done tasksPhase 05 (Learn) captures reusable knowledge into .claude/ artifacts, not the workspace.
workspaces/my-course/ 01-analyze/ ← pedagogical research and landscape 02-plan/ ← course and assessment plans 03-execute/ ← assessments, rubrics, materials 04-vet/ ← quality review → produces finalized output 05-codify/ ← captured decisions and reusable knowledge 06-deliver/ ← final materials prepared for students journal/ ← design decisions and rationale todos/ active/ ← current tasks completed/ ← done tasksPhase 05 (Learn) captures reusable knowledge into .claude/ artifacts, not the workspace.
workspaces/my-governance-task/ 01-analyze/ ← constitutional research, precedents 02-plan/ ← RFC plans, compliance strategies 03-execute/ ← drafts, reports, analyses 04-vet/ ← compliance audits → produces finalized output 05-codify/ ← captured decisions and precedents 06-deliver/ ← final governance documents journal/ ← decision records todos/ active/ ← current tasks completed/ ← done tasksPhase 05 (Learn) captures reusable knowledge into .claude/ artifacts, not the workspace.
workspaces/my-compliance-project/ 01-research/ ← regulatory analysis, requirement extraction 02-planning/ ← control mapping plans 03-work/ ← gap assessments, control documentation 04-review/ ← audit preparation, evidence review → produces finalized output 05-output/ ← compliance reports, audit packages (produced by Review phase) journal/ ← regulatory interpretation notes todos/ active/ ← current tasks completed/ ← done tasksPhase 05 (Learn) captures reusable knowledge into .claude/ artifacts, not the workspace.
To start a new project within your workspace, copy the template:
cp -r workspaces/_template workspaces/my-new-projectOr just tell CO what you want to work on and it will create the structure for you.
Session memory is automatic
Section titled “Session memory is automatic”The Claude Code tab remembers your work across sessions. When you close it and come back, type /start and CO picks up where you left off. Workspace state, completed tasks, and learned patterns all persist. You can still type /wrapup to write an explicit progress note before a long break, but you no longer have to: your files and session context are saved as you go.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| No “Claude Code” tab | Update Claude Desktop to the latest version. The Claude Code tab is on macOS and Windows |
| ”Missing Git” prompt (Windows) | Install Git for Windows, then restart Claude Desktop |
| Sign-in or access error | Confirm you are signed in with a Claude Pro, Max, or Team account |
Commands like /start not found | Confirm you selected the workspace folder itself (the one containing the .claude folder), not a parent or subfolder |
| Workspace folder missing expected directories | Create a project: copy workspaces/_template to workspaces/my-project |
For developers
Section titled “For developers”If you prefer the command line, CO also runs via the Claude Code CLI. The methodology is identical: the Claude Code tab and the CLI share the same engine, read the same configuration from your folder, and run the same commands. Pick whichever interface fits your workflow.