diff --git a/packages/framework/src/agent.ts b/packages/framework/src/agent.ts
index 7397bbb..df84709 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/agent.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/agent.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { zodFunction, zodResponseFormat } from 'openai/helpers/zod.js'
 import { z } from 'zod'
 
 import { openai, Provider } from './models.js'
-import { finish, WorkflowState } from './state.js'
+import { finish, request, response, WorkflowState } from './state.js'
 import { Tool } from './tool.js'
 import { Message } from './types.js'
 import { Workflow } from './workflow.js'
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export const agent = (options: AgentOptions = {}): Agent => {
             )
           : []
 
-        const response = await provider.completions({
+        const res = await provider.completions({
           messages: [
             {
               role: 'system',
@@ -56,18 +56,9 @@ export const agent = (options: AgentOptions = {}): Agent => {
                 Try to complete the task on your own.
               `,
             },
-            {
-              role: 'assistant',
-              content: 'What have been done so far?',
-            },
-            {
-              role: 'user',
-              content: `Here is all the work done so far by other agents: ${JSON.stringify(context)}`,
-            },
-            {
-              role: 'assistant',
-              content: 'What do you want me to do now?',
-            },
+            response('What have been done so far?'),
+            request(`Here is all the work done so far by other agents: ${JSON.stringify(context)}`),
+            response('What do you want me to do now?'),
             ...state.messages,
           ],
           tools: mappedTools.length > 0 ? mappedTools : undefined,
@@ -94,40 +85,30 @@ export const agent = (options: AgentOptions = {}): Agent => {
           ),
         })
 
-        if (response.choices[0].message.tool_calls.length > 0) {
+        if (res.choices[0].message.tool_calls.length > 0) {
           return {
             ...state,
             status: 'paused',
-            messages: state.messages.concat(response.choices[0].message),
+            messages: state.messages.concat(res.choices[0].message),
           }
         }
 
-        const result = response.choices[0].message.parsed
-        if (!result) {
+        const message = res.choices[0].message.parsed
+        if (!message) {
           throw new Error('No parsed response received')
         }
 
-        if (result.response.kind === 'error') {
-          throw new Error(result.response.reasoning)
+        if (message.response.kind === 'error') {
+          throw new Error(message.response.reasoning)
         }
 
-        const agentResponse = {
-          role: 'assistant' as const,
-          content: result.response.result,
-        }
+        const agentResponse = response(message.response.result)
 
-        if (result.response.nextStep) {
+        if (message.response.nextStep) {
           return {
             ...state,
             status: 'running',
-            messages: [
-              ...state.messages,
-              agentResponse,
-              {
-                role: 'user',
-                content: result.response.nextStep,
-              },
-            ],
+            messages: [...state.messages, agentResponse, request(message.response.nextStep)],
           }
         }
 
diff --git a/packages/framework/src/agents/final_boss.ts b/packages/framework/src/agents/final_boss.ts
index b9ea6d8..5c87a72 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/agents/final_boss.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/agents/final_boss.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ import { zodResponseFormat } from 'openai/helpers/zod'
 import { z } from 'zod'
 
 import { agent, AgentOptions } from '../agent.js'
-import { finish } from '../state.js'
+import { finish, request, response } from '../state.js'
 
 const defaults: AgentOptions = {
   run: async (state, context, workflow) => {
-    const response = await workflow.team[state.agent].provider.completions({
+    const res = await workflow.team[state.agent].provider.completions({
       messages: [
         {
           role: 'system',
@@ -16,13 +16,10 @@ const defaults: AgentOptions = {
           `,
         },
         ...context,
-        {
-          role: 'user',
-          content: s`
-            Please summarize all executed steps and do your best to achieve 
-            the main goal while responding with the final answer
-          `,
-        },
+        request(s`
+          Please summarize all executed steps and do your best to achieve 
+          the main goal while responding with the final answer
+        `),
       ],
       response_format: zodResponseFormat(
         z.object({
@@ -31,11 +28,11 @@ const defaults: AgentOptions = {
         'task_result'
       ),
     })
-    const result = response.choices[0].message.parsed
-    if (!result) {
+    const message = res.choices[0].message.parsed
+    if (!message) {
       throw new Error('No parsed response received')
     }
-    return finish(state, { role: 'assistant', content: result.finalAnswer })
+    return finish(state, response(message.finalAnswer))
   },
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/framework/src/agents/resource_planner.ts b/packages/framework/src/agents/resource_planner.ts
index 9f6c017..5fd4652 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/agents/resource_planner.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/agents/resource_planner.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ import { zodResponseFormat } from 'openai/helpers/zod'
 import { z } from 'zod'
 
 import { agent, AgentOptions } from '../agent.js'
-import { handoff } from '../state.js'
+import { handoff, request, response } from '../state.js'
 
 const defaults: AgentOptions = {
   run: async (state, context, workflow) => {
-    const response = await workflow.team[state.agent].provider.completions({
+    const res = await workflow.team[state.agent].provider.completions({
       messages: [
         {
           role: 'system',
@@ -22,21 +22,14 @@ const defaults: AgentOptions = {
             4. Previous task context if available  
           `,
         },
-        {
-          role: 'user',
-          content: s`
+        request(s`
           Here are the available agents:
           <agents>
             ${Object.entries(workflow.team).map(([name, agent]) =>
               agent.description ? `<agent name="${name}">${agent.description}</agent>` : ''
             )}
-          </agents>
-        `,
-        },
-        {
-          role: 'assistant',
-          content: 'What is the task?',
-        },
+          </agents>`),
+        response('What is the task?'),
         ...state.messages,
       ],
       temperature: 0.1,
@@ -49,12 +42,12 @@ const defaults: AgentOptions = {
       ),
     })
 
-    const content = response.choices[0].message.parsed
-    if (!content) {
+    const message = res.choices[0].message.parsed
+    if (!message) {
       throw new Error('No content in response')
     }
 
-    return handoff(state, content.agent, state.messages)
+    return handoff(state, message.agent, state.messages)
   },
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/framework/src/agents/supervisor.ts b/packages/framework/src/agents/supervisor.ts
index 52c392d..98b1cc1 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/agents/supervisor.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/agents/supervisor.ts
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ import { z } from 'zod'
 
 import { agent, AgentOptions } from '../agent.js'
 import { getSteps } from '../messages.js'
-import { delegate } from '../state.js'
+import { delegate, request, response } from '../state.js'
 
 const defaults: AgentOptions = {
   run: async (state, context, workflow) => {
-    const [request, ...messages] = state.messages
+    const [workflowRequest, ...messages] = state.messages
 
-    const response = await workflow.team[state.agent].provider.completions({
+    const res = await workflow.team[state.agent].provider.completions({
       messages: [
         {
           role: 'system',
@@ -28,15 +28,9 @@ const defaults: AgentOptions = {
             5. Use context from completed tasks to inform next steps
           `,
         },
-        {
-          role: 'assistant',
-          content: 'What is the request?',
-        },
-        request,
-        {
-          role: 'assistant',
-          content: 'What has been completed so far?',
-        },
+        response('What is the request?'),
+        workflowRequest,
+        response('What has been completed so far?'),
         ...getSteps(messages),
       ],
       temperature: 0.2,
@@ -56,7 +50,7 @@ const defaults: AgentOptions = {
     })
 
     try {
-      const content = response.choices[0].message.parsed
+      const content = res.choices[0].message.parsed
       if (!content) {
         throw new Error('No content in response')
       }
@@ -70,13 +64,7 @@ const defaults: AgentOptions = {
 
       return delegate(
         state,
-        content.tasks.map((item) => [
-          'resourcePlanner',
-          {
-            role: 'user',
-            content: item.task,
-          },
-        ])
+        content.tasks.map((item) => ['resourcePlanner', request(item.task)])
       )
     } catch (error) {
       throw new Error('Failed to determine next task')
diff --git a/packages/framework/src/iterate.ts b/packages/framework/src/iterate.ts
index 510108f..5fa1c3d 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/iterate.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/iterate.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { childState, finish, WorkflowState } from './state.js'
+import { childState, finish, response, WorkflowState } from './state.js'
 import { runTools } from './tool_calls.js'
 import { Message } from './types.js'
 import { Workflow } from './workflow.js'
@@ -48,10 +48,7 @@ export async function run(
     try {
       return agent.run(state, context, workflow)
     } catch (error) {
-      return finish(state, {
-        role: 'assistant',
-        content: error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error',
-      })
+      return finish(state, response(error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error'))
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/framework/src/state.ts b/packages/framework/src/state.ts
index e75d466..214bf1f 100644
--- a/packages/framework/src/state.ts
+++ b/packages/framework/src/state.ts
@@ -25,14 +25,11 @@ export const rootState = (workflow: Workflow): WorkflowState =>
   childState({
     agent: 'supervisor',
     messages: [
-      {
-        role: 'user',
-        content: s`
-          Here is description of my workflow and expected output:
-          <workflow>${workflow.description}</workflow>
-          <output>${workflow.output}</output>
-        `,
-      },
+      request(s`
+        Here is description of my workflow and expected output:
+        <workflow>${workflow.description}</workflow>
+        <output>${workflow.output}</output>
+      `),
     ],
   })
 
@@ -73,3 +70,17 @@ export const handoff = (
     messages,
   })
 }
+
+export const response = (content: string): Message => {
+  return {
+    role: 'assistant',
+    content,
+  }
+}
+
+export const request = (content: string): Message => {
+  return {
+    role: 'user',
+    content,
+  }
+}