Brainstorm

Brainstorm

Overview

Use this skill to convert rough ideas into clear, reviewable design outputs through structured dialogue.

The goal is to:

1. Clarify requirements and constraints 2. Explore alternatives with trade-offs 3. Produce a concrete, validated design brief in artifacts or a handoff to planning

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Project Context

Load only the project context relevant to the current idea:

• If docs/SUMMARY.md exists, read it first.
• Load only task-relevant detail docs.
• Prioritize Code Standard docs for implementation conventions.
• If docs conflict with code or user intent, use the available input/question tool before broad changes.

Also check key implementation files relevant to the idea and note constraints from existing architecture, dependencies, and conventions.

Keep this pass focused. Only gather what is needed for the current idea.

Step 2: Clarify Requirements

Ask targeted questions sequentially only when ambiguity cannot be resolved from the request, project docs, or code. Use the input/question tool when available; otherwise ask a concise direct question.

• Focus on:
• Objective and user value
• Scope boundaries
• Constraints (technical, UX, performance, timeline)
• Success criteria
• Non-goals

Do not jump to implementation details too early.

Step 3: Explore Approaches

Propose 2-5 viable approaches.

For each approach, include:

• Short summary
• Pros
• Cons / risks
• Complexity estimate
• Recommended use conditions

Lead with your recommended option and explain why it best fits the project context and constraints.

After presenting all approaches, use input/question tool to ask the user to pick a preferred approach only when the choice materially changes the design or delivery path. List the summary options. Example:

1. Approach A, short summary 2. Approach B, short summary 3. Approach C, short summary 4. Other (please specify)

with the tag added for the recommended approach to guide the user.

Step 4: Present the Design Incrementally

Once requirements are clear, present the design incrementally in logical phases. For small topics, combine phases when separate checkpoints would add friction.

• Phase 1: Foundation - Problem framing, goals, and proposed architecture/flow.
• Phase 2: Technical Details - Data model, interfaces, error handling, and edge cases.
• Phase 3: Delivery - Testing/verification strategy and rollout considerations (if applicable).

After presenting a phase, use input/question tool to ask for confirmation only when user input would materially change the next phase. Use these options when a checkpoint is needed:

1. Proceed to the next phase 2. Adjust the current phase 3. Revisit a previous phase

Step 5: Close the Loop

After you and the user have worked through requirements and the design is validated, determine the next actions.

Before asking for next actions, summarize the current design brief in chat. Keep it compact unless the user asks for artifacts:

• Goal and user-visible outcome
• Chosen or recommended approach
• Scope and non-goals
• Key decisions and trade-offs
• Main risks, assumptions, or unresolved questions
• Recommended next step

1. Use input/question tool to present the user with four high-level next actions:

• "Write plan immediately (in current context)" - skip the artifact step and move straight to a write-plan handoff.
• "Write artifacts" - continue by authoring the brainstorm documents described in Step 6.
• "Implement immediately (skip design artifacts and planning)" - if the design is very clear and low-risk, the user may choose to skip both artifacts and planning and move straight to implementation.
• "End session (already provided enough information for user)" - stop; the conversation has produced enough insight for now.

2. If the user picks Write artifacts, proceed to Step 6. Once the draft artifacts exist, use input/question tool again to validate them with options:

• "Write plan with current artifacts, context"
• "End session - artifacts are sufficient for now"
• "Need changes" (free-form text) - collect the feedback, revise the artifacts, and re-ask.

3. If the user picked Write plan immediately, initiate a handoff to use skill write-plan using the current brainstorming context; no additional artifact validation is required.

4. If the user picked End session, simply stop. The information collected so far is considered sufficient.

Step 6 (optional): Write Brainstorm Artifacts

Only perform this step after the user has explicitly chosen "Write artifacts" during Step 5.

Persist results to the standardized location:

• Directory: docs/.brainstorms/YYMMDD-HHmm-<topic-slug>/
• Main file (required): docs/.brainstorms/YYMMDD-HHmm-<topic-slug>/SUMMARY.md
• Optional supporting files:
• docs/.brainstorms/YYMMDD-HHmm-<topic-slug>/section-01-<slug>.md
• docs/.brainstorms/YYMMDD-HHmm-<topic-slug>/section-02-<slug>.md
• etc.

SUMMARY.md format: strictly follow the template inside references/summary-template.md.

Rules

• Do not write production code or make implementation changes in this skill in the brainstorm session.
• Keep interaction lightweight and iterative; every step should be run in the same session.
• Prefer clarity over completeness when uncertain; ask a follow-up question.
• Align all recommendations with project documentation and standards.
• Keep assumptions explicit; do not guess silently.
• Think before coding: Surface assumptions explicitly. If multiple interpretations exist, present them — don't pick silently. If a simpler approach exists, say so and push back when warranted.

Brainstorm: <Title>

Created: YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss

Context

• Background and motivation for the brainstorm.

Goals

• What success looks like.

Non-Goals

• What is explicitly excluded.

Chosen Approach

• Selected approach and rationale.

Alternatives Considered

• Alternative 1 — pros, cons, why not chosen
• Alternative 2 — pros, cons, why not chosen

Risks & Mitigations

• Risk → mitigation

Open Questions

• Items requiring further investigation or user confirmation.

Next Step Recommendation

• Recommended follow-up action (e.g., proceed to write-plan, prototype, research further).