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 project context per the shared Context Loading Protocol. 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 to remove ambiguity. Follow the Question Tool mandate.

• 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 Question Tool to let the user pick their preferred approach. List the summary options. Example:

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

Step 4: Present the Design Incrementally

Once requirements are clear, present the design incrementally in logical phases (about 200-300 words per phase) to avoid overwhelming the user.

• 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 each phase, use Question Tool immediately to ask whether to:

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.

1. Use Question Tool to present the user with three 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.
   • "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 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.
• Timestamps: Always use the actual, current system date and time for folder creation and the SUMMARY.md file. Do not hallucinate dates.
• At decision points (approach selection, post-phase validation, close-the-loop actions), always use Question Tool with selectable options in the same turn.
• Do not replace Question Tool decisions with plain-text prompts that require manual chat replies.