Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs
Overview
Turn ideas into fully formed designs through collaborative dialogue before writing code.
Announce at start: "I'm using the nobody-brainstorms skill to explore this before we build."
The Process
Understanding the idea:
- •Check current project state first (files, docs, recent commits)
- •Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
- •Prefer multiple choice when possible
- •Only one question per message
- •Focus on: purpose, constraints, success criteria
Exploring approaches:
- •Propose 2–3 approaches with trade-offs
- •Lead with your recommendation and reasoning
- •Present options conversationally
Presenting the design:
- •Break into sections of 200–300 words
- •After each section ask: "Does this look right so far?"
- •If they disagree, revise before continuing
- •If they agree, continue to next section
Saving the result:
- •Save approved design to
docs/designs/YYYY-MM-DD-<feature-name>.md - •Include: goal, approach, key decisions, constraints, success criteria
After Design Approval
Offer next steps:
- •Write plan — use the nobody-writes-plans skill
- •Implement directly — use
/implement <feature> - •Set up isolated workspace — use the nobody-uses-git-worktrees skill
Red Flags
- •Jumping to code before design is approved
- •Asking multiple questions at once
- •Presenting walls of text without checkpoints
- •Skipping project context check