Brainstorming
Intent
Turn a rough idea into a clear, reviewable design by asking focused questions, considering alternatives, and validating the approach before any planning or implementation begins.
When to Use
- •Before creating new features or components.
- •When requirements are vague or shifting.
- •When multiple design approaches are plausible.
- •Before any plan is written.
Precondition Failure Signal
- •Implementation or planning starts without a validated design.
- •Only one approach is considered.
- •Requirements are clarified mid-implementation.
- •The user has not explicitly approved a design.
Postcondition Success Signal
- •A design/spec exists and has been validated by the user.
- •At least 2-3 approaches were compared with trade-offs.
- •Open questions are captured and resolved or explicitly deferred.
Process
- •Source Review: Inspect existing docs/code relevant to the topic.
- •Clarify: Ask one question per message; use multiple choice when possible.
- •Explore: Propose 2-3 approaches with trade-offs and a recommendation.
- •Validate: Present the design in small sections (200-300 words) and confirm each section before continuing.
- •Document: Save the validated design in
docs/designs/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>.md. - •Handover: Ask whether to proceed to planning (
writing-plans).
Example Test / Validation
- •Idea: "Add user profiles."
- •Validation: A design document exists with 2-3 approaches, data flow, and error handling, and the user explicitly approves it.
Common Red Flags / Guardrail Violations
- •Asking multiple questions at once.
- •Skipping alternatives because one idea "seems obvious".
- •Presenting a full design without section-by-section confirmation.
- •Moving to planning before explicit approval.
Recommended Review Personas
- •Tech Lead - validates architectural intent and trade-offs.
- •Software Engineer - validates feasibility and clarity.
Skill Priority
P2 - Consistency & Governance
(Must precede planning and implementation work.)
Conflict Resolution Rules
- •If requirements change, return to this skill and re-validate.
- •Planning skills must not begin until this skill is complete.
Conceptual Dependencies
- •writing-plans (for plan integration)
Classification
Governance
Core
Notes
This skill is about thinking, not building. It must finish before planning.