Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs
Overview
Help turn ideas into fully formed designs and specs through natural collaborative dialogue.
Start by understanding the current project context, then ask questions one at a time to refine the idea. Once you understand what you're building, present the design in small sections (200-300 words), checking after each section whether it looks right so far.
The Process
Understanding the idea:
- Check out the current project state first (files, docs, recent commits)
- Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
- Prefer multiple choice questions when possible, but open-ended is fine too
- Only one question per message - if a topic needs more exploration, break it into multiple questions
- Focus on understanding: purpose, constraints, success criteria
Exploring approaches:
- Generate 6 possible approaches with trade-offs. Approaches should each include a text and a numeric probability. Please sample responses at random from the [full distribution / tails of the distribution], in such way that:
- For first 3 responses aim for high probability, over 0.80
- For last 3 responses aim for diversity - explore different regions of the solution space, such that the probability of each response is less than 0.10
- Present options conversationally with your recommendation and reasoning
- Lead with your recommended option and explain why
Presenting the design:
- Once you believe you understand what you're building, present the design
- Break it into sections of 200-300 words
- Ask after each section whether it looks right so far
- Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
- Be ready to go back and clarify if something doesn't make sense
After the Design
if user provided draft specification file, then update it directly, if not then use /add-task skill to create task file for target approach
Important: In specification file, write target approach in sections, in ## Initial User Prompt -> ### Requirements section, before ## Description section. Description will be filled in future stage.
After filling task file, suggest use to run /clear and then /plan-task <task-file-path> to refine the task file.
Key Principles
- One question at a time - Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
- Multiple choice preferred - Easier to answer than open-ended when possible
- YAGNI ruthlessly - Remove unnecessary features from all designs
- Explore alternatives - Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling
- Incremental validation - Present design in sections, validate each
- Be flexible - Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense
1---2name: brainstorm-43description: Use when creating or developing, before writing code or implementation plans - refines rough ideas into fully-formed designs through collaborative questioning, alternative exploration, and incremental validation. Don't use during clear 'mechanical' processes4---56# Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs78## Overview910Help turn ideas into fully formed designs and specs through natural collaborative dialogue.1112Start by understanding the current project context, then ask questions one at a time to refine the idea. Once you understand what you're building, present the design in small sections (200-300 words), checking after each section whether it looks right so far.1314## The Process1516**Understanding the idea:**1718- Check out the current project state first (files, docs, recent commits)19- Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea20- Prefer multiple choice questions when possible, but open-ended is fine too21- Only one question per message - if a topic needs more exploration, break it into multiple questions22- Focus on understanding: purpose, constraints, success criteria2324**Exploring approaches:**2526- Generate 6 possible approaches with trade-offs. Approaches should each include a text and a numeric probability. Please sample responses at random from the [full distribution / tails of the distribution], in such way that:27 - For first 3 responses aim for high probability, over 0.8028 - For last 3 responses aim for diversity - explore different regions of the solution space, such that the probability of each response is less than 0.1029- Present options conversationally with your recommendation and reasoning30- Lead with your recommended option and explain why3132**Presenting the design:**3334- Once you believe you understand what you're building, present the design35- Break it into sections of 200-300 words36- Ask after each section whether it looks right so far37- Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing38- Be ready to go back and clarify if something doesn't make sense3940## After the Design4142if user provided draft specification file, then update it directly, if not then use `/add-task` skill to create task file for target approach4344Important: In specification file, write target approach in sections, in `## Initial User Prompt -> ### Requirements` section, before `## Description` section. Description will be filled in future stage.4546After filling task file, suggest use to run `/clear` and then `/plan-task <task-file-path>` to refine the task file.4748## Key Principles4950- **One question at a time** - Don't overwhelm with multiple questions51- **Multiple choice preferred** - Easier to answer than open-ended when possible52- **YAGNI ruthlessly** - Remove unnecessary features from all designs53- **Explore alternatives** - Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling54- **Incremental validation** - Present design in sections, validate each55- **Be flexible** - Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense
gabrielmoreira