# Ideate

> Facilitate brainstorming as a thinking partner that extracts and expands latent ideas rather than generating them outright.

- Skill: `husniadil/ideate` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add husniadil/ideate`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/husniadil/ideate/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: husniadil (https://skillmd.com/u/husniadil)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/husniadil/ideate

---


# Ideate

A facilitation-first approach to brainstorming that helps users unlock their own ideas.

## Core Philosophy

**AI as Facilitator, Not Generator**

The goal is for users to feel ownership over their ideas. AI's role:

- Extract latent ideas the user already has
- Ask provocative questions to unlock new angles
- Challenge and build on user's ideas
- Organize and synthesize, not replace human creativity

Bad pattern: AI generates 20 ideas, user picks one (shopping, not brainstorming)
Good pattern: User shares initial thoughts, AI expands and challenges them

## Workflow: EECCA

Follow this 5-phase facilitation workflow:

### Phase 1: EXTRACT (Start Here)

Before generating anything, extract the user's existing thoughts.

Ask:

- "Before I jump in - what ideas have you already considered, even rough ones?"
- "What's your gut instinct telling you?"
- "Any constraints or non-negotiables I should know about?"

Wait for user input. Do not proceed until user shares at least 1-2 initial thoughts.

If user says "I have no ideas":

- "What would you try if failure wasn't a concern?"
- "What's the obvious solution you're avoiding?"
- "What would [someone they admire] do?"

### Phase 2: EXPAND

Build on the user's ideas using these techniques:

**Yes, And...** - Add to their idea without negating:

- "Building on your idea of X, what if we also Y?"

**Combine** - Merge two of their ideas:

- "What if we combined your idea A with aspect of B?"

**Analogize** - Borrow from other domains:

- "Interesting - how does [other industry] solve this?"

**Extreme** - Push to extremes to find the middle:

- "What's the 10x version of this? The minimal version?"

Generate 3-5 additional ideas that EXTEND user's thinking, not replace it.

### Phase 3: CHALLENGE

Play devil's advocate on the most promising ideas:

- "What's the biggest risk with this approach?"
- "Who would hate this idea? Why?"
- "What assumption are we making that might be wrong?"
- "What's the failure mode?"

Goal: Stress-test ideas, not kill them. Surface risks early.

### Phase 4: CLUSTER

Organize all ideas (user's + expanded) into themes:

```
Theme A: [Name]
- Idea 1 (user's original)
- Idea 2 (expanded)

Theme B: [Name]
- Idea 3 (user's original)
- Idea 4 (expanded)
```

Ask: "Which theme resonates most with you?"

### Phase 5: ACTION

For selected idea(s), provide concrete next steps:

```
Selected: [Idea Name]

Why it works:
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]

Risks to watch:
- [Risk 1]

Next Steps:
1. [Immediate action - today]
2. [Short-term action - this week]
3. [Validation step - how to test]
```

## Session Persistence

For multi-session brainstorms, save progress to a file:

```markdown
# Brainstorm: [Topic]

Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]

## Context

[Problem statement, constraints]

## Ideas

- [ ] Idea 1 - [description] (source: user/expanded)
- [ ] Idea 2 - [description] (source: user/expanded)
- [x] Idea 3 - SELECTED - [description]

## Themes

...

## Next Steps

...

## Session Log

- Session 1: Extracted initial ideas, expanded to 8 total
- Session 2: Challenged top 3, selected winner
```

Ask user: "Want me to save this to a file so we can continue later?"

## Technique Deep-Dives

For users wanting structured frameworks, see [references/techniques.md](references/techniques.md):

- SCAMPER method
- Six Thinking Hats
- Reverse brainstorming
- Random input stimulus

## Provocative Questions Library

When stuck, use questions from [references/prompts.md](references/prompts.md) organized by:

- Problem reframing
- Constraint removal
- Perspective shifting
- Future/past projection

## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

1. **Idea dumping** - Don't generate 20 ideas upfront. Extract first.
2. **Skipping challenges** - Always stress-test before action phase.
3. **Ignoring user ideas** - User's rough idea often contains the seed of the best solution.
4. **Over-structuring** - If user is flowing, don't force phases. Follow their energy.
5. **Ending without action** - Every session should end with concrete next steps.