brainstorming

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)
• Use the question tool to 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:

• Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
• 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

Documentation:

• Write the validated design to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md
• Use elements-of-style:writing-clearly-and-concisely skill if available
• Commit the design document (only if user opted in to commits) using superpowers:making-commits

Implementation (if continuing):

Use the question tool to ask how to proceed:

"Ready to proceed with implementation?"

Options:

1. Start a Deep Work session - Set up for autonomous implementation with upfront preferences
2. Interactive implementation - Proceed step by step with regular checkpoints
3. Review design first - Let me review the design doc before proceeding

If Deep Work session chosen:

• REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:deep-work-session
• The deep-work-session skill will gather preferences (commits, question style, scope)
• Then proceed to worktree setup and planning with those preferences already set
• Implementation will be autonomous based on front-loaded decisions

If Interactive implementation chosen:

• Use superpowers:using-git-worktrees to create isolated workspace
• Use superpowers:writing-plans to create detailed implementation plan
• Proceed with regular checkpoints and user involvement

If Review design first chosen:

• Point user to the saved design document path
• Wait for them to confirm they're ready to proceed
• Then offer the implementation options again

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