This skill should be used before implementing features or making changes. It guides exploring user intent, approaches, and design decisions when a request has multiple valid interpretations or ambiguous requirements needing clarification.
From soleurnpx claudepluginhub jikig-ai/soleur --plugin soleurThis skill uses the workspace's default tool permissions.
This skill provides detailed process knowledge for effective brainstorming sessions that clarify WHAT to build before diving into HOW to build it.
Brainstorming is valuable when:
Brainstorming can be skipped when:
Before diving into questions, assess whether brainstorming is needed.
Signals that requirements are clear:
Signals that brainstorming is needed:
If requirements are clear, suggest: "Your requirements seem clear. Consider proceeding directly to planning or implementation."
Ask questions one at a time to understand the user's intent. Avoid overwhelming with multiple questions.
Question Techniques:
Prefer multiple choice when natural options exist
Start broad, then narrow
Validate assumptions explicitly
Ask about success criteria early
Be curious, not prescriptive Follow the user's energy -- if they light up about an aspect, explore it deeper. If they seem decided, don't interrogate. The goal is collaborative exploration, not an interview.
Old (prescriptive):
"For authentication, you should use JWT tokens with refresh tokens stored in httpOnly cookies."
New (curious):
"What security constraints are you working with? Have you weighed session-based vs token-based auth for your use case?"
Challenge assumptions honestly If the user's idea has a flaw or an unexplored risk, say so directly. Don't fold your argument just because the user pushes back -- explain your reasoning and let them decide. A brainstorm that only validates is a wasted brainstorm.
Key Topics to Explore:
| Topic | Example Questions |
|---|---|
| Purpose | What problem does this solve? What's the motivation? |
| Users | Who uses this? What's their context? |
| Constraints | Any technical limitations? Timeline? Dependencies? |
| Success | How will you measure success? What's the happy path? |
| Edge Cases | What shouldn't happen? Any error states to consider? |
| Existing Patterns | Are there similar features in the codebase to follow? |
Exit Condition: Continue until the idea is clear OR user says "proceed" or "let's move on"
After understanding the idea, propose 2-3 concrete approaches.
Structure for Each Approach:
### Approach A: [Name]
[2-3 sentence description]
**Pros:**
- [Benefit 1]
- [Benefit 2]
**Cons:**
- [Drawback 1]
- [Drawback 2]
**Best when:** [Circumstances where this approach shines]
Guidelines:
Summarize key decisions in a structured format.
Design Doc Structure:
---
date: YYYY-MM-DD
topic: <kebab-case-topic>
---
# <Topic Title>
## What We're Building
[Concise description—1-2 paragraphs max]
## Why This Approach
[Brief explanation of approaches considered and why this one was chosen]
## Key Decisions
- [Decision 1]: [Rationale]
- [Decision 2]: [Rationale]
## Open Questions
- [Any unresolved questions for the planning phase]
## Next Steps
→ Use `skill: soleur:plan` for implementation details
Output Location: knowledge-base/project/brainstorms/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-brainstorm.md
Present clear options for what to do next:
skill: soleur:planDuring brainstorming, actively resist complexity:
Keep sections short—200-300 words maximum. After each section of output, pause to validate understanding:
This prevents wasted effort on misaligned designs.
When the request is "analyze this problem" rather than "brainstorm approaches," skip Phase 2 (Explore Approaches) and focus entirely on Phase 1 with deeper problem decomposition: stakeholders, pain points, constraints, risks, and success criteria. Output a problem-analysis.md instead of a brainstorm doc. Do not suggest implementation solutions -- focus on WHAT and WHY, not HOW.
| Anti-Pattern | Better Approach |
|---|---|
| Asking 5 questions at once | Ask one at a time |
| Jumping to implementation details | Stay focused on WHAT, not HOW |
| Proposing overly complex solutions | Start simple, add complexity only if needed |
| Ignoring existing codebase patterns | Research what exists first |
| Making assumptions without validating | State assumptions explicitly and confirm |
| Creating lengthy design documents | Keep it concise—details go in the plan |
| Forcing scripted questions when user leads elsewhere | Follow the user's thread, return to structure later |
Brainstorming answers WHAT to build:
Planning answers HOW to build it:
When brainstorm output exists, the plan skill should detect it and use it as input, skipping its own idea refinement phase.