brainstorming

brainstorming

Idea exploration before building — understand the problem, propose approaches, present design, get approval. HARD-GATE: no implementation until design is approved.

Inputs

Parameter	Values	Default	Description
idea	string	required	The idea or feature to brainstorm

/brainstorming — Idea Exploration

Turn ideas into fully formed designs through collaborative dialogue.

Step 0: Preamble

Run templates/PREAMBLE.md.

<HARD-GATE> Do NOT write any code, scaffold any project, or take any implementation action until you have presented a design and the user has approved it. Every project goes through this process, even "simple" ones. </HARD-GATE>

Process

Phase 1: Understand

1. Check current project context (files, docs, git log)
2. Ask clarifying questions one at a time
3. Prefer multiple choice when possible
4. Focus on: purpose, constraints, success criteria, users

Phase 2: Explore Approaches

1. Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
2. Lead with your recommendation and reasoning
3. Present options conversationally
4. Include effort estimates (human time vs AI time)

Phase 3: Present Design

1. Present the design section by section
2. Scale each section to its complexity (few sentences if simple, detailed if nuanced)
3. Ask after each section: "Does this look right so far?"
4. Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing

Phase 4: Self-Eval on Design

Run templates/SELF-EVAL-PROTOCOL.md on the design:

• Is it specific enough to implement?
• Does it address all requirements?
• Are edge cases covered?
• Is it the simplest solution that works?

Phase 5: Transition

Once approved, invoke /writing-plans to create the implementation plan. The design becomes the spec.

Key Principles

• One question at a time — Don't overwhelm
• YAGNI ruthlessly — Remove unnecessary features
• Incremental validation — Get approval before moving on
• Design for isolation — Each unit has one clear purpose

Error Handling

Scenario	Action
No target provided	Ask for clarification with examples
Target not found	Search for alternatives, suggest closest match
Agent dispatch fails	Fall back to manual execution, report the error
Ambiguous input	Present options, ask user to pick
Execution timeout	Save partial results, report what completed

Guardrails

1. Do not silently change scope or expand beyond the user request.
2. Prefer concrete outputs and verification over abstract descriptions.
3. Keep scope faithful to the user intent.
4. Preserve existing workflow guardrails and stop conditions.
5. Verify results before concluding. Run self-eval on output quality.