efiadm/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)
• 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

IMPORTANT: Check if MODE parameter is set to planning-only:

• If MODE == planning-only: Skip the "Implementation" section entirely. Do NOT ask about implementation.
• If MODE is not set or is normal: Proceed with both documentation and implementation offer.

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Documentation

Output Location:

• If PLAN_NAME parameter is provided: Write to .claude/docs/{PLAN_NAME}/brainstorming.md (used by /flow-plan)
• Otherwise: Write to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md (standalone usage)

CRITICAL: Use the Write tool explicitly:

1. Determine the output path based on parameters above
2. Use the Write tool to create the file with the validated design
3. Include all sections: Overview, Approach, Architecture, Components, Data Flow, Error Handling, Testing
4. Use elements-of-style:writing-clearly-and-concisely skill if available
5. Commit the design document to git

Template Structure:

# Design: {Feature Name}

## Overview

{Brief description and goals}

## Approach

{Chosen approach and rationale}

## Architecture

{High-level architecture decisions}

## Components

{Key components and their responsibilities}

## Data Flow

{How data moves through the system}

## Error Handling

{Error scenarios and handling strategy}

## Testing Strategy

{How this will be tested}

Do NOT skip the Write step - the design file MUST be created.

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Implementation (Skip if MODE is planning-only)

When MODE is NOT planning-only:

• Ask: "Ready to set up for implementation?"
• Use superpowers:using-git-worktrees to create isolated workspace
• Use superpowers:writing-plans to create detailed implementation plan

When MODE is planning-only (invoked from /flow-plan):

• Do NOT ask about implementation
• Do NOT offer to create worktrees
• STOP after writing the design file
• Output: "Design saved to {output_path}. Brainstorming complete."

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