brainstorming
Socratic design refinement before implementation. Use when planning creative work or designing features.
Best use case
brainstorming is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Socratic design refinement before implementation. Use when planning creative work or designing features.
Teams using brainstorming should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/brainstorming/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How brainstorming Compares
| Feature / Agent | brainstorming | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Socratic design refinement before implementation. Use when planning creative work or designing features.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# 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 **Documentation:** - Write the validated design to `docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md` - Use context-compressor skill if available for efficient documentation - Commit the design document to git **Implementation (if continuing):** - Ask: "Ready to set up for implementation?" - Use writing-plans skill to create detailed implementation plan ## 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 ## Memory Protocol (MANDATORY) **Before starting:** Read `.claude/context/memory/learnings.md` **After completing:** - New pattern -> `.claude/context/memory/learnings.md` - Issue found -> `.claude/context/memory/issues.md` - Decision made -> `.claude/context/memory/decisions.md` > ASSUME INTERRUPTION: If it's not in memory, it didn't happen.
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