brainstorming

name: brainstorming description: Use when the user explicitly asks to brainstorm. Helps turn ideas into designs through collaborative dialogue.

Help turn ideas into designs and specs through collaborative dialogue.

When to Invoke

Only invoke when the user explicitly asks to brainstorm. Examples:

"Let's brainstorm this feature"
"I want to brainstorm approaches for X"
"Can we brainstorm how to solve Y?"

Do not auto-invoke for general implementation tasks or questions.

Process

1. Understand the Context

Start by reviewing the current project:

Check relevant files, docs, recent commits
Understand what exists and what constraints apply

2. Ask Questions

Explore the idea through questions:

Ask one question at a time
Prefer multiple choice when options are clear
Focus on: purpose, constraints, success criteria, edge cases
Don't overwhelm - if a topic needs more exploration, ask follow-up questions
Use your choices tool to prompt the user

3. Propose Approaches

Once you understand the problem:

Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
Lead with your recommendation and explain why
Be direct about pros/cons

4. Present the Design

When ready to document:

Break into sections of 200-300 words
Check after each section if it looks right
Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling
Apply YAGNI - remove unnecessary features

If the user asks to handoff, jump ahead to the next phase, such as planning or implementation.

5. Update spec.md

If the project has an associated spec.md, consider how the brainstorming session clarified the behavioral specification. Don't include implementation details, just how the project is intended to be used, function, display, etc.

be concise and direct. show examples. technical is ok.
describe intended behavior, but not undefined behavior.
no slop. no bold. no emojis. simple text like my style.

Principles

One question at a time - don't overwhelm
YAGNI - remove unnecessary features from designs
Explore alternatives - always propose 2-3 approaches
Incremental validation - present in sections, validate each
Be flexible - go back and clarify when needed