Brainstorming
Explores intent, requirements and design options through questions before you start building.
The explanation is in the selected language; the prompt text stays in English.
Why use it
Your idea is still rough and you do not want to jump into building yet. The assistant asks one question at a time and presents the design in small, checkable pieces.
How to use it
State the idea in a sentence or two and point to the project folder or docs. Answer each question separately, then confirm or correct every design section before moving on.
Short example
Idea: a simple Telegram bot for tracking household expenses. Answers: two or three users, data kept in a spreadsheet, no subscription needed.
What to expect
Two or three approaches with a recommendation, then 200-300 word sections on structure, data flow, error handling and testing, ending with a design document.
Precautions and tips
- Answer one question per message so the thread stays clean.
- Read the final design yourself before anyone starts implementing it.
- The document is committed to git, so keep passwords and keys out of it.
# 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 elements-of-style:writing-clearly-and-concisely skill if available
- Commit the design document to git
**Implementation (if continuing):**
- 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
## 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 senseThe prompt text is the original English and is not translated: paste it into your AI tool as is. Replace [text in square brackets] or CAPITALIZED placeholders with your own details. Always check the answer.
Interactive mode: search, progress and Python exercises.