brainstorming

This skill transforms vague ideas into approved design documents by exploring project context, asking clarifying questions, and proposing solution alternatives with trade-offs. It iterates with you until approval, then saves the validated design as a markdown file.

The best way to write a design doc before implementation is to explore project context, ask clarifying questions one at a time, and propose 2-3 approaches with trade-offs. After gaining approval, the validated design is saved as a markdown file to prevent wasted engineering work.

Yes, the brainstorming workflow specifically proposes 2-3 solution approaches with clear trade-offs for new feature requirements. It presents a recommended approach and iterates with you until the chosen design is explicitly approved and documented.

To prevent implementation before approval, the brainstorming workflow enforces a sequence: it writes the validated design to a markdown file, commits it to git, and blocks implementation actions until explicit user approval is granted for the proposed design.

Validated project design documents should be saved to the docs/plans directory using a YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md naming convention. The workflow ensures this markdown file is committed to git after gaining explicit user approval.

Yes, the design documentation process integrates with implementation planning by invoking the writing-plans skill after the design doc is committed to git. This ensures a seamless handoff from the approved design document to actionable engineering plans.