brainstorming

Guides collaborative design dialogue to turn ideas into approved specs before implementation.

Updated Jul 30, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/johsquaree/claude-basic-docs --skill brainstorming-johsquaree
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: brainstorming
Source: https://github.com/johsquaree/claude-basic-docs/tree/main/.claude/skills/brainstorming
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/johsquaree/claude-basic-docs --skill brainstorming-johsquaree

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Teams and AI agents often jump straight into code before understanding requirements, causing rework from unexamined assumptions. This Skill enforces a structured design-first workflow that explores intent, constraints, and approaches before any implementation begins. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Structured Design Dialogue: Explores project context, asks clarifying questions one at a time, proposes 2-3 approaches with trade-offs, and presents the design in sections for approval. - Spec Authoring and Review: Writes the approved design to a dated spec file, runs a self-review for placeholders, contradictions, and scope, then gates implementation on user approval. - Browser-Based Visual Companion: Serves mockups, wireframes, and diagrams through a local WebSocket server so visual questions can be answered by seeing options rather than reading descriptions. - Use Case: Before building a new feature, use this Skill to refine the idea through dialogue, produce a committed design document, and hand off to an implementation-planning skill only after approval. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to brainstorm the design for your next feature before writing any code.

Frequently Asked Questions about brainstorming

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I design a feature before writing code with an AI agent?

Invoke the brainstorming workflow before any implementation. It explores project context, asks clarifying questions one at a time, proposes 2-3 approaches with trade-offs, and produces an approved design document before any code is written.

What is a design spec document in an AI coding workflow?

A design spec is a Markdown file capturing the approved architecture, components, data flow, error handling, and testing approach. This Skill writes it to docs/superpowers/specs/ with a dated filename and commits it to git before planning begins.

Does the brainstorming skill work for small or simple projects?

Yes, every project goes through the process regardless of perceived simplicity. The design can be only a few sentences for trivial work, but it must still be presented and approved before implementation starts.

How do I show UI mockups during requirements gathering?

The visual companion starts a local server with scripts/start-server.sh that serves HTML mockups to a browser tab. Users click options in the browser and their selections are recorded as JSON events for the agent to read.

When should a project be decomposed instead of designed directly?

Decompose when a request describes multiple independent subsystems, such as a platform with chat, billing, and analytics. Each sub-project then gets its own spec, plan, and implementation cycle.

Why does the visual companion URL require a session key?

The server generates a per-session token embedded in the URL as ?key= to authenticate HTTP and WebSocket access. This prevents other local browser tabs or network hosts from reading screens or injecting events.