brainstorming

Brainstorming refines rough ideas into fully-formed specifications using Socratic questioning to probe requirements and converge on solid designs. It's most effective before writing code when requirements are unclear or multiple approaches exist, delivering design documents and actionable next steps.

Use Socratic questioning during early design phases when requirements are ambiguous or you're exploring multiple solution approaches. It iteratively narrows scope through targeted questions, preventing misalignment before implementation begins. Skip it if requirements are already well-defined or you're making small changes.

Brainstorming presents designs in chunked, digestible sections to gather iterative feedback rather than overwhelming stakeholders with full specifications at once. This approach surfaces hidden requirements and design conflicts early, enabling refinement before committing to implementation.

Brainstorming translates design insights into concrete artifacts—design documents as file paths and GitHub issues as issue numbers—enabling direct integration with downstream implementation skills and project tracking systems.

Brainstorming applies to exploratory design phases with unclear or multiple valid approaches. Don't use it when requirements are already well-defined, you're implementing an established pattern, or making localized changes—it's optimized for discovery, not execution of decided designs.