ideate

Convert vague ideas into validated design documents through guided expert review.

26|2|Updated Jan 14, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/howells/arc --skill ideate-howells
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: ideate
Source: https://github.com/howells/arc/tree/main/skills/ideate
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/howells/arc --skill ideate-howells

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps teams convert vague ideas into validated design documents through a guided, collaborative discourse with built-in expert review.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Guided ideation conversations: Asks clarifying questions to surface gaps and define concrete design directions.
  • Collaborative expert review: Involves security-engineer, performance-engineer, and architecture-engineer roles for multidisciplinary input.
  • Design doc output: Produces a concrete design doc that can be used for implementation planning.
  • Typical use cases: when asked to "design a feature", "plan an approach", "think through implementation", or when starting work that requires architectural thinking before coding.

Quick Start

Describe your feature to start a guided ideation session and end with a concrete design doc.

Frequently Asked Questions about ideate

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I turn a vague feature idea into a validated design doc before coding?

To turn a vague idea into a validated design doc, you describe your feature to start a guided ideation session that asks clarifying questions and coordinates expert reviews from security, performance, and architecture engineers.

What is the best way to plan architecture and think through implementation for a new feature?

The best way to plan architecture is using a phased dialogue with expert reviewers, including security-engineer, performance-engineer, and architecture-engineer roles, which enforces one-question-at-a-time interactions to produce a ready-to-implement plan.

Can I involve security and performance reviews when designing a feature?

Yes, you can involve security and performance reviews by using a collaborative ideation process that coordinates multidisciplinary input from security-engineer, performance-engineer, and architecture-engineer roles during the design doc creation.

How do I start a collaborative ideation session for architecture planning?

You start a collaborative ideation session for architecture planning by describing your feature or approach, which triggers a guided discourse of clarifying questions that culminates in a concrete design document for implementation.

Does guided ideation work for planning an approach when starting work that requires architectural thinking?

Yes, guided ideation works for planning an approach when starting work that requires architectural thinking, as it converts vague ideas into a concrete design doc through a phased dialogue with multidisciplinary expert reviews.

What are the limitations of using a one-question-at-a-time design doc process?

A limitation of using a one-question-at-a-time design doc process is that it requires completing a phased dialogue with multiple expert reviewers, which may slow down rapid prototyping but ensures a thoroughly validated implementation plan.