openspec-explore

To explore design options before implementing changes, you need a thinking partner that reads your codebase for context, visualizes ideas with ASCII diagrams, and highlights risks while staying strictly in exploration mode without writing features.

Clarifying requirements during brainstorming involves surfacing multiple directions and identifying unknowns. An exploration tool grounds the dialogue by reading existing files to investigate architecture problems without modifying the actual codebase.

Yes, you can use an exploration mode thinking partner to optionally produce OpenSpec artifacts. It enforces safety by reading files for context and discussing design but never automatically writing features or modifying your codebase.

Yes, problem exploration supports visualizing ideas for complex architectures by generating ASCII diagrams. This helps surface multiple directions and supports surface-level design discussions to think deeply through changes before implementation.

You should not use exploration mode when you need to directly implement features or modify code, as it enforces a read-only safety constraint. It is strictly designed for thinking through changes, surfacing risks, and clarifying requirements.

Start exploring ideas by asking the thinking partner to think deeply and surface questions while you work through your design problem. It will investigate the codebase, surface assumptions, and visualize options to guide the dialogue.