Brainstorming & Design Refinement

Transform rough ideas into validated designs through structured Socratic dialogue before any implementation begins.

When to Use

• Starting a new feature with unclear requirements
• Exploring solution approaches
• Refining vague ideas into concrete plans
• Before writing any implementation code

The Workflow

Phase 1: Understanding

1. Review existing project context (files, docs, patterns)
2. Ask clarifying questions sequentially - one per message
3. Use multiple-choice when feasible (easier to answer)
4. Focus on:
   • What is the purpose/goal?
   • What are the constraints?
   • What does success look like?
   • Who/what is affected?

Key rule: One question at a time - avoid overwhelming

Phase 2: Exploring Options

1. Present 2-3 different approaches
2. Lead with your recommended approach
3. Explain trade-offs for each:

## Option A: [Name] (Recommended)

**Approach:** [Description]
**Pros:** [Benefits]
**Cons:** [Drawbacks]
**Best when:** [Use case]

## Option B: [Name]

**Approach:** [Description]
**Pros:** [Benefits]
**Cons:** [Drawbacks]
**Best when:** [Use case]

4. Discuss conversationally, not prescriptively
5. Be open to hybrid approaches

Phase 3: Design Presentation

1. Break design into digestible sections (200-300 words each)
2. Validate incrementally after each section
3. Cover:
   • Architecture overview
   • Key components
   • Data flow
   • Error handling
   • Testing approach
4. Remain open to revisions

Key Principles

YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It)

Ruthlessly eliminate speculative features:

One Question at a Time

# Bad

What's the user flow? And what data do we need? Also, what about error handling?

# Good

What happens when a user clicks the submit button?
[Wait for answer]
What data needs to be sent to the server?
[Wait for answer]

Explore Before Committing

Don't jump to the first solution. Consider:

• What's the simplest approach?
• What's the ideal approach (no constraints)?
• What could go wrong?
• How would this be solved differently in 5 years?

Output: Design Document

After validation, produce:

# Design: [Feature Name]

## Goal

[One sentence]

## Approach

[2-3 paragraphs]

## Components

- [Component 1]: [Purpose]
- [Component 2]: [Purpose]

## Data Flow

[Diagram or description]

## Error Handling

[Strategy]

## Testing Plan

[Approach]

## Open Questions

[If any remain]

Post-Design

1. Save design to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-[feature].md
2. Commit the design document
3. Transition to implementation using writing-plans skill