Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs

13 steps · start to finish.

1. 1
   Step 1

   Environment Setup

   ▶

   Verify the environment is ready and the project context is accessible.

   echo "=== Brainstorming Environment Setup ==="
   # Verify git is available for context exploration
   command -v git >/dev/null && echo "PASS: git available" || echo "WARN: git not available"
   
   # Create output directories
   mkdir -p /app/results
   mkdir -p "$(dirname "${SPEC_OUTPUT_PATH:-docs/superpowers/specs}")"
   
   # Verify topic was provided
   if [ -z "${TOPIC}" ]; then
     echo "ERROR: TOPIC parameter is required"
     exit 1
   fi
   echo "Topic: ${TOPIC}"
   echo "Setup complete"
   

   ---

2. 2
   Step 2

   Explore Project Context

   ▶

   Before asking any questions, explore the current project state to ground your understanding.

3. 3
   Step 3

   Assess Scope

   ▶

   Before asking detailed questions, assess the scope of the request.

4. 4
   Step 4

   Offer Visual Companion (if applicable)

   ▶

   **This step is its own message. Do NOT combine it with any other content.**

5. 5
   Step 5

   Ask Clarifying Questions (max 9 rounds)

   ▶

   Ask clarifying questions **one at a time** to understand purpose, constraints, and success criteria. Prefer multiple-choice questions when possible.

6. 6
   Step 6

   Propose 2-3 Approaches (max 3 rounds)

   ▶

   Present 2-3 different implementation approaches with trade-offs. Lead with your recommended option.

7. 7
   Step 7

   Present Design Sections

   ▶

   Once the approach is selected, present the design **section by section**, asking for approval after each.

8. 8
   Step 8

   Write Design Document

   ▶

   After the user approves all design sections, write the validated design to: `docs/superpowers/specs/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md`

9. 9
   Step 9

   Spec Self-Review

   ▶

   After writing the spec, perform a self-review with fresh eyes:

10. 10
    Step 10

    User Review Gate

    ▶

    Ask the user to review the written spec:

11. 11
    Step 11

    Transition to Implementation Planning

    ▶

    After user approves the spec, invoke the `writing-plans` skill to create a detailed implementation plan.

12. 12
    Step 12

    Write Executive Summary

    ▶

    Write `/app/results/summary.md` capturing the full brainstorming session:

13. 13
    Step 13

    Final Checklist (MANDATORY — do not skip)

    ▶

    echo "=== FINAL OUTPUT VERIFICATION ===" RESULTS_DIR="/app/results" for f in \ "$RESULTS_DIR/design_doc.md" \