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name: brainstorming description: Use before any creative work - creating features, building components, adding functionality, or modifying behavior. Explores user intent, requirements, and design before implementation through collaborative dialogue.

Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs

Turn ideas into fully formed designs through natural collaborative dialogue.

Process: Understand context → Ask questions one at a time → Explore approaches → Present design incrementally → Validate each section.

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Phase 1: Understanding

Check Project Context

Before asking questions:

• Review relevant files, docs, recent commits
• Understand existing patterns and constraints
• Note what's already built that relates

Ask Questions

Rules:

• One question per message
• Prefer multiple choice when possible
• Open-ended when exploration needed
• Break complex topics into multiple questions

Focus on:

• Purpose: What problem does this solve?
• Constraints: What must it work with?
• Success criteria: How do we know it's done?

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Phase 2: Exploring Approaches

Once you understand the goal:

1. Propose 2-3 different approaches
2. Include trade-offs for each
3. Lead with your recommendation and why
4. Let user choose or refine

Example:

CopyI see three approaches:

1. **Component-based** (recommended) - Fits your existing pattern,
   easiest to test, but more files.

2. **Inline** - Fewer files, but harder to reuse and test.

3. **Hook-based** - Most flexible, but adds complexity you may not need.

I'd go with #1 because [reasoning]. Thoughts?

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Phase 3: Presenting Design

Once approach is chosen:

1. Present in sections (200-300 words each)
2. After each section: "Does this look right so far?"
3. Be ready to revise if something doesn't fit

Cover:

• Architecture / component structure
• Data flow
• Error handling
• Testing approach
• Edge cases

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Phase 4: After Design

Document

Write validated design to:

Copydocs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md

Commit to git.

Implementation (if continuing)

Ask: "Ready to set up for implementation?"

Then:

1. Use dm-work:worktrees to create isolated workspace
2. Create beads for implementation tasks
3. Use dm-work:orchestrator patterns for delegation

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Key Principles

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Anti-Patterns

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Quick Reference

Copy1. Check project context (files, docs, commits)
2. Ask questions one at a time (prefer multiple choice)
3. Propose 2-3 approaches with trade-offs
4. Present design in sections, validate each
5. Write to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md
6. If implementing: worktree → beads → orchestrate