Brainstorming

"This Is Too Simple To Need A Design"

Every project goes through this process. A todo list, a single-function utility, a config change — all of them. "Simple" projects are where unexamined assumptions cause the most wasted work. The design can be short (a few sentences for truly simple projects), but you MUST present it and get approval.

Checklist

You MUST complete these steps in order:

1. Explore project context — Check files, docs, recent commits
2. Ask clarifying questions — One at a time, understand purpose/constraints/success criteria
3. Propose 2-3 approaches — With trade-offs and your recommendation
4. Present design — In sections scaled to complexity, get user approval after each section
5. Write design doc — Save to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md
6. Transition to implementation — Invoke planner or tdd-guide skill

The Process

Understanding the Idea

• Check out the current project state first (files, docs, recent commits)
• Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
• Prefer multiple choice questions when possible, but open-ended is fine too
• Only one question per message - if a topic needs more exploration, break it into multiple questions
• Focus on understanding: purpose, constraints, success criteria

Exploring Approaches

• Propose 2-3 different approaches with trade-offs
• Present options conversationally with your recommendation and reasoning
• Lead with your recommended option and explain why

Presenting the Design

• Once you believe you understand what you're building, present the design
• Scale each section to its complexity: a few sentences if straightforward, up to 200-300 words if nuanced
• Ask after each section whether it looks right so far
• Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
• Be ready to go back and clarify if something doesn't make sense

After the Design

Documentation

• Write the validated design to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md
• Commit the design document to git

Implementation

• Invoke the planner skill to create a implementation plan
• Or invoke tdd-guide for test-driven development approach
• Do NOT start writing code until design is approved

Key Principles

• One question at a time - Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
• Multiple choice preferred - Easier to answer than open-ended when possible
• YAGNI ruthlessly - Remove unnecessary features from all designs
• Explore alternatives - Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling
• Incremental validation - Present design, get approval before moving on
• Be flexible - Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense