Brainstorming

Process

Understanding the idea:

• Check out the current project state first (files, docs, recent commits)
• If the request describes multiple independent subsystems, flag this and help decompose first
• Ask questions one at a time to refine the idea
• Prefer multiple choice when possible
• Focus on: 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:

• 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

Design for isolation and clarity:

• Break the system into smaller units with one clear purpose each
• For each unit: what does it do, how do you use it, what does it depend on?
• Can someone understand what a unit does without reading its internals?

Working in existing codebases:

• Explore the current structure before proposing changes. Follow existing patterns.
• Include targeted improvements only when existing code problems affect the work
• Don't propose unrelated refactoring

Key Principles

• One question at a time — Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
• Multiple choice preferred — Easier to answer 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