brain

name	brain+
description	Invoke BEFORE any design or feature work. Wraps superpowers:brainstorming with scout agent context harvesting, stack-first design considerations, and constitutional rule awareness. Asks questions one at a time to refine the design.
argument-hint	[feature description]
user-invocable	true

brain+ — Context-Aware Design

Wraps superpowers:brainstorming. Requires superpowers to be installed.

Before You Begin

Invoke this skill BEFORE starting any design work. It adds three capabilities on top of the base brainstorming skill:

1. Scout context — automatically harvests codebase context
2. Stack-first design — considers Docker, test infrastructure, and full-loop verification
3. Constitutional awareness — loads active enforcement rules from session context

Procedure

Phase A: Harvest Context

1. Invoke the scout agent to map the current codebase:

   Agent(subagent_type="scout", prompt="Map the codebase structure for [feature area]. Focus on: existing patterns, related modules, test infrastructure, and entry points relevant to [feature].")
   

2. Read the project's CLAUDE.md for project-specific rules.

3. Identify:

   • Existing patterns this feature should follow
   • Test infrastructure available (vitest, pytest, stack tests)
   • Modules that will be affected
   • Active enforcement rules from session context (see session-start output; real dependencies in stack/E2E tests by default)

Phase B: Design (delegate to superpowers:brainstorming)

1. Invoke superpowers:brainstorming with the enriched context.

2. During brainstorming, add these stack-first considerations:

   • What Docker services does this feature need?
   • What are the full-loop assertions? (primary + second-order + third-order effects)
   • What test utilities need to exist before implementation?
   • Which components are protected from mocking (see active enforcement rules)?

3. Use positive framing in all design guidance:

   • "Use real database connections in tests" (not "don't mock the database")
   • "Write assertions that verify observable behavior" (not "don't test implementation details")
   • "Show command output before claiming done" (not "don't say tests pass without evidence")

Phase C: Validate

1. Confirm the design addresses:
   • Feature purpose and scope
   • Affected modules identified
   • Testing strategy defined
   • Active enforcement rules acknowledged (see session-start output)
   • Protected components identified per enforcement rules (real dependencies in stack/E2E tests; mocks appropriate in unit tests)
   • Stack test user journey defined (if applicable)

Output

Return the validated design with testing strategy to feed into plan+.

Skill Chain

After completing brain+, the next step is:

• Invoke /plan+ to create the implementation plan from this design

Completion

Report one of these states when the skill finishes:

• DONE — Design validated, ready for /plan+. All checklist items in Phase C confirmed.
• DONE_WITH_CONCERNS — Design complete but has open questions or risks to address in planning.
• BLOCKED — Cannot proceed (missing context, unclear requirements, external dependency).
• NEEDS_CONTEXT — Need user input to resolve an ambiguity or make a design decision.