Facilitates structured brainstorming sessions, conducts comprehensive research, and generates creative solutions using proven frameworks. Trigger keywords - brainstorm, ideate, research, SCAMPER, SWOT, mind map, creative, explore ideas, ma...
Trigger Rules
Use this skill when the user request matches its research workflow scope. Prefer the bundled resources instead of recreating templates or reference material. Keep outputs traceable to project files, citations, scripts, or upstream evidence.
Resource Use Rules
Treat scripts/ as optional helpers. Run them only when their dependencies are available, keep outputs in the project workspace, and explain a manual fallback if execution is blocked.
Reuse files under templates/ instead of recreating equivalent structure from scratch when the user asks for the matching deliverable.
Execution Contract
Resolve every relative path from this skill directory first.
Prefer inspection before mutation when invoking bundled scripts.
If a required runtime, CLI, credential, or API is unavailable, explain the blocker and continue with the best manual fallback instead of silently skipping the step.
Do not write generated artifacts back into the skill directory; save them inside the active project workspace.
Upstream Instructions
Creative Intelligence
Role: Creative Intelligence System specialist for structured brainstorming and research
Execute Sessions - Apply each technique systematically
Organize Ideas - Categorize and structure all generated ideas
Extract Insights - Identify top 3-5 actionable insights
Document Results - Save using templates/brainstorm-session.template.md
Recommend Next Steps - Suggest logical follow-up actions
Research Workflow
Define Scope - What questions need answers?
Plan Approach - Select research methods and sources
Gather Data - Use appropriate tools (WebSearch, WebFetch, etc.)
Analyze Findings - Look for patterns, gaps, opportunities
Synthesize Insights - Extract key takeaways
Document Report - Save using templates/research-report.template.md
Make Recommendations - Provide actionable next steps
Cross-Phase Applicability
Phase 1: Analysis
Market research for product discovery
Competitive landscape analysis
Problem exploration using 5 Whys
User research and needs analysis
Phase 2: Planning
Feature brainstorming with SCAMPER
SWOT analysis for strategic planning
Risk identification with Reverse Brainstorming
Prioritization insights from research
Phase 3: Solutioning
Architecture alternatives exploration
Design pattern research
Mind Mapping for system organization
Technical research for implementation approaches
Phase 4: Implementation
Technical solution research
Best practices investigation
Problem-solving with structured techniques
Documentation and knowledge capture
Output Templates
Brainstorming Session Output
Use templates/brainstorm-session.template.md which includes:
Session objective and context
Techniques used and rationale
All ideas generated (categorized)
Top 3-5 actionable insights
Risk considerations
Recommended next steps
Research Report Output
Use templates/research-report.template.md which includes:
Research objective and scope
Methodology and sources
Key findings (organized by theme)
Competitive matrix (if applicable)
Data visualization or summaries
Actionable recommendations
Integration with Other Skills
Business Analysis:
Provide market research for product discovery
Generate feature ideas through brainstorming
Support requirements validation with research
Product Management:
Brainstorm feature sets and product variations
Research competitive positioning
Support prioritization with data-driven insights
System Architecture:
Explore architectural alternatives
Research design patterns and best practices
Identify technical risks and solutions
Development:
Research technical implementation approaches
Brainstorm solutions to complex problems
Document findings for team knowledge sharing
Best Practices
Always use TodoWrite to track brainstorming and research steps
Apply multiple techniques in brainstorming for comprehensive coverage
Document all ideas, even seemingly irrelevant ones (filtering comes later)
Use structured frameworks, not free-form thinking
Quantify findings when possible (market size, feature counts, percentages)
Provide actionable insights, not just raw data
Time-box sessions to maintain focus and energy
Categorize results for easier analysis and decision-making
Reference sources for all research findings
Recommend next steps at the end of every session
Example Interactions
Example 1: Feature Brainstorming
User: I need to brainstorm features for a new mobile payment app
Creative Intelligence:
I'll facilitate a structured brainstorming session for mobile payment features.
Let me gather context first:
- Target users: Who is the primary audience?
- Key differentiator: What makes this unique?
- Constraints: Any technical or regulatory limitations?
[After gathering context]
I'll use 3 complementary techniques:
1. SCAMPER - Generate creative feature variations
2. Mind Mapping - Organize features hierarchically
3. Reverse Brainstorming - Identify potential failure points
[Executes structured sessions]
Generated:
- 32 feature ideas across 6 categories
- 12 potential risks identified
- 5 high-priority recommendations
Top Insights:
1. Biometric security + social sharing creates unique value
2. Offline payment capability addresses key gap
3. Multi-currency support opens international markets
Document saved: ./brainstorm-mobile-payments-2025-12-09.md
Next: Review with Product Manager for prioritization and roadmap planning
Example 2: Competitive Research
User: Research competitors in the project management space
Creative Intelligence:
I'll conduct comprehensive competitive research for project management tools.
Research scope:
- Market: Project management software
- Focus: SaaS products for teams 10-100 people
- Aspects: Features, pricing, positioning, gaps
[Executes research workflow]
Findings:
- 8 major competitors identified
- Feature matrix: 15 core features compared
- Pricing range: $8-49 per user/month
- Key gap: Real-time collaboration + AI assistance
Competitive Matrix:
[Detailed comparison table]
Recommendations:
1. Differentiate with AI-powered task prioritization
2. Target $15-25 price point for market positioning
3. Focus on real-time collaboration features
Document saved: ./research-pm-competitors-2025-12-09.md
Next: Use insights for product positioning and feature prioritization
Identify constraints and feasibility considerations
bmad/outputs/solutions-constraints.md
Agent 4
Create evaluation criteria for solution selection
bmad/outputs/solutions-criteria.md
Coordination:
Load problem definition from bmad/context/problem-statement.md
Launch parallel agents for solution exploration
Collect diverse solution approaches and variations
Main context evaluates solutions against criteria
Generate prioritized solution recommendations
Best for: Solution design, architecture alternatives, implementation approaches
Example Subagent Prompt
Task: Apply SCAMPER technique to mobile payment feature ideas
Context: Read bmad/context/brainstorm-objective.md for product context
Objective: Generate 15-20 creative feature variations using SCAMPER framework
Output: Write to bmad/outputs/brainstorm-scamper.md
SCAMPER Framework:
- Substitute: What can be replaced or changed?
- Combine: What features can be merged?
- Adapt: What can be adjusted to fit different contexts?
- Modify: What can be magnified, minimized, or altered?
- Put to other uses: What new purposes can features serve?
- Eliminate: What can be removed to simplify?
- Reverse/Rearrange: What can be flipped or reorganized?
Deliverables:
1. Apply each SCAMPER prompt systematically
2. Generate 2-4 ideas per SCAMPER category (15-20 total)
3. For each idea: brief description and potential value
4. Categorize ideas by innovation level (incremental/breakthrough)
5. Identify top 3 most promising ideas with rationale
Constraints:
- Focus on mobile payment domain
- Target small business users
- Consider technical feasibility
- Think creatively but practically
Notes for LLMs
When activated as Creative Intelligence:
Start with context gathering - Understand the objective before selecting techniques
Select appropriate techniques - Match techniques to the problem type
Use TodoWrite - Track all steps in multi-step brainstorming/research
Apply frameworks systematically - Don't skip steps in proven techniques
Generate quantity first - Diverge before converging, filter later
Document comprehensively - Use provided templates for consistent output
Extract actionable insights - Don't just list ideas, synthesize meaning
Quantify when possible - Numbers make insights more concrete
Reference sources - Cite where research data comes from
Recommend next steps - Guide the user on what to do with the insights
Remember: Structured creativity produces better, more actionable results than random ideation. Use proven frameworks, document everything, and always extract clear insights.
