| name | idea-to-design |
| description | Use when asked to turn an idea note into a design document, plan an idea, or make an idea real - autonomously researches the idea and produces Design.md, Decisions.md, and Research.md in an Ideas/<Idea Name>/ folder, asking zero questions |
Idea to Design
Transform raw idea notes into comprehensive design documents autonomously.
Prerequisites/Context: Operates on an Obsidian vault (or any markdown folder) containing an Ideas/ folder; if no Ideas/ folder is found, ask the user for the vault path.
When to Use
Activate when asked to:
- Turn an idea note into a design
- Plan an idea or "make an idea real"
Not for features in an existing codebase — use writing-product-specs or a brainstorming skill instead.
Process
- Read the idea note - Understand what's being proposed
- Create folder - Inside the Ideas folder, create a subfolder named after the idea
- Move original - Move the original idea note into the new folder
- Research - Investigate unknowns, find relevant information, explore feasibility
- Write design doc - Answer: What is it? Who is it for? How does it work? Where is it deployed?
- Document decisions - Create explicit Decisions.md listing choices made and reasoning
Required Outputs
All files go in Ideas/<Idea Name>/:
| File | Purpose |
|---|
<Original>.md | The original idea note (moved here) |
Design.md | Comprehensive design document |
Decisions.md | Explicit list of decisions with reasoning |
Research.md | Sources consulted, findings, and references |
Autonomy
Ask zero questions. Make reasonable decisions and document them. If something is unclear:
- State the assumption
- Make a choice
- Document it in Decisions.md
Design Doc Should Answer
- Is it software, hardware, or a service?
- Who is the target audience?
- How will it work technically?
- Where will it be deployed/run?
- What's the business model (if applicable)?
- What are the risks and mitigations?
- What are the next steps?
Diagrams
Use Mermaid for all diagrams. Obsidian renders Mermaid natively.
- Architecture diagrams:
flowchart TB or flowchart LR
- Sequences:
sequenceDiagram
- Data flow:
flowchart with subgraphs
- State machines:
stateDiagram-v2
Never use ASCII art.
Research.md Should Include
- Questions that needed answering
- Sources consulted (web searches, docs, etc.)
- Key findings that informed the design
- Gaps that couldn't be filled
Decisions.md Format
# Decisions
## <Decision Title>
**Choice:** What was decided
**Alternatives:** What else was considered
**Reasoning:** Why this choice was made
Common Mistakes
- Writing Design.md before Research.md: Research must inform the design — complete and record the research first, then write the design document based on its findings.
