idea-to-design

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

1. Read the idea note - Understand what's being proposed
2. Create folder - Inside the Ideas folder, create a subfolder named after the idea
3. Move original - Move the original idea note into the new folder
4. Research - Investigate unknowns, find relevant information, explore feasibility
5. Write design doc - Answer: What is it? Who is it for? How does it work? Where is it deployed?
6. 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.