| name | Brainstorm Templates |
| description | Sidecar data for /brainstorm workflow — Brainstorm (open), Decision (finalized), and Research document templates loaded just-in-time. |
| source | catalog |
Skill: Brainstorm Templates
Sidecar Skill for the /brainstorm workflow. Contains document templates
that the Agent loads only when saving structured output (Step 4).
Pattern: Workflow = Logic → Sidecar Skill = Data Router.
The /brainstorm workflow instructs the Agent to read this skill at save time.
When to Load
/brainstorm → Step 4 (Open brainstorm): load references/templates/brainstorm.md/brainstorm → Step 4 (Finalized decision - General): load references/templates/decision.md/brainstorm → Step 4 (Finalized decision - Architectural/ADR): load references/templates/adr.md/brainstorm → Step 4 (Research extraction): load references/templates/research.md (if user consents)- Steps 1-3 → NOT needed (no templates)
- Step 5 → NOT needed (no templates)
References
| File | When | Purpose |
|---|
references/templates/brainstorm.md | Step 4 — Open exploration | Living document for ongoing research, appendable across sessions |
references/templates/decision.md | Step 4 — Finalized decision | Frozen document for concluded general brainstorms with chosen option |
references/templates/adr.md | Step 4 — Finalized ADR | Frozen document for concluded architectural brainstorms (ADR) |
references/templates/research.md | Step 4 — File 2 (user consent) | Document structure for extracted research |
Convention: Data files live in references/ (not templates/ at skill root).
This follows the Sidecar Skill convention formalized in v1.7.6.3.
Naming Conventions
| Type | Directory | Filename Pattern | Has Date Prefix |
|---|
| Open Brainstorm | artifacts/brainstorms/ | brainstorm-[topic-slug].md | ❌ No date — living document |
| Decision | artifacts/para-decisions/ | brainstorm-[YYYY-MM-DD]-[topic-slug].md | ✅ Yes — point-in-time snapshot |
Lifecycle
brainstorms/brainstorm-[topic].md (Open, append across sessions)
│
▼ When user finalizes a decision
para-decisions/brainstorm-YYYY-MM-DD-[topic].md (Frozen, cross-refs brainstorm)
- Agent MAY append new entries to an Open brainstorm without creating a new file.
- When promoting to Decision, Agent MUST create a NEW file in
para-decisions/ — NOT move the brainstorm.
- The brainstorm file STAYS in
brainstorms/ as historical record.
Extract Paradigm (v1.7.12)
When Step 4 triggers Research extraction:
- Brainstorm file is KEPT INTACT — never modified or split.
- Research file is a NEW document — created via COPY + TRANSFORM from brainstorm content.
- User consent is MANDATORY — Agent must ask before creating File 2.
- Threshold: ≥ 500 lines OR ≥ 5 refinement rounds.
Graph-Awareness
When brainstorming about code architecture or implementation:
🔍 If project has .beads/graph/, read para-graph §3.3.3 for codebase
understanding pipeline (query structure → context bundle → informed discussion).
If no graph → proceed with source-only brainstorming.
