| name | brainstorming |
| description | Explores user intent, requirements and design before implementation. Use this before any creative work - creating features, building components, or modifying behavior. |
Brainstorming
You MUST use this skill before any creative work to explore user intent, requirements and design before implementation.
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Creating new features
- Building new components
- Adding new functionality
- Modifying existing behavior
- Starting any non-trivial implementation
Process
Follow this structured approach:
1. Understand the Request
Ask clarifying questions to understand:
- What is the core problem being solved?
- Who are the users/stakeholders?
- What are the success criteria?
- Are there any constraints (technical, time, resources)?
- What is the scope?
2. Explore Requirements
Gather detailed requirements:
- Functional requirements: What should it do?
- Non-functional requirements: Performance, security, usability
- Edge cases: What could go wrong?
- Integration points: How does it fit with existing systems?
3. Design Exploration
Propose multiple approaches:
-
Option 1: [Approach A]
- Pros: ...
- Cons: ...
- Complexity: Low/Medium/High
-
Option 2: [Approach B]
- Pros: ...
- Cons: ...
- Complexity: Low/Medium/High
4. Get User Feedback
Present options to user and ask:
- Which approach aligns best with your goals?
- Are there trade-offs you're willing to accept?
- Do you have preferences or constraints?
5. Create Action Plan
Once approach is agreed:
- Break down into implementation steps
- Identify dependencies
- Estimate effort
- Define testing strategy
Example
User Request: "Add user authentication"
Your Response:
Before implementing, let me understand:
-
Authentication Method: What type of auth do you need?
- Email/password
- OAuth (Google, GitHub, etc.)
- API keys
- Other?
-
Session Management: How should sessions be handled?
- JWT tokens
- Session cookies
- Server-side sessions
-
Security Requirements:
- MFA support needed?
- Password strength requirements?
- Session timeout preferences?
-
User Experience:
- Remember me functionality?
- Password reset flow?
- Email verification?
Let me propose two approaches:
Option A: JWT-based stateless auth
- Pros: Scalable, works well with microservices
- Cons: Token revocation is complex
Option B: Session-based auth
- Pros: Simple to implement, easy to revoke
- Cons: Requires server state, harder to scale
Which approach interests you? Or would you like to explore other options?
