brainstorminglisted

# Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs ## Overview Help turn ideas into fully formed designs and specs through natural collaborative dialogue. Start by understanding the current project context, then ask questions one at a time to refine the idea. Once you understand what you're building, present the design and get user approval. <HARD-GATE> Do NOT invoke any implementation skill, write any code, scaffold any project, or take any implementation action until you have presented a design and the user has approved it. This applies to EVERY project regardless of perceived simplicity. </HARD-GATE> ## Anti-Pattern: "This Is Too Simple To Need A Design" Every project goes through this process. A todo list, a single-function utility, a config change — all of them. "Simple" projects are where unexamined assumptions cause the most wasted work. The design can be short (a few sentences for truly simple projects), but you MUST present it and get approval. ## Mandatory Threshold This skill MUST be invoked when the planned work meets any threshold from the project's CLAUDE.md planning requirements (3+ files, external integrations, CLI surface area, cross-repo coordination, new project). If the request meets any threshold and brainstorming has not been invoked, announce: "This change meets the planning threshold. Starting with design." ## Rollback Strategy Requirement Every design that replaces existing infrastructure MUST include: 1. **Dual-architecture period** --- both old and new