brainstorminglisted

# Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs 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 explicit 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. **Auto mode does NOT waive this gate.** Auto mode reduces clarifying questions on routine decisions; presenting a design and awaiting approval is not a routine decision. If you are in auto mode and reach this gate, you still stop and ask. **Before the first write/edit/implementation-skill call that follows brainstorming, you MUST state in plain text: `Design approved by user in message: "[exact quoted text from user]"`.** If you cannot produce a direct quote of the user approving the whole design, you have not been approved — return to the approval step. </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, but you MUST present it and get approval. ## Rationalizations That D