Brainstorming

Structured idea exploration from vague to direction.

Workflow

trigger --> detect path --> discover --> diverge --> converge --> capture
              ^________________________________|  (if no viable direction)

Detect path from entry state (standard for vague ideas, relentless for existing plans). Discover maps the problem space. Diverge generates alternatives. Converge evaluates trade-offs and picks a direction. Capture produces the artifact.

Context Loading Strategy

Load only the reference matching the current phase. The workflow always starts with discovery.

• Start with discovery.md on every trigger
• Load diverge.md after discovery quality gate passes
• Load converge.md after diverge produces at least 4 alternatives
• Load template only during capture (after user approves direction)

Triggers

Trigger Pattern	Reference
Brainstorm, explore ideas, idea exploration	discovery.md
What should we build, think through this	discovery.md
Explore options, compare approaches	discovery.md

Notes:

• diverge.md is not a direct trigger. It is loaded after discovery completes.
• converge.md is not a direct trigger. It is loaded after diverge completes.
• The full workflow always starts with discovery regardless of trigger.

Cross-References

discovery.md  -------> diverge.md     (context feeds alternative generation)
diverge.md    -------> converge.md    (alternatives feed evaluation)
brainstorming -------> docs-writer    (direction feeds PRD, epic, design doc)
brainstorming -------> spec-driven    (direction feeds feature specification)
brainstorming -------> design-builder (direction feeds visual exploration)

Guidelines

DO:

• Generate at least 4 alternatives during diverge, including non-obvious options
• Challenge every alternative with trade-offs during converge
• Require explicit user approval before capturing the direction
• Mark unknowns as TBD rather than inventing constraints
• Stay at the problem-and-direction level; defer implementation choices
• Suggest the appropriate next skill after capture

DON'T:

• Generate only 2-3 obvious alternatives (contrasts: push for non-obvious options)
• Let the user commit to a direction without evaluating trade-offs (contrasts: challenge every alternative)
• Include implementation details (contrasts: stay at the problem-and-direction level)
• Proceed past converge without user confirmation (contrasts: require explicit approval)

Output

• Artifact: .artifacts/brainstorm/{topic}.md
• {topic} in kebab-case, derived from the brainstorm subject
• USE TEMPLATE: templates/brainstorm.md
• Create .artifacts/brainstorm/ if it does not exist

Error Handling

• No .artifacts/brainstorm/ directory: create it
• User arrives with a clear plan or solution: detect as relentless path, proceed with stress-test discovery. Only redirect to docs-writer if they want to skip discovery entirely.
• No viable direction after converge: loop back to discovery with refined understanding
• Scope too broad: decompose into sub-problems, brainstorm one at a time
• User wants to skip diverge: warn that brainstorming value comes from exploring alternatives, suggest docs-writer if they already have a direction