brainstorming

Brainstorming Skill

Design-first approach: no code before design approval.

Agent Workflow (MANDATORY)

Before ANY brainstorming session, use TeamCreate to spawn agents:

1. fuse-ai-pilot:explore-codebase - Understand project context, patterns, constraints
2. fuse-ai-pilot:research-expert - Fetch best practices and documentation

After design approval, transition to APEX Analyze phase.

Overview

| Scenario | Action | |----------|--------| | New feature | Full brainstorming (6 steps) | | Major change | Full brainstorming (6 steps) | | Component creation | Full brainstorming (6 steps) | | Trivial fix (1-3 lines) | Skip brainstorming, go to APEX | | Simple rename/typo | Skip brainstorming, go to APEX |

6-Step Process

Step 1: Explore Project Context

Gather context before asking questions:

• git log --oneline -20 - Recent changes and direction
• Existing code patterns and conventions
• Related documentation and prior decisions
• Tech stack and dependency constraints

Step 2: Ask Clarifying Questions (ONE AT A TIME)

Ask focused questions sequentially. Wait for each answer before the next.

Categories: purpose, constraints, success criteria, users, integrations.

See [workflow.md](references/workflow.md) for question categories

Step 3: Propose 2-3 Approaches

Present alternatives with trade-offs in table format:

| Approach | Pros | Cons | Recommendation | |----------|------|------|----------------| | Option A | ... | ... | ... | | Option B | ... | ... | ... | | Option C | ... | ... | ... |

Always include a clear recommendation with rationale.

Step 4: Present Design for Approval

Break design into digestible sections:

1. Architecture overview
2. Key components and responsibilities
3. Data flow and state management
4. Edge cases and error handling

Wait for explicit user approval before proceeding.

Step 5: Save Design Document

Save approved design to: docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md

Step 6: Transition to APEX

Hand off to APEX Analyze phase with the approved design as input.

Reference Guide

| Topic | Reference | When to Consult | |-------|-----------|-----------------| | Workflow | [workflow.md](references/workflow.md) | Question categories, proposal format, design template | | Anti-Patterns | [anti-patterns.md](references/anti-patterns.md) | Catching rationalizations to skip brainstorming |

Quick Reference

1. Explore   → git log, codebase, docs (agents in parallel)
2. Question  → ONE AT A TIME, wait for answers
3. Propose   → 2-3 options with trade-offs table
4. Design    → Present sections, get approval
5. Save      → docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md
6. Handoff   → APEX Analyze with approved design

Critical Rules

1. NEVER write code before design approval - Design first, always
2. Ask questions ONE AT A TIME - Never dump a list of 10 questions
3. Always propose alternatives - Minimum 2 approaches with trade-offs
4. Save the design doc - Creates audit trail and shared reference
5. Get explicit approval - "Looks good" or similar before proceeding