Brainstorming Skill

Design-first approach: no code before design approval.

Agent Workflow (MANDATORY)

Before ANY brainstorming session, use TeamCreate to spawn agents:

• fuse-ai-pilot:explore-codebase - Understand project context, patterns, constraints

• 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 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:

• Architecture overview

• Key components and responsibilities

• Data flow and state management

• 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 Question categories, proposal format, design template

Anti-Patterns 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

• NEVER write code before design approval - Design first, always

• Ask questions ONE AT A TIME - Never dump a list of 10 questions

• Always propose alternatives - Minimum 2 approaches with trade-offs

• Save the design doc - Creates audit trail and shared reference

• Get explicit approval - "Looks good" or similar before proceeding