Why does this skill prevent me from writing code immediately?

It enforces a 'hard gate' to ensure that requirements, constraints, and success criteria are fully defined, preventing wasted effort on incorrect assumptions.

How does the skill handle different technical approaches?

It is programmed to propose 2-3 different technical paths with specific trade-offs, leading with a reasoned recommendation for the user to consider.

Can I skip the design phase for very simple tasks?

The skill treats 'too simple to need a design' as an anti-pattern. Even for simple tasks, a brief design must be presented and approved to ensure alignment.

Where are the design documents stored?

Designs are automatically saved as Markdown files in the `docs/plans/` directory with a standardized date-based naming convention.

What is the relationship between this skill and writing-plans?

Brainstorming is the discovery and design phase; once a design is approved, it automatically invokes the writing-plans skill to create the actual implementation steps.

Brainstorming & Design Planner

Name: Brainstorming & Design Planner
Author: dkmaker

bydkmaker

•

Productivity & Workflow

Transforms abstract ideas into validated design specifications through collaborative dialogue before any code is written.

The Brainstorming skill enforces a rigorous design-first methodology for Claude, preventing the common pitfall of premature implementation. By facilitating a structured discovery process—including context analysis, iterative questioning, and multi-approach evaluations—it ensures that user intent and project constraints are fully understood. The skill concludes by generating a comprehensive design document and handing off to implementation planning, making it an essential tool for maintaining high architectural standards in any project.

Key Features

01Automated generation and git-committing of standardized design documents

02Iterative requirement gathering using focused, one-at-a-time questioning

03Proposes 2-3 distinct architectural approaches with trade-offs and recommendations

04Incremental design validation for architecture, data flow, and error handling

05Hard-gate logic that prevents code implementation until a design is approved

061 GitHub stars

Use Cases

01Scoping new features to ensure all edge cases and constraints are identified

02Evaluating multiple technical approaches for complex refactoring tasks

03Standardizing project documentation by generating design specs before coding

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add dkmaker/my-claude-plugins brainstorming

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Key Features

01Automated generation and git-committing of standardized design documents

02Iterative requirement gathering using focused, one-at-a-time questioning

03Proposes 2-3 distinct architectural approaches with trade-offs and recommendations

04Incremental design validation for architecture, data flow, and error handling

05Hard-gate logic that prevents code implementation until a design is approved

061 GitHub stars

Use Cases

01Scoping new features to ensure all edge cases and constraints are identified

02Evaluating multiple technical approaches for complex refactoring tasks

03Standardizing project documentation by generating design specs before coding

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add dkmaker/my-claude-plugins brainstorming

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT