brainstorming

Refines ideas into approved designs through sequential depth-first question-and-answer dialogue.

Updated Mar 18, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/pgoell/pgoell-claude-tools --skill brainstorming-pgoell
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: brainstorming
Source: https://github.com/pgoell/pgoell-claude-tools/tree/main/plugins/workbench/skills/brainstorming
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/pgoell/pgoell-claude-tools --skill brainstorming-pgoell

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Jumping straight into implementation on a vague idea produces rework and misaligned results. This Skill structures the pre-implementation phase by grilling the user with one question at a time, walking the design tree depth-first until a shared, approved design concept exists. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Depth-first design grilling: Walks the design tree branch by branch, prioritizing architecture-changing questions over cosmetic details, and stops only when no answer could change the design. - Lane-scaled workflow: Serves medium lanes (a few targeted questions feeding a plan's Design preamble) and large lanes (full grilling toward a spec), with a hard gate blocking implementation before design approval. - HTML brainstorm summary: Records the Q/A timeline, agreed decisions, parking-lot items, and handoff link in a styled HTML artifact, with optional design-system theming. - Use Case: Before building a new feature, invoke this Skill to explore project context via a subagent, ask clarifying questions one at a time, compare 2-3 approaches with trade-offs, and hand off an approved design to the spec-writing step. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to brainstorm the design for your new feature before writing any code, answering its questions one at a time until the design is approved.

Frequently Asked Questions about brainstorming

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I brainstorm a software design before writing code?▼

Invoke the brainstorming skill before any implementation work. It explores project context with a subagent, then asks one question at a time, walking the design tree depth-first until you approve a design, which it hands off to spec or plan writing.

What is depth-first design-tree questioning?▼

It treats the design as a tree whose root is what you are building and why. Each branch is followed through its dependencies to a decision before moving on, with architecture-changing questions asked before cosmetic details.

Can brainstorming run without a user present to answer questions?▼

Yes. In autonomous runs such as a gateless pilot run, the skill substitutes self-answered Q&A, extends the exploration subagent to find similar existing implementations, and converges on a decision block covering every walked branch.

When does the brainstorming skill stop asking questions?▼

It stops only when no remaining question's answer would change the design and the user can restate the design concept in their own words. A fixed question count is explicitly not the stopping rule.

What output does the brainstorming skill produce?▼

It writes an HTML brainstorm summary to .workbench/brainstorms/ containing the Q/A timeline, agreed decisions, parking-lot items, and a handoff link. Format and path can be overridden per prompt or via .workbench/config.md.

Does brainstorming handle visual design questions like mockups?▼

It defers visual work to the visualizing-options skill, offering it in its own message when visual questions arise. If the user stalls on a visual question, it renders 3-4 divergent directions for reaction instead of description.