ideate

Convert vague ideas into validated design documents through guided expert review.

26|2|Updated Jan 14, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/howells/arc --skill ideate-howells
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: ideate
Source: https://github.com/howells/arc/tree/main/skills/ideate
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/howells/arc --skill ideate-howells

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps teams convert vague ideas into validated design documents through a guided, collaborative discourse with built-in expert review.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Guided ideation conversations: Asks clarifying questions to surface gaps and define concrete design directions.
  • Collaborative expert review: Involves security-engineer, performance-engineer, and architecture-engineer roles for multidisciplinary input.
  • Design doc output: Produces a concrete design doc that can be used for implementation planning.
  • Typical use cases: when asked to "design a feature", "plan an approach", "think through implementation", or when starting work that requires architectural thinking before coding.

Quick Start

Describe your feature to start a guided ideation session and end with a concrete design doc.

Frequently Asked Questions about ideate

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I turn a vague feature idea into a validated design doc before coding?▼

To turn a vague idea into a validated design doc, you describe your feature to start a guided ideation session that asks clarifying questions and coordinates expert reviews from security, performance, and architecture engineers.

What is the best way to plan architecture and think through implementation for a new feature?▼

The best way to plan architecture is using a phased dialogue with expert reviewers, including security-engineer, performance-engineer, and architecture-engineer roles, which enforces one-question-at-a-time interactions to produce a ready-to-implement plan.

Can I involve security and performance reviews when designing a feature?▼

Yes, you can involve security and performance reviews by using a collaborative ideation process that coordinates multidisciplinary input from security-engineer, performance-engineer, and architecture-engineer roles during the design doc creation.

How do I start a collaborative ideation session for architecture planning?▼

You start a collaborative ideation session for architecture planning by describing your feature or approach, which triggers a guided discourse of clarifying questions that culminates in a concrete design document for implementation.

Does guided ideation work for planning an approach when starting work that requires architectural thinking?▼

Yes, guided ideation works for planning an approach when starting work that requires architectural thinking, as it converts vague ideas into a concrete design doc through a phased dialogue with multidisciplinary expert reviews.

What are the limitations of using a one-question-at-a-time design doc process?▼

A limitation of using a one-question-at-a-time design doc process is that it requires completing a phased dialogue with multiple expert reviewers, which may slow down rapid prototyping but ensures a thoroughly validated implementation plan.