/brainstorming

name: brainstorming
description: "Use when defining ambiguous or high-complexity new features, product behavior, UI/component design, architecture choices, contract changes, or when grilling/pressure-testing a plan or design. Routine small requests stay on the fast path."

<EXPLICIT-MODE-GATE> If activation mode is explicit (`~/.config/aegis/config.toml` has `activation_mode = "explicit"`, or `AEGIS_ACTIVATION_MODE=explicit` is visible in the environment) and the current user request did not explicitly invoke Aegis or this skill by name, exit back to the fast path: answer concisely without this workflow's checklist, ceremony, or document requirements. If the user explicitly named Aegis or this skill, proceed normally. </EXPLICIT-MODE-GATE>

Execute

→ Direct grilling or plan/design pressure-test? → Enter `Grilling Mode` below. Soft challenge intent? → Use its one-line mode confirmation. Do not start normal design artifacts, document writing, task planning, or implementation during the interview. → New feature, product behavior, UI/component design, architecture/contract change, or ambiguous medium/high-complexity work? → **Design first. No implementation until the needed design/spec is approved.** 1. Explore project context → read authority docs, check for existing patterns 2. Ask clarifying questions one at a time (prefer multiple choice) 3. Propose 2-3 approaches with trade-offs and your recommendation 4. Present design sections → get user approval after each 5. Write spec → self-review → user review → transition to writing-plans → HARD GATE: For tasks that match this skill, do NOT write code, scaffold projects, or invoke implementation skills until design/spec approval is satisfied.

Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs

Help turn ideas into fully formed designs and specs through natural collaborative dialogue.

Start by understanding the current project context and authority boundary, then ask questions one at a time to refine the idea. Once you understand what you're building, present the smallest design artifact that stabilizes the work and get the required approval.

<HARD-GATE> Do NOT invoke any implementation skill, write any code, scaffold any project, or take implementation action for work that matches this skill until you have presented the required design/spec and the user has approved it where this workflow requires approval. </HARD-GATE>

Grilling Mode

Mode Precedence

While Grilling Mode is active, it overrides the normal brainstorming execution flow. Suspend `Checklist`, `The Process`, the `Compact output contract`, and all documentation or design-transition requirements until the user exits the interview; retain the no-implementation hard gates.

Grilling Entry Signals

• **Direct:** The user asks to grill or interrogate an idea, plan, or design, or explicitly requests a pressure-test. Direct phrases include `grill me`, `grill this plan`, `审问我`, `盘问我`, and `拷问我`. Enter the mode immediately.
• **Soft:** The user asks to challenge assumptions, find holes, red-team, or "别顺着我" about a draft idea, plan, or design. Ask only: `Grill or normal brainstorming?` Enter the mode only after confirmation.
• **Not grilling:** A bare/literal phrase reference, or a PR, diff, or current-code review. Explain literal phrases normally; route implementation review to `requesting-code-review`.

Opening Card

After the user has entered the mode, emit this once in the user's language, then begin the interview:

◆ Grilling Session
Target: <idea / plan / design>
Question path: value -> boundaries -> failure modes -> acceptance
Pace: deep (default) | fast (user-requested)

Pace

• **Deep:** Ask exactly one decision question per turn when it is blocking or depends on the previous answer. State the recommended answer and the most relevant trade-off before waiting.
• **Fast:** Only when the user explicitly asks for a fast or batched interview (for example, `fast`, `batch`, `快问`, or `一次问几个`), ask at most three independent decision questions. Give each question its recommendation and trade-off, then wait for the user's responses. Return to deep pace for dependent follow-ups.

1. Explore the codebase and current authority docs for facts before asking. Do not ask the user for facts that can be found locally. 2. The user owns the decision. Do not treat a recommendation, a tentative answer, or a shared-understanding checkpoint as final approval. 3. Aside from the one-time opening card, keep the turn to the observation, recommendation, and the selected pace's questions. Do not emit a full design ceremony, write docs, create a plan, or implement while the interview is active. 4. End when the user says to stop, defer, or that the questions are sufficient. Summarize confirmed decisions, assumptions, unresolved questions, and the next optional step. That summary does not grant completion authority. 5. If the user asks to proceed after the interview, return to the normal brainstorming design gate. A design/spec still needs the required approval before planning or implementation.

Route Away / Doc Necessity Gate

Do not force this workflow onto low-complexity work. A tiny wording edit, single-owner bug fix, simple config/status question, local utility change, or mechanical multi-file change can proceed through concise intent, baseline check, TDD/debugging, and verification without any new document. Run the Doc Necessity Gate before writing any spec, plan, ADR, or baseline artifact:

1. Does an existing spec/plan/ADR/baseline already cover this change surface? -> Update that owner document in place; never create a sibling document. 2. Is the surface durable/irreversible (schema, public API, owner, dependency direction, migration, compat-path retirement), cross-session/cross-person handoff, approval-gated, or authority-required? -> Yes: write the smallest artifact for that surface (see Documentation). -> No: write no document; keep compact drafts in