brainstorm-diverge-converge

# Brainstorm Diverge-Converge

## Table of Contents

- [Purpose](#purpose)
- [When to Use This Skill](#when-to-use-this-skill)
- [What is Brainstorm Diverge-Converge?](#what-is-brainstorm-diverge-converge)
- [Workflow](#workflow)
  - [1. Gather Requirements](#1--gather-requirements)
  - [2. Diverge (Generate Ideas)](#2--diverge-generate-ideas)
  - [3. Cluster (Group Themes)](#3--cluster-group-themes)
  - [4. Converge (Evaluate & Select)](#4--converge-evaluate--select)
  - [5. Document & Validate](#5--document--validate)
- [Common Patterns](#common-patterns)
- [Guardrails](#guardrails)
- [Quick Reference](#quick-reference)

## Purpose

Apply structured divergent-convergent thinking to generate many creative options, organize them into meaningful clusters, then systematically evaluate and narrow to the strongest choices. This balances creative exploration with disciplined decision-making.

## When to Use This Skill

- Generating product or feature ideas
- Exploring solution approaches for open-ended problems
- Developing research questions or hypotheses
- Creating marketing or content strategies
- Identifying strategic initiatives or opportunities
- Designing experiments or tests
- Naming products, features, or projects
- Developing interview questions or survey items
- Exploring design alternatives (UI, architecture, process)
- Prioritizing from a large possibility space
- Overcoming creative blocks
- When you need both quantity (many options) and quality (best options)

**Trigger phrases:** "brainstorm", "generate ideas", "explore options", "what are all the ways", "divergent thinking", "ideation", "evaluate alternatives", "narrow down choices"

## What is Brainstorm Diverge-Converge?

A three-phase creative problem-solving method:

- **Diverge (Expand)**: Generate many ideas without judgment or filtering. Focus on quantity and variety. Defer evaluation.

- **Cluster (Organize)**: Group similar ideas into themes or categories. Identify patterns and connections. Crea