brainstorming

# Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs

## Overview

Help turn ideas into fully formed designs and specs through natural collaborative dialogue with Shannon's quantitative rigor.

**Core principle**: Understand deeply, explore alternatives, validate quantitatively, document systematically.

## The Process

### Understanding the Idea

**Check project context first**:
- Read existing files, docs, recent commits
- **Shannon**: Use project-indexing skill if available
- Load context from Serena if project known

**Ask questions one at a time** to refine the idea:
- Prefer multiple choice when possible
- Open-ended is fine too
- **Only one question per message**
- Break topics into multiple questions

**Focus on understanding**:
- Purpose
- Constraints
- Success criteria
- **Shannon**: Quantitative success metrics

### Exploring Approaches

**Propose 2-3 different approaches** with trade-offs:
- Present conversationally with recommendation
- Lead with recommended option and reasoning
- **Shannon enhancement**: Include complexity estimates

**Example**:
```markdown
I see three approaches:

**Option 1: Microservices** (Recommended)
- Complexity: 0.75/1.00 (COMPLEX)
- Duration: 2-3 weeks
- Pros: Scalability, isolation
- Cons: Higher initial complexity
- **Why recommended**: Aligns with growth plans

**Option 2: Monolith**
- Complexity: 0.45/1.00 (MODERATE)
- Duration: 1 week
- Pros: Simpler, faster to build
- Cons: Scaling limitations

**Option 3: Hybrid**
- Complexity: 0.55/1.00 (MODERATE-COMPLEX)
- Duration: 1.5-2 weeks
- Pros: Balance of both
- Cons: Some compromise on both sides

Which appeals to you?
```

### Presenting the Design

**Once you understand what you're building**:

**Break into sections** of 200-300 words:
- Ask after each section whether it looks right
- Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
- **Shannon**: Include quantitative estimates

**Be ready to go back and clarify** if something doesn't make sense

**Shannon quantitative va