The VALIDATING phase runs the completeness gate to ensure design is ready for implementation
View on GitHubskills/brainstorming-validating/SKILL.md
February 3, 2026
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npx add-skill https://github.com/ben-mad-jlp/claude-mermaid-collab/blob/main/skills/brainstorming-validating/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill brainstorming-validatingInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/brainstorming-validating/# VALIDATING Phase
The VALIDATING phase runs the completeness gate to ensure the design is ready for implementation.
## Purpose
- Verify all required sections are present
- Check for completeness and clarity
- Ensure no TBDs or ambiguous items remain
- Gate the transition to rough-draft
## Required Sections
The design doc must contain all of these:
- [ ] **Problem/Goal** - Clear statement of what we're solving and why
- [ ] **Key Decisions** - At least one documented decision with rationale
- [ ] **At least one diagram** - Visual representation of architecture, flow, or UI
- [ ] **Success Criteria** - Measurable, testable criteria (not "works well")
- [ ] **Out of Scope** - Explicit boundaries on what this work does NOT include
## Gate Check Process
```bash
# Read design doc
cat .collab/<name>/documents/design.md
# Verify each required section exists and has content
# If any section is missing or empty, do NOT proceed
```
For each section, verify:
1. Section header exists
2. Section has substantive content (not just placeholder text)
3. Content is specific, not vague
## Single-Item Mode (VALIDATING)
When `currentItem` is set in collab-state.json:
Check item has all required fields filled:
- Problem/Goal filled
- Approach filled
- Success Criteria filled
**If validation fails:** Return to DESIGNING to fill gaps
**If validation passes:**
1. Mark item as documented in workItems:
```
Tool: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__get_session_state
Args: { "project": "<cwd>", "session": "<session>" }
```
Update the item's status in workItems array:
```
Tool: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__update_session_state
Args: {
"project": "<cwd>",
"session": "<session>",
"workItems": [<updated array with item status changed to "documented">]
}
```
2. Update design doc status:
```
Tool: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__patch_document
Args: {
"project": "<cwd>",
"session": "<session>",
"id": "de