starting-a-design-plan

# Starting a Design Plan

## Overview

Orchestrate the complete design workflow from initial idea to implementation-ready documentation through six structured phases: context gathering, clarification, definition of done, brainstorming, design documentation, and planning handoff.

**Core principle:** Progressive information gathering -> clear understanding -> creative exploration -> validated design -> documented plan.

**Announce at start:** "I'm using the starting-a-design-plan skill to guide us through the design process."

## Quick Reference

| Phase | Key Activities | Output |
|-------|---------------|--------|
| **1. Context Gathering** | Ask for freeform description, constraints, goals, URLs, files | Initial context bundle |
| **2. Clarification** | Invoke asking-clarifying-questions skill | Disambiguated requirements |
| **3. Definition of Done** | Synthesize and confirm deliverables before brainstorming | Confirmed success criteria |
| **4. Brainstorming** | Invoke brainstorming skill | Validated design (in conversation) |
| **5. Design Documentation** | Invoke writing-design-plans skill | Committed design document |
| **6. Planning Handoff** | Offer to invoke writing-plans skill | Implementation plan (optional) |

## The Process

**REQUIRED: Create task tracker at start**

Use TaskCreate to create todos for each phase (or TodoWrite in older Claude Code versions):

- Phase 1: Context Gathering (initial information collected)
- Phase 2: Clarification (requirements disambiguated)
- Phase 3: Definition of Done (deliverables confirmed)
- Phase 4: Brainstorming (design validated)
- Phase 5: Design Documentation (design written to docs/design-plans/)
- Phase 6: Planning Handoff (implementation plan offered/created)

Use TaskUpdate to mark each phase as in_progress when working on it, completed when finished (or TodoWrite in older versions).

### Phase 1: Context Gathering

**Never skip this phase.** Even if the user provides detailed information, ask for anything