--- title: "Brainstorm: Checklists" description: "2 checklists for the Brainstorm skill: Brainstorm Completion; Brainstorm Session Checklist" canonical: "https://orchestkit.yonyon.ai/docs/reference/skills/brainstorm/checklists" --- # Brainstorm: Checklists 2 checklists for the Brainstorm skill: Brainstorm Completion; Brainstorm Session Checklist > Part of the [Brainstorm](/docs/reference/skills/brainstorm) skill reference. The main page carries the skill itself; this page holds material that used to sit at the bottom of it. ## Checklists (2) ### Brainstorm Completion # Brainstorm Completion Checklist Verify brainstorm quality before concluding. ## Divergent Phase - [ ] Generated 10+ distinct ideas (quantity over quality) - [ ] Used at least one divergent technique (SCAMPER, Mind Map, Reverse, Round-Robin) - [ ] Included unconventional "crazy" ideas - [ ] Did NOT filter during generation ## Feasibility Check - [ ] Quick viability assessed for all ideas (30s per idea) - [ ] Infeasible ideas (score 0-2) dropped - [ ] Risks flagged for challenging ideas (score 3-5) ## Evaluation Phase - [ ] Scored all five dimensions (Impact, Effort, Risk, Alignment, Innovation) - [ ] Applied weighted composite formula - [ ] Ran devil's advocate challenge on top 3-5 ideas - [ ] Adjusted scores for critical/high concerns ## Synthesis - [ ] Filtered to top 2-3 approaches - [ ] Trade-off table complete - [ ] Presented options with scores to user ## Documentation - [ ] Decision stored in knowledge graph - [ ] Tasks marked complete - [ ] ADR created if architectural decision ### Brainstorm Session Checklist # Brainstorming Session Checklist Use this checklist to facilitate effective brainstorming sessions that transform rough ideas into actionable implementation plans. --- ## Pre-Session Preparation ### Context Gathering - [ ] **Read the initial idea/request** - What is the user actually asking for? - [ ] **Identify the problem domain** - Backend, frontend, infrastructure, process, UX? - [ ] **Check existing system constraints** - Review architecture docs, tech stack, current capabilities - [ ] **Review similar features** - Has this been attempted before? What can we learn? - [ ] **Estimate time available** - Sprint timeline, team capacity, dependencies ### Stakeholder Identification - [ ] **Primary user** - Who will use this feature? - [ ] **Secondary users** - Who else is impacted? - [ ] **Decision makers** - Who approves this? - [ ] **Implementation team** - Who will build this? --- ## Phase 1: Exploration (Socratic Questioning) ### Foundational Questions - [ ] **Who** is this for? - Primary user persona - User skill level (beginner, intermediate, expert) - Team size (solo, small team, enterprise) - [ ] **What** problem does this solve? - Current pain point - Workarounds users are doing today - Impact if not solved (low, medium, high, critical) - [ ] **When** does this problem occur? - User workflow stage - Frequency (daily, weekly, rare) - Time-sensitive vs. async - [ ] **Where** in the system does this fit? - Existing feature enhancement vs. net-new - Integration points with other features - User journey touchpoints - [ ] **Why** now? - Strategic priority - Market pressure - Technical debt reduction - [ ] **How** is this currently done? - Manual workarounds - External tools - Cost of current solution ### Depth Questions (Ask 2-3 levels deep) - [ ] "Can you give me an example of when this happened?" - [ ] "What did you try that didn't work?" - [ ] "What would success look like in 6 months?" - [ ] "If we could only solve one part, which part matters most?" - [ ] "What assumptions are we making?" --- ## Phase 2: Constraint Analysis ### Technical Constraints - [ ] **Technology stack** - What tools/libraries are available? - [ ] **Performance requirements** - Latency, throughput, scale - [ ] **Data constraints** - Volume, retention, privacy/security - [ ] **Integration points** - APIs, webhooks, third-party services - [ ] **Browser/platform support** - Desktop, mobile, accessibility ### Resource Constraints - [ ] **Time** - Sprint duration, deadline, phased rollout? - [ ] **Team** - Available developers, skill levels, concurrent work - [ ] **Budget** - Infrastructure costs, third-party services - [ ] **Dependencies** - Blocked by other features? Auth, payments, etc. ### User Experience Constraints - [ ] **Learning curve** - Matches user skill level? - [ ] **Accessibility** - WCAG compliance, keyboard navigation - [ ] **Mobile-first vs. desktop-first** - Primary usage context - [ ] **Offline support** - Required or nice-to-have? - [ ] **Internationalization** - Multiple languages needed? --- ## Phase 3: Solution Generation ### Create Multiple Variants (Aim for 3 options) **For each option, document:** #### Option Name (e.g., "MVP", "Standard", "Advanced") - [ ] **What:** 2-3 sentence description of the solution - [ ] **Scope:** List of included features (bullet points) - [ ] **Excluded:** What's explicitly NOT included - [ ] **Time estimate:** Days/weeks for implementation - [ ] **Pros:** 3-5 advantages - [ ] **Cons:** 3-5 disadvantages or risks - [ ] **Example user flow:** Step-by-step scenario (5-7 steps) - [ ] **Technical approach:** Key technologies/patterns --- ## Phase 4: Evaluation & Decision ### Create Decision Matrix **Criteria to evaluate (customize per project):** - [ ] **Time to value** - How quickly can users benefit? - [ ] **Solves core problem** - Fully, partially, or tangentially? - [ ] **Technical risk** - Low, medium, high complexity - [ ] **User experience** - Intuitive, learnable, complex - [ ] **Scalability** - Handles growth (users, data, features) - [ ] **Maintainability** - Easy to debug, extend, document - [ ] **Enables future work** - Unlocks other features vs. dead-end - [ ] **Cost** - Infrastructure, development, ongoing maintenance ### Scoring - [ ] Rate each option (1-5 scale or Low/Med/High) - [ ] Identify deal-breakers (e.g., "Exceeds sprint timeline") - [ ] Calculate weighted scores if needed ### Recommendation - [ ] **Chosen option:** Which variant and why? - [ ] **Rationale:** 2-3 sentences explaining decision - [ ] **Tradeoffs acknowledged:** What are we giving up? - [ ] **Risks to monitor:** What could go wrong? --- ## Phase 5: Implementation Planning ### Break Down Work **For the chosen option:** #### Backend Tasks - [ ] List 5-10 concrete tasks - [ ] Estimate effort (hours/days per task) - [ ] Identify dependencies (what must happen first?) - [ ] Tag technical risks #### Frontend Tasks - [ ] List 5-10 concrete tasks - [ ] Estimate effort (hours/days per task) - [ ] Identify shared components/utilities needed - [ ] Tag UX decision points #### Testing Tasks - [ ] Unit tests for new logic - [ ] Integration tests for API interactions - [ ] E2E tests for critical user flows - [ ] Performance/load testing if needed #### Documentation Tasks - [ ] API documentation - [ ] User-facing docs - [ ] Internal architecture notes - [ ] Migration guides (if applicable) ### Create Timeline - [ ] **Day 1-2:** [Tasks] - [ ] **Day 3-4:** [Tasks] - [ ] **Day 5+:** [Tasks] - [ ] **Buffer:** Reserve 20-30% time for unknowns --- ## Phase 6: Success Metrics ### Define Success #### Quantitative Metrics - [ ] **Adoption:** What % of users will use this? - [ ] **Engagement:** How often (daily, weekly)? - [ ] **Performance:** Latency, uptime, error rate targets - [ ] **Business impact:** Revenue, retention, cost savings #### Qualitative Metrics - [ ] **User satisfaction:** Survey ratings, NPS - [ ] **User feedback:** Common praise/complaints - [ ] **Observation:** Behavior changes noted ### Rollback Criteria - [ ] **Performance degradation:** What's unacceptable? - [ ] **Error rates:** Threshold for disabling feature - [ ] **User complaints:** Volume/severity trigger - [ ] **Business impact:** Negative outcomes to watch --- ## Post-Session Documentation ### Create RFC or Design Doc - [ ] **Title:** Clear, descriptive name - [ ] **Summary:** 2-3 sentences - [ ] **Problem statement:** From exploration phase - [ ] **Proposed solution:** Chosen option - [ ] **Alternatives considered:** Other options + why rejected - [ ] **Implementation plan:** Timeline and tasks - [ ] **Success metrics:** How we'll measure - [ ] **Risks:** What could go wrong - [ ] **Open questions:** What's still TBD ### Share with Team - [ ] Post RFC in team channel (Slack, Discord, etc.) - [ ] Tag relevant stakeholders for review - [ ] Set feedback deadline (24-48 hours) - [ ] Schedule sync meeting if needed (complex changes) ### Create Actionable Issues - [ ] Create GitHub/Jira issue with implementation plan - [ ] Tag with appropriate labels (feature, backend, frontend, etc.) - [ ] Assign to sprint/milestone - [ ] Link to RFC/design doc --- ## Session Anti-Patterns to Avoid ### Common Pitfalls - [ ] ❌ **Jumping to solutions** - Explore the problem first (5W1H) - [ ] ❌ **Analysis paralysis** - Aim for 3 options, not 10 - [ ] ❌ **Ignoring constraints** - Be realistic about time/resources - [ ] ❌ **Missing user voice** - Ground in real user needs - [ ] ❌ **Vague estimates** - "A few days" → "3-5 days" - [ ] ❌ **Skipping tradeoffs** - Every solution has pros AND cons - [ ] ❌ **No decision** - End with clear recommendation - [ ] ❌ **No next steps** - Create issues/tasks immediately --- ## Example Session Flow (30-45 minutes) **Minute 0-10: Exploration** - Ask 5W1H questions - Dig 2-3 levels deep - Document user context **Minute 10-15: Constraints** - List technical limitations - Check time/resource budget - Identify dependencies **Minute 15-30: Solution Generation** - Create 3 options (MVP, Standard, Advanced) - Document pros/cons for each - Write example user flows **Minute 30-40: Evaluation** - Score options against criteria - Make recommendation - Acknowledge tradeoffs **Minute 40-45: Next Steps** - Create implementation task list - Define success metrics - Assign follow-up actions --- ## Template Prompts ### Starting a Session > "I have an idea: [rough idea]. Can you help me refine this into an actionable plan?" ### When Stuck > "We've explored [option A] and [option B]. What other approaches should we consider?" ### When Overcomplicating > "This feels complex. What's the simplest version that solves the core problem?" ### When Missing Context > "What assumptions are we making? What don't we know yet?" ### Ending the Session > "Based on our discussion, what should we build first?" --- **Remember:** Great brainstorming is 70% asking questions, 20% generating options, 10% deciding. Resist the urge to code immediately—clarity saves days of rework.