Brainstorm
Collaborative design dialogue: one question at a time, 2-3 approaches, staged validation
Test report
- Verdict
- Tested · Works
- Score
- Tested
- Jul 21, 2026
- Environment
- Claude Code 2.x (agent harness)
- Upstream re-checked
- Aug 10, 2026 · 9d44810
Fetched SKILL.md, resolve-rules.sh, both reference docs, and plugin.json (all HTTP 200). The script is a clean two-layer rules resolver (cat to stdout, exit 0) with no network/base64/exfiltration/injection smells; paths use CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/DATA, no hardcoded machine paths. Verified install into a clean temp HOME placed SKILL.md correctly. Ran the same task ("design a rate limiter for my web API") two ways: BASELINE dumped one token-bucket-on-Redis solution and offered to write code immediately; SKILL-following asked one multiple-choice scoping question first, then presented 3 approaches with an explicit recommendation and trade-offs, and applied YAGNI by dropping the baseline's speculative sliding-window fallback and bypass-list. Concrete difference is real and observable, not a rule restatement; both artifacts saved in scratchpad. Category hint "design" corrected to productivity — this is a thinking/planning workflow, not visual design.
Scored on four weighted criteria — install, triggering, output vs. baseline, docs. How scoring works
- Installs cleanly 5/5
- Triggers reliably 5/5
- Output vs. baseline 7/10
- Docs & honesty 5/5
What Brainstorm does
A workflow skill that turns a rough idea into a validated design before coding, by asking one clarifying question at a time, proposing 2-3 approaches with a lead recommendation, presenting the design in small validated sections, then offering a next-step choice (write plan / plan mode / start). Triggers on "brainstorm", "let's brainstorm", "help me design", "think through", "analyze this feature", or requests for thorough analysis of features and architectural decisions. Supports optional project- and user-level custom rules resolved through a two-layer override script.
How to install Brainstorm
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/umputun/cc-thingz.git /tmp/brainstorm-src
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -R /tmp/brainstorm-src/plugins/brainstorm/skills/brainstorm ~/.claude/skills/brainstorm
# Verified: places SKILL.md at ~/.claude/skills/brainstorm/SKILL.md in a clean HOME.
# NOTE: the custom-rules feature calls plugins/brainstorm/scripts/resolve-rules.sh via
# ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}, and user-level rules need ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA} — both set only
# when installed as a marketplace plugin. As a bare skill copy, the rules step no-ops
# gracefully (empty output) and the core brainstorm process works fine.
# Plugin-marketplace alternative (enables custom rules): add umputun/cc-thingz as a plugin
# marketplace and install the "brainstorm" plugin.
Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/
(per-project). Restart Claude Code after installing.
Commands — how to trigger Brainstorm
-
/brainstormCollaborative design dialogue: one question at a time, 2-3 approaches, staged validation
It also activates on plain-language prompts like these:
-
Let's brainstorm this new feature together -
Help me think through this architectural decision -
Explore options for redesigning this flow
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Brainstorm skill free?
- Yes. The skill itself is free from umputun/cc-thingz. SkillProof publishes the install command and an independent test verdict at no cost.
- Does Brainstorm work with Claude Code?
- We tested it with Claude Code 2.x (agent harness) on Jul 21, 2026. Verdict: Tested · Works. Fetched SKILL.md, resolve-rules.sh, both reference docs, and plugin.json (all HTTP 200). The script is a clean two-layer rules resolver (cat to stdout, exit 0) with no network/base64/exfiltration/injection smells; paths use CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/DATA, no hardcoded machine paths. Verified install into a clean temp HOME placed SKILL.md correctly. Ran the same task ("design a rate limiter for my web API") two ways: BASELINE dumped one token-bucket-on-Redis solution and offered to write code immediately; SKILL-following asked one multiple-choice scoping question first, then presented 3 approaches with an explicit recommendation and trade-offs, and applied YAGNI by dropping the baseline's speculative sliding-window fallback and bypass-list. Concrete difference is real and observable, not a rule restatement; both artifacts saved in scratchpad. Category hint "design" corrected to productivity — this is a thinking/planning workflow, not visual design.
- What is the Brainstorm SkillProof Score?
- 8.8/10 — installs cleanly 5/5, triggers reliably 5/5, output vs. baseline 7/10, docs & honesty 5/5.
- How do I install Brainstorm?
- Copy the install command from this page, run it in your terminal, and restart Claude Code. Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- Can I use Brainstorm with Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex or other AI tools?
- The SKILL.md format is native to Claude (Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai). The instructions inside adapt to other assistants: Cursor rules, GitHub Copilot instructions, Windsurf rules, Custom GPTs, AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex, and GEMINI.md for Google Gemini CLI — our conversion guides cover each, and the free converter on the tools page does the wrapping for you.