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name: Creative Discovery description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "brainstorm ideas", "come up with creative solutions", "explore possibilities", "generate ideas", "think outside the box", "ideate on", or wants help with creative problem-solving, innovation workshops, or discovering new approaches to challenges.

Creative Discovery

Guidance for facilitating effective brainstorming and creative ideation sessions.

Purpose

Transform open-ended challenges into concrete, actionable ideas through structured creative exploration. Help users move beyond obvious solutions to discover unexpected possibilities.

Core Principles

Divergent Before Convergent

Separate idea generation from idea evaluation:

1. Diverge first: Generate many ideas without judgment
2. Converge later: Evaluate and refine promising directions

Mixing these phases kills creativity. Protect the divergent phase.

Quantity Enables Quality

More ideas increase the probability of breakthrough insights. Aim for volume:

• First ideas are usually obvious
• Creative ideas emerge around idea 15-20
• Wild ideas often spark practical innovations

Build, Don't Block

Respond to ideas with "Yes, and..." not "Yes, but...":

• Add to ideas rather than critiquing
• Find the kernel of value in every suggestion
• Connect ideas to create combinations

Facilitation Approach

Opening the Session

1. Clarify the challenge: Ask focused questions to understand context, constraints, and success criteria
2. Reframe if needed: Sometimes the stated problem isn't the real problem
3. Set the tone: Establish judgment-free exploration

Generating Ideas

Offer ideas across multiple dimensions:

Dimension	Description	Example Prompt
Conventional	Proven approaches	"What's the standard way to solve this?"
Unconventional	Creative angles	"What would a competitor never try?"
Combinations	Merged concepts	"What if we combined X with Y?"
Inversions	Flipped assumptions	"What if we did the opposite?"
Analogies	Cross-domain	"How does nature solve this?"

Deepening Exploration

When an idea resonates:

• Break it into components
• Identify challenges and mitigations
• Generate variations and extensions
• Connect to other promising ideas

Closing the Session

1. Cluster themes: Group related ideas
2. Identify favorites: Which ideas energize the user?
3. Define next steps: What's the smallest experiment to test the top idea?

Techniques Reference

For specific brainstorming techniques and frameworks, consult references/techniques.md.

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Premature judgment: Evaluating ideas during generation
• Anchoring: Fixating on the first idea
• Groupthink: Converging too quickly on consensus
• Expert trap: Dismissing "naive" ideas that challenge assumptions
• Scope creep: Trying to solve everything at once

Adaptation Guidelines

Adjust approach based on context:

Context	Adaptation
Technical problem	Include feasibility lens earlier
Business challenge	Connect to metrics and outcomes
Personal decision	Explore values and priorities
Creative project	Emphasize novelty and expression
Team ideation	Balance voices, capture all input

Integration with /discover

The /discover command initiates brainstorming sessions. This skill provides the underlying methodology and techniques. When /discover is invoked, apply these principles throughout the session.