Sdd Idea

SDD Idea

Explore an idea before turning it into a plan, requirements, or code.

Purpose

Use this skill to create cognitive clarity before formal planning. IDEA is divergent: it explores the problem space, users, alternatives, value signals, constraints, risks, and possible directions. It does not commit the user to a roadmap or implementation.

Workflow

1. Load the SDD reference.

• Read ../_shared/references/sdd-practical.md.
• Apply the Language Policy: respond and write artifacts in the user's initial chat language while keeping skill instructions and templates in EN-US.
• Read ../_shared/references/templates.md only when writing the final artifact.
• Use package-level templates/idea.md as the user-facing template when available.
• Load relevant .ai/steering/*.md files when present, especially product, principles, or domain context.
• If .ai/strategy/handoff/strategy-brief.md exists, read it as optional upstream context; use it to seed exploration, but do not require it or treat it as approved SDD scope.

1. Establish the workspace.

• Use .ai/sdd/ideas/ for idea artifacts.
• Create .ai/sdd/ideas/ if it does not exist.
• If .ai/sdd/PLAN.md or .ai/sdd/specs/ exists, briefly inspect them to avoid duplicating an existing direction.
• If using the optional strategy handoff, record it as a source path in the idea artifact.

1. Explore the raw idea.

• Ask one question at a time.
• Prefer multiple-choice questions when useful.
• Cover at least: problem, target users, current alternatives, desired outcome, constraints, success signals, and risk.
• Do not ask implementation-first questions unless the idea is explicitly technical.

1. Present directions.

• Propose 2-3 possible directions.
• Include trade-offs: speed, complexity, user value, and risk.
• Recommend one direction, but preserve dissenting alternatives.
• Ask the user whether to continue exploring, create a PLAN, create REQUIREMENTS directly, or archive the idea.

1. Write the idea artifact only after the user confirms the direction.

• Determine the next numeric prefix in .ai/sdd/ideas/.
• Use NNN-kebab-name.md.
• Fill the Idea Template from ../_shared/references/templates.md.
• Use clear technical product language; avoid implementation commitments.

1. Update optional index.

• If .ai/sdd/INDEX.md exists, add or update an entry for the idea.
• Do not invent statuses; use idea:captured for saved ideas.

Output

• .ai/sdd/ideas/NNN-name.md
• Optional recommendation for next command:
• create .ai/sdd/PLAN.md for medium projects
• create .ai/sdd/specs/NNN-feature/requirements.md directly for small features

Critical Rules

• Do not create requirements, design, tasks, or code inside this skill unless the user explicitly changes the requested phase.
• Do not collapse exploration into a plan too early.
• Do not treat IDEA as approved scope; it is a thinking artifact.
• Do not proceed without explicit user confirmation before writing the final idea file.
• Do not silently promote or infer feature-spec approval states from IDEA artifacts.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: felipefontoura
• Source: felipefontoura/pi-sdd-kit
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://felipefontoura.com/articles/spec-driven-development-with-claude-code

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.