Structured Planning

Overview

Structured planning converts vague requirements into approved, documented implementation plans before any code is written. It forces clarifying questions, approach comparison with trade-offs, and explicit user approval — preventing the most common cause of wasted effort: building the wrong thing. Every task, regardless of perceived simplicity, goes through this process.

Announce at start: "I'm using the planning skill to create a structured implementation plan."

Trigger Conditions

• User requests a new feature, enhancement, or change
• A bug fix requires more than a one-line change
• Refactoring work spanning multiple files
• Any task where the approach is not already documented and approved
• Transition from brainstorming skill with an approved design
• /plan command invoked