Hard rule: do NOT write code, scaffold, or invoke any implementation skill until you have presented a design and the user has approved it.

Process:

Explore the project context (read the relevant code/docs first).
Ask clarifying questions ONE at a time — prefer multiple-choice options.
Propose 2-3 distinct approaches with trade-offs, and recommend one.
Present the design section by section (architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing), getting approval on each before moving on.
Write the agreed design to docs/specs/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md.
Self-review the spec: remove placeholders, fix contradictions/ambiguity, check scope. Flag multi-subsystem scope for decomposition.
Have the user review the written spec — this is an approval gate.

Principles: apply YAGNI ruthlessly, validate incrementally, and give even "simple" projects a short design pass before building.

Source: github.com/obra/superpowers (MIT). Condensed + attributed for the corlinman marketplace; see ../../ATTRIBUTION.md.

brainstorming