Agent skill · writing content · aj-geddes
bmad-brainstorm
Facilitates structured ideation sessions using proven brainstorming techniques (SCAMPER, SWOT, 5 Whys, Mind Mapping, Six Thinking Hats, Reverse Brainstorming, Starbursting, Brainwriting). Produces a brainstorming-report.md of organized ideas and actionable insights. Operates in three intents: Create (new session), Update (add techniques or deepen coverage), Validate (confirm insights align with project goals). Use when the user says: "brainstorm", "ideate", "generate ideas", "explore options", "SCAMPER", "SWOT analysis", "mind map", "Six Thinking Hats", "5 Whys", "creative session", "what if we", "let's explore", "think through possibilities", "find alternatives", or "problem-solve". This skill PLANS only — it never writes application code or runs tests.
Why this skill is useful
Adds structured ideation techniques and generates actionable reports that the AI wouldn't reliably produce on its own.
What it needs
Requires bash installed locally. About 4k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-06-20. 471 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
BMAD Brainstorm Structured ideation harness for the BMAD planning lifecycle. Produces a brainstorming-report.md of organized ideas and insights ready to feed downstream planning skills (product-brief, PRD, architecture). Three Intents Ask the user which intent applies — or infer from context: Intent When to use -------- ------------- Create New brainstorming session on a topic or problem Update Add techniques, deepen coverage, or incorporate new constraints Validate Confirm generated insights align with project goals or decision-log Technique Menu Technique Best For Approx Time ----------- ---------- ------------- 5 Whys Root cause analysis 10-15 min SCAMPER Feature ideation & creative variations 20-30 min Mind Mapping Idea organization & hierarchy 15-20 min Reverse Brainstorming Risk and failure-mode identification 15-20 min Six Thinking Hats Multi-perspective evaluation 30-45 min Starbursting Question exploration (Who/What/When/Where/Why/How) 20-30 min SWOT Analysis Strategic positioning 30-45 min Brainwriting Silent parallel idea generation 15-20 min Technique Selection Guide Exploring a problem? → 5 Whys, then Starbursting Generating features or solutions? → SCAMPER, Mind Mapping Assessing risk or failure modes? → Reverse Brainstorming, Six Thinking Hats (Black Hat) Strategic planning or positioning? → SWOT, Six Thinking Hats (full cycle) Need parallel idea volume? → Brainwriting Session Workflow Use TodoWrite to track each step. 1. Gather context — Ask: topic/problem, relevant constraints, which BMAD track is active 2. Read project context — Load bmad-output/project-context.md and bmad-output/decision-log.md if present 3. Select techniques — Choose 2-4 complementary techniques; confirm with user 4. Execute sessions — Apply each technique systematically (diverge first, do not filter) 5. Organize ideas — Categorize all generated ideas; label Impact (H/M/L) and Feasibility (H/M/L) 6. Extract insights — Identify top 3-5 actionable insights across all techniques 7. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills aj-geddes/bmad-brainstorm