plugin-ideation Skill

Purpose: Interactive brainstorming and creative vision capture for new plugins and improvements to existing plugins.

Mode Detection

Check if plugin exists:

grep "^### $PLUGIN_NAME$" PLUGINS.md

• If found → Improvement Mode
• If not found → New Plugin Mode

New Plugin Mode

Phase 1: Free-Form Collection

Start with open question:

What would you like to build?

Tell me about your plugin idea. Share as much or as little as you want—I'll ask follow-ups for anything missing.

Extract from response:

• Plugin name (if mentioned)
• Plugin type (effect/synth/utility)
• Core concept and sonic goals
• Parameter ideas and ranges
• UI vision and layout preferences
• Use cases and target users
• Inspirations and references

Phase 2: Gap Analysis and Question Prioritization

Question Priority Tiers:

• Tier 1 (Critical): Plugin type (effect/synth/utility), core concept (what it does)
• Tier 2 (Functional): Parameters and ranges, processing behavior, signal flow
• Tier 3 (Context): Use cases, inspirations, special features (presets, MIDI, modulation)
• Tier 4 (NEVER ASK): UI details - if user volunteers UI info, capture it in the brief but NEVER prompt for UI in ideation phase

Extract from Phase 1 response, then identify gaps:

1. Parse user's free-form description
2. Check which tiers are covered
3. Identify missing critical/functional information
4. Never ask about already-provided information

Example of smart extraction:

User: "I want a tape delay with wow and flutter modulation. Should have three knobs and a vintage aesthetic."

Extracted:
- Type: Effect ✓
- Core concept: Tape delay with modulation ✓
- Parameters: wow, flutter (2 mentioned, 3 total) ✓
- UI: vintage, three knobs ✓ (capture but don't expand)

Gaps identified:
- What should the third knob control? (Tier 2)
- What ranges for wow/flutter? (Tier 2)
- Specific tape reference? (Tier 3)
- Primary use case? (Tier 3)

Phase 3: Question Batch Generation

Generate exactly 4 questions using AskUserQuestion based on identified gaps.

Rules:

• If 4+ gaps exist: ask top 4 by tier priority
• If fewer gaps exist: pad with "nice to have" tier 3 questions
• Provide meaningful options (not just open text prompts)
• Always include "Other" option for custom input
• Users can skip questions via "Other" option and typing "skip"

Example question batch (via AskUserQuestion):

For the tape delay example above:

Question 1:
  question: "What should the third knob control?"
  header: "Third control"
  options:
    - label: "Mix", description: "Blend dry/wet signal"
    - label: "Feedback", description: "Delay regeneration amount"
    - label: "Tone", description: "High-frequency filtering"
    - label: "Other", description: "Custom input"

Question 2:
  question: "What ranges for wow and flutter?"
  header: "Modulation depth"
  options:
    - label: "Subtle 0-5%", description: "Natural tape variation"
    - label: "Moderate 0-15%", description: "Noticeable character"
    - label: "Extreme 0-50%", description: "Creative warping"
    - label: "Other", description: "Custom ranges"

Question 3:
  question: "Any specific tape reference?"
  header: "Inspiration"
  options:
    - label: "Echoplex 1950s-60s", description: "Classic tube preamp warmth"
    - label: "Space Echo 1970s-80s", description: "Spring reverb character"
    - label: "Modern tape sim", description: "Clean, controllable"
    - label: "Other", description: "Different reference or none"

Question 4:
  question: "Primary use case?"
  header: "Usage"
  options:
    - label: "Mixing depth", description: "Subtle layering and space"
    - label: "Creative effects", description: "Aggressive, noticeable"
    - label: "Both", description: "Versatile range"
    - label: "Other", description: "Different use case"

After receiving answers:

1. Accumulate context with previous responses
2. Re-analyze gaps
3. Proceed to decision gate

Phase 3.5: Decision Gate

Use AskUserQuestion with 3 options after each question batch:

Question:
  question: "Ready to finalize the creative brief?"
  header: "Next step"
  options:
    - label: "Yes, finalize it", description: "Create creative-brief.md"
    - label: "Ask me 4 more questions", description: "Continue refining"
    - label: "Let me add more context first", description: "Provide additional details"

Route based on answer:
- Option 1 → Proceed to Phase 4 (document creation)
- Option 2 → Return to Phase 2 (re-analyze gaps, generate next 4 questions)
- Option 3 → Collect free-form text, merge with context, return to Phase 2

Context accumulation example:

After Batch 1 answers: "Feedback", "Moderate 0-15%", "Space Echo", "Both"

Updated context:

• Parameters: wow (0-15%), flutter (0-15%), feedback (need range) ✓
• Inspiration: Space Echo ✓
• Use case: versatile ✓

New gaps for Batch 2:

• Feedback range? (Tier 2)
• Delay time range? (Tier 2)
• Tempo sync? (Tier 3)
• Specific Space Echo model reference? (Tier 3)

Phase 3.7: Plugin Name (if not yet provided)

Before creating documents, check if plugin name was provided at any point during conversation.

If name NOT yet provided, ask via AskUserQuestion:

Question:
  question: "What should this plugin be called?"
  header: "Plugin name"
  options:
    - label: "[SuggestedName1]", description: "Based on core concept"
    - label: "[SuggestedName2]", description: "Alternative naming"
    - label: "[SuggestedName3]", description: "Different approach"
    - label: "Other", description: "I'll provide my own name"

Where suggested names are generated from the core concept.
Examples:
- Tape delay → "TapeAge", "VintageDelay", "FlutterDelay"
- 808 clap → "ClapMachine", "FlamClap", "808Clap"
- Distortion → "SaturnDrive", "WarmClip", "HarmonicDirt"

If name already provided (in initial description or in additional context), skip this phase entirely.

Name validation:

• Must be UpperCamelCase (e.g., "TapeAge", not "tape age" or "tapeage")
• No spaces or special characters
• If user provides invalid name, suggest cleaned version

Phase 4: Document Creation

When user chooses "finalize" and name is confirmed, create:

File: plugins/[PluginName]/.ideas/creative-brief.md

Format:

# [PluginName] - Creative Brief

## Overview

**Type:** [Effect/Synth/Utility]
**Core Concept:** [One-sentence description]
**Status:** 💡 Ideated
**Created:** [Date]

## Vision

[Prose description of plugin concept, sonic goals, inspiration]

## Parameters

| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|-----------|-------|---------|-------------|
| [Name] | [Min-Max] | [Value] | [Purpose] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

## UI Concept

**Layout:** [Description]
**Visual Style:** [Description]
**Key Elements:** [List special UI components]

## Use Cases

- [Scenario 1]
- [Scenario 2]
- [Scenario 3]

## Inspirations

- [Plugin/hardware reference 1]
- [Plugin/hardware reference 2]
- [Sonic reference]

## Technical Notes

[Any specific DSP approaches, algorithms, or technical considerations mentioned]

## Next Steps

- [ ] Create UI mockup (`/dream [PluginName]` → option 3)
- [ ] Start implementation (`/implement [PluginName]`)

Also update PLUGINS.md:

Add entry if doesn't exist:

### [PluginName]

**Status:** 💡 Ideated
**Type:** [Effect/Synth/Utility]
**Created:** [Date]
**Description:** [One-sentence summary]

Phase 5: Session Handoff

Create .continue-here.md in plugins/[PluginName]/.ideas/:

Format:

---
plugin: [PluginName]
stage: ideation
status: creative_brief_complete
last_updated: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS]
---

# Resume Point

## Current State: Creative Brief Complete

Creative brief has been finalized for [PluginName]. Ready to proceed to UI mockup or implementation.

## Completed So Far

**Ideation:** ✓ Complete
- Core concept defined
- Parameters specified
- UI vision captured
- Use cases identified

## Next Steps

1. Create UI mockup to visualize design (recommended)
2. Start implementation directly
3. Research similar plugins for inspiration

## Context to Preserve

**Key Decisions:**
- Plugin type: [Effect/Synth/Utility]
- Core concept: [Brief summary]

**Files Created:**
- plugins/[PluginName]/.ideas/creative-brief.md

Phase 6: Decision Menu

Present next steps:

✓ Creative brief complete: [PluginName]

What's next?
1. Create UI mockup (recommended) ← Visualize before building
2. Start implementation
3. Research similar plugins ← Find inspiration and examples
4. Save for later
5. Other

Choose (1-5): _

Handle responses:

• Option 1 → Invoke ui-mockup skill
• Option 2 → Invoke plugin-workflow skill (after warning about contracts)
• Option 3 → Invoke deep-research skill (Phase 7 - stub for now, just acknowledge)
• Option 4 → Confirm handoff file created, exit
• Option 5 → Ask what they'd like to do

Improvement Mode

Phase 0: Vagueness Detection

Check if request is specific:

Request IS specific if it has:

• Feature name (e.g., "resonance parameter")
• Action (e.g., "add", "fix", "change")
• Acceptance criteria (e.g., "range 0-1", "increase to 500px")

Request IS vague if lacking above:

• "improve the filters"
• "better presets"
• "UI feels cramped"

If vague, present choice:

Your request is somewhat vague. How should I proceed?

1. Brainstorm approaches first (recommended) ← Explore options together
2. Implement something reasonable ← I'll investigate and propose a solution

Choose (1-2): _

If option 1 chosen, continue with improvement brainstorming. If option 2 chosen, exit to plugin-improve skill.

Phase 1: Free-Form Collection

Ask:

What would you like to improve in [PluginName]?

Describe what you want to change, add, or fix. I'll ask follow-ups for anything missing.

Extract from response:

• What aspect (DSP/Parameters/UI/Features)
• Current pain point or limitation
• Proposed change
• Why this improvement matters
• Backward compatibility concerns
• How to test success

Phase 2: Gap Analysis and Question Prioritization

Question Priority Tiers:

• Tier 1 (Critical): What aspect (DSP/Parameters/UI/Features), current state vs proposed change
• Tier 2 (Implementation): Implementation details, testing criteria, backward compatibility
• Tier 3 (Context): Rationale, success metrics, version impact

Extract from Phase 1 response, then identify gaps:

1. Parse user's improvement description
2. Check which tiers are covered
3. Identify missing critical information
4. Never ask about already-provided information

Phase 3: Question Batch Generation

Generate exactly 4 questions using AskUserQuestion based on identified gaps.

Rules:

• If 4+ gaps exist: ask top 4 by tier priority
• If fewer gaps exist: pad with "nice to have" tier 3 questions
• Provide meaningful options (not just open text prompts)
• Always include "Other" option for custom input

Example question batch (via AskUserQuestion):

Question 1:
  question: "Which aspect would you like to improve?"
  header: "Aspect"
  options:
    - label: "Audio processing (DSP)", description: "Change how it sounds"
    - label: "Parameters", description: "Add/modify/remove controls"
    - label: "User interface", description: "Layout or visual changes"
    - label: "Features/workflow", description: "Presets, MIDI, utilities"

Question 2:
  question: "What's the current behavior you want to change?"
  header: "Current state"
  options:
    - label: "It's broken", description: "Bug or error"
    - label: "It's limited", description: "Missing functionality"
    - label: "It's inefficient", description: "Performance issue"
    - label: "Other", description: "Different issue"

Question 3:
  question: "Version impact of this change?"
  header: "Version bump"
  options:
    - label: "Patch (bugfix)", description: "v1.0.0 → v1.0.1"
    - label: "Minor (new feature)", description: "v1.0.0 → v1.1.0"
    - label: "Major (breaking change)", description: "v1.0.0 → v2.0.0"
    - label: "Other", description: "Not sure"

Question 4:
  question: "How to verify success?"
  header: "Testing"
  options:
    - label: "A/B test audio", description: "Compare before/after sound"
    - label: "Check parameter behavior", description: "Test controls work"
    - label: "Visual inspection", description: "UI looks correct"
    - label: "Other", description: "Different testing approach"

After receiving answers:

1. Accumulate context with previous responses
2. Re-analyze gaps
3. Proceed to decision gate

Phase 3.5: Decision Gate

Use AskUserQuestion with 3 options after each question batch:

Question:
  question: "Ready to finalize the improvement brief?"
  header: "Next step"
  options:
    - label: "Yes, finalize it", description: "Create improvement proposal"
    - label: "Ask me 4 more questions", description: "Continue refining"
    - label: "Let me add more context first", description: "Provide additional details"

Route based on answer:
- Option 1 → Proceed to Phase 4 (document creation)
- Option 2 → Return to Phase 2 (re-analyze gaps, generate next 4 questions)
- Option 3 → Collect free-form text, merge with context, return to Phase 2

Phase 4: Document Creation

Create: plugins/[PluginName]/.ideas/improvements/[feature-name].md

Format:

# [PluginName] - [Improvement Name]

**Created:** [Date]
**Type:** [Feature/Enhancement/Fix]
**Aspect:** [DSP/Parameters/UI/Features]
**Version Impact:** [PATCH/MINOR/MAJOR]

## Current State

[Description of current behavior or limitation]

## Proposed Change

[Detailed description of what should change]

## Rationale

[Why this improvement matters]

## Implementation Notes

[Technical considerations, files to modify, algorithms to use]

## Backward Compatibility

[Breaking/Non-breaking, migration strategy if needed]

## Testing Criteria

- [ ] [Test 1]
- [ ] [Test 2]
- [ ] [Test 3]

## Success Metrics

[How to know the improvement is complete and working]

Phase 5: Session Handoff

Create .continue-here.md in plugins/[PluginName]/.ideas/:

---
plugin: [PluginName]
stage: improvement_planning
status: improvement_brief_complete
improvement: [feature-name]
last_updated: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS]
---

# Resume Point

## Current State: Improvement Brief Complete

Improvement proposal finalized for [PluginName]: [ImprovementName]

## Completed So Far

**Planning:** ✓ Complete
- Current state analyzed
- Proposed change defined
- Testing criteria established

## Next Steps

1. Start implementation (/improve [PluginName])
2. Research implementation approaches
3. Review existing code

## Context to Preserve

**Improvement:** [feature-name]
**Type:** [Feature/Enhancement/Fix]
**Version Impact:** [PATCH/MINOR/MAJOR]

**Files Created:**
- plugins/[PluginName]/.ideas/improvements/[feature-name].md

Phase 6: Decision Menu

✓ Improvement brief complete: [ImprovementName]

What's next?
1. Start implementation (recommended)
2. Research implementation approaches ← Find examples and best practices
3. Review existing code first
4. Save for later
5. Other

Choose (1-5): _

Handle responses:

• Option 1 → Invoke plugin-improve skill
• Option 2 → Invoke deep-research skill (Phase 7 - stub)
• Option 3 → Read relevant source files, then re-present menu
• Option 4 → Confirm handoff file created, exit
• Option 5 → Ask what they'd like to do

Vagueness Detection Rules

Check for specificity:

Specific indicators:
- Named feature ("resonance parameter", "bypass switch")
- Concrete action ("add", "remove", "change from X to Y")
- Measurable criteria ("range 0-1", "increase to 500px", "reduce by 3dB")

Vague indicators:
- Generic improvements ("better", "improve", "enhance")
- Unspecified targets ("the UI", "presets", "sound")
- No success criteria mentioned

If 2+ vague indicators and 0 specific indicators → Present brainstorm vs implement choice.

Grounded Feasibility

When user proposes ambitious ideas:

Don't shut down creativity, but flag for research:

That's an interesting direction! [Specific technical consideration] might be complex—we can research approaches in Stage 0 (Research phase).

Continue exploring, or finalize brief with a research note?

Examples:

• Physical modeling → "Physical modeling can be CPU-intensive"
• Machine learning → "ML in real-time audio requires careful optimization"
• Complex visualizations → "3D graphics in plugins have rendering considerations"

Gently note challenges without saying "no."

Examples: Question Generation Based on Input Detail

Example 1: Detailed Input (New Plugin)

User: "I want a tape delay with wow and flutter modulation. Should have three knobs and a vintage aesthetic."

Extracted:
- Type: Effect ✓
- Core concept: Tape delay with modulation ✓
- Parameters: wow, flutter (2 mentioned, 3 total) ✓
- UI: vintage, three knobs ✓ (capture but don't expand)

Gaps identified (4 needed):
- What should the third knob control? (Tier 2)
- What ranges for wow/flutter? (Tier 2)
- Specific tape reference? (Tier 3)
- Primary use case? (Tier 3)

Question Batch 1 (via AskUserQuestion):
1. "What should the third knob control?" → [Mix, Feedback, Tone, Other]
2. "What ranges for wow and flutter?" → [Subtle 0-5%, Moderate 0-15%, Extreme 0-50%, Other]
3. "Any specific tape reference?" → [Echoplex 1950s-60s, Space Echo 1970s-80s, Modern, Other]
4. "Primary use case?" → [Mixing depth, Creative effects, Both, Other]

[Then decision gate with 3 options]

Example 2: Vague Input (New Plugin)

User: "A distortion plugin"

Extracted:
- Type: Effect ✓
- Core concept: Distortion (very generic)

Gaps identified (4 needed):
- What distortion character? (Tier 1)
- What parameters? (Tier 2)
- Primary use case? (Tier 3)
- Any inspiration? (Tier 3)

Question Batch 1 (via AskUserQuestion):
1. "What distortion character?" → [Tube/tape warmth, Hard clipping, Bit crushing, Other]
2. "What parameters?" → [Drive/tone/mix (3-knob), Drive/tone/mix/bias (4-knob), Extensive multiband, Other]
3. "Primary use case?" → [Mixing saturation, Creative/aggressive, Both, Other]
4. "Any inspiration?" → [Guitar pedals, Console/tape, Modern digital, Other]

[Then decision gate]

If user chooses "Ask me 4 more questions":
- User answered: "Tube warmth", "Drive/tone/mix (3-knob)", "Both", "Console/tape"

Updated context:
- Type: Effect ✓
- Core concept: Tube/tape warmth distortion ✓
- Parameters: drive, tone, mix ✓
- Use case: versatile ✓
- Inspiration: console/tape ✓

New gaps for Batch 2:
- Drive range? (Tier 2)
- Tone frequency range? (Tier 2)
- Specific console reference? (Tier 3)
- Harmonic character? (Tier 3)

Question Batch 2:
1. "Drive control range?" → [Subtle 0-6dB, Moderate 0-12dB, Extreme 0-24dB, Other]
2. "Tone control?" → [High-pass filter, Low-pass filter, Tilt EQ, Other]
3. "Specific console reference?" → [Neve 1073, SSL 4000, API 550, Other]
4. "Harmonic character?" → [Even harmonics (warm), Odd harmonics (aggressive), Balanced, Other]

[Then decision gate again]

Adaptive Questioning Strategy

Extract first, then fill gaps:

1. User provides initial description
2. Parse response for covered topics
3. Generate questions only for missing topics
4. Present 4 questions via AskUserQuestion
5. After each batch, re-evaluate what's still missing
6. Present decision gate
7. Repeat until user finalizes

Don't ask redundant questions.

If user says "I want a tape delay with wow and flutter, three knobs, vintage look," don't ask:

• ❌ "What type of plugin?" (it's a delay = effect)
• ❌ "What parameters?" (wow, flutter mentioned)
• ❌ "Visual style?" (vintage mentioned)

DO ask:

• ✓ "What should the third knob control?" (only two mentioned)
• ✓ "What range for wow/flutter parameters?"
• ✓ "Any specific tape references for the sound?"

Continuous Iteration Support

User can request deep dives:

User: "Ask me more about the UI"
→ System focuses on UI-specific questions

User: "Let's explore presets"
→ System asks about preset strategy

User: "Tell me what you think about the DSP"
→ System provides feasibility analysis

Support free-form exploration until user says "finalize."

Git Integration

After creating documents:

git add plugins/[PluginName]/.ideas/
git add PLUGINS.md
# Do NOT commit - user handles commits

Stage files but don't commit.

Error Handling

If plugin name contains invalid characters:

Plugin names should be UpperCamelCase with no spaces or special characters.

Suggested: [CleanName]
Use this name? (y/n): _

If improvement file already exists:

Improvement proposal "[feature-name].md" already exists.

Options:
1. Create new version (/improve is better for implementing existing proposals)
2. Choose different name
3. Overwrite existing (not recommended)

Choose (1-3): _

If creative brief already exists:

Creative brief already exists for [PluginName].

Options:
1. View existing brief
2. Create improvement proposal instead (/improve)
3. Overwrite (will lose existing brief)

Choose (1-3): _

Integration Points

Invoked by:

• /dream command (new plugin or improvement)
• /dream [PluginName] command
• Natural language: "I want to make...", "Explore improvements to..."

Invokes:

• ui-mockup skill (option after creative brief)
• plugin-workflow skill (option after creative brief)
• plugin-improve skill (option after improvement brief)
• deep-research skill (option for research) - Phase 7

Success Criteria

Skill is successful when:

• Creative brief captures complete vision
• No redundant questions asked
• User feels heard and understood
• Document is actionable for implementation
• Handoff file enables resume
• Next steps are clear and discoverable