What it does
/brainstorm is the mandatory first step in the SuperAntigravity workflow. It runs a structured requirements discovery session that transforms a vague idea into a concrete, approved design document — before any code is written.
The command enforces a hard gate: implementation cannot begin until you have explicitly approved the design.
When to use
Use/brainstorm before starting any new feature, component, or significant change. If you already have an approved, documented design, skip to /plan instead.
Prerequisites
Conversation mode
Planning Mode — required.What happens
Announce and commit
Antigravity announces: “Starting /brainstorm. I will not write any code until you approve the design.” A session state header is output showing current stage, design doc status, and question count.
Load the brainstorming skill
The
brainstorming skill is loaded and followed completely. This includes asking clarifying questions (~5 total), proposing approaches, and converging on a design.Gate check before any code
Before any implementation can proceed, Antigravity confirms a design doc exists at
docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-topic-design.md.Transition to /plan
Once you explicitly approve the design, Antigravity transitions to
/plan for implementation planning.Skills invoked
brainstorming— core requirements discovery and design convergence process
Example
docs/plans/2026-03-17-notification-system-design.md and prompts you to run /plan.
If you say “just build it” or “skip the design”, the hard gate activates: Antigravity will refuse and explain that design approval prevents wasted effort. The brainstorm takes 10–15 minutes and saves hours of rework.
Related commands
/plan
The next step — convert your approved design into a bite-sized implementation plan.
/research
Run before /brainstorm when you need to validate technical feasibility first.
/design
For focused architecture and API design work outside the main workflow.
/implement
Step 3 — only reachable after brainstorm and plan are complete.