Creative Problem Solver

Contract (one assistant turn)

• Name the current Double Diamond stage: Discover / Define / Develop / Deliver.
• If Define is weak: propose a one-line working definition + success criteria, and treat the portfolio as learning moves.
• Deliver options, then stop and ask for human input before executing.
• Always include a five-tier portfolio: Quick Win, Strategic Play, Advantage Play, Transformative Move, Moonshot.
• For each option: expected signal + escape hatch.
• Run an Aha Check after reframing.
• Track provenance (technique → Aha Y/N). If the same technique triggers Aha twice in a row, switch techniques next round.
• Keep a short Knowledge Snapshot + Decision Log.

When to use

• Progress is stalled or blocked.
• Repeated attempts fail the same way.
• The user asks for options, alternatives, tradeoffs, or a strategy portfolio.
• The problem is multi-constraint, cross-domain, or high-uncertainty (architecture, migration, integration, conflict resolution).

Quick start

1. Choose Double Diamond stage: Discover / Define / Develop / Deliver.
2. Choose lane: Fast Spark or Full Session.
3. Reframe once (pick one tool, or run Oblique Draw).
4. Aha Check. If none, reframe once more.
5. Generate the five-tier portfolio (learning moves in Discover/Define; solution moves in Develop/Deliver).
6. Define gate: state a one-line problem statement + success criteria (or mark unknown and ask).
7. Score options (1–5): Signal, Ease, Reversibility, Speed.
8. Ask the user to choose a tier or update constraints.
9. Close with an Insights Summary.

Double Diamond alignment

• Discover (diverge): broaden context; focus options on learning (research, instrumentation, repro, characterization).
• Define (converge): lock the problem statement + success criteria; surface unknowns and ask.
• Develop (diverge): generate solution paths; prototype/experiment if needed.
• Deliver (converge): pick a tier to execute; hand off to tk for incision + proof.

Mode check

• Pragmatic (default): ship-this-week options only.
• Visionary: only when asked for long-horizon strategy or systemic change.

Lane selector

• Fast Spark: skip ideation; produce the portfolio directly.
• Full Session: diverge (10–30 ideas), cluster, score, then select one option per tier.

Reframing toolkit

Pick one:

• Inversion: flip the current approach. Reference: codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/inversion.md.
• Analogy transfer: borrow a pattern from a solved domain. Reference: codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/analogy-transfer.md.
• Constraint extremes: set a key variable to zero or infinity. Reference: codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/constraint-extremes.md.
• First principles: rebuild from basic facts. Reference: codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/first-principles.md.

Oblique draw (optional)

Use when framing is stale. Reference: codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/oblique-draw.md.

1. Draw 4 prompts, pick 1, apply it.
2. Translate it into a concrete lever/constraint.

Mini-deck (if no deck is available):

• Do the opposite of the obvious move.
• Remove a step.
• Make it reversible first.
• Smallest test that could change the plan.
• Shift the bottleneck, not throughput.
• Change the unit of work.
• Swap one constraint for another.
• Borrow a pattern from another domain.

Aha Check (required)

• Definition: a restructuring insight (new representation/model).
• Output: one-line insight. If none, reframe once more before generating options.

Portfolio rule

• Every response must include all five tiers.
• If stage is Discover/Define (problem unclear), the tiers are learning moves (not build proposals).
• If stage is Develop/Deliver (problem clear), the tiers are solution moves.

Option template

Quick Win:
- Expected signal:
- Escape hatch:

Strategic Play:
- Expected signal:
- Escape hatch:

Advantage Play:
- Expected signal:
- Escape hatch:

Transformative Move:
- Expected signal:
- Escape hatch:

Moonshot:
- Expected signal:
- Escape hatch:

Scoring rubric (1–5, no weights)

• Signal: how much new information this yields.
• Ease: effort/complexity to try.
• Reversibility: ease of undoing.
• Speed: time-to-learn.

Preference: high Signal + Reversibility, then Ease + Speed.

Technique rules (progressive disclosure)

• Pick 1 technique by default (use 2–3 only if you’re still blocked).
• After selecting a technique, consult its reference doc in codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/.
• Chat disclosure: include only Reframe used: <technique> + a one-line “why”; don’t paste the technique script unless the user asks.

Technique picker (choose 1; rarely 2)

• No Aha → Provocation (PO) or Forced Connections or Synectics or TRIZ.
• Need a fast spark → Oblique Draw or Random Stimulus.
• Need to mutate an existing thing → SCAMPER.
• Need lots of ideas fast (low debate) → Brainwriting 6-3-5.
• Need structured combinations → Morphological Analysis.
• Need to resolve contradictions → TRIZ.
• Need parallel perspectives / alignment → Six Thinking Hats.
• Need to surface failure modes early → Pre-mortem or Reverse Brainstorming.
• Need to de-risk unknowns (what to validate first) → Assumption Mapping.
• Need momentum + traceability → CPS Cycle.

Technique library (index; use 1–3)

• Inversion — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/inversion.md
• Analogy Transfer — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/analogy-transfer.md
• Constraint Extremes — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/constraint-extremes.md
• First Principles — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/first-principles.md
• CPS Cycle (Clarify → Ideate → Develop → Implement) — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/cps-cycle.md
• Brainstorming — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/brainstorming.md
• Brainwriting 6-3-5 — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/brainwriting-6-3-5.md
• SCAMPER — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/scamper.md
• Six Thinking Hats — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/six-thinking-hats.md
• TRIZ — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/triz.md
• Morphological Analysis — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/morphological-analysis.md
• Synectics — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/synectics.md
• Provocation (PO) — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/provocation-po.md
• Random Stimulus — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/random-stimulus.md
• Forced Connections — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/forced-connections.md
• Reverse Brainstorming — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/reverse-brainstorming.md
• Pre-mortem — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/pre-mortem.md
• Mind Mapping — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/mind-mapping.md
• Affinity Diagramming — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/affinity-diagramming.md
• How Might We — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/how-might-we.md
• Crazy 8s — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/crazy-8s.md
• Storyboarding — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/storyboarding.md
• Lotus Blossom — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/lotus-blossom.md
• Assumption Mapping — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/assumption-mapping.md
• Oblique Draw — codex/skills/creative-problem-solver/techniques/oblique-draw.md

Templates

Decision Log:

• Stage:
• Decision:
• Rationale:
• Alternatives considered:
• Evidence/signal:
• Reversible? (Y/N):
• Next decision point:

Assumptions & Constraints:

• Problem statement (working definition):
• Success criteria:
• Assumptions to validate:
• Known constraints (time/budget/policy/tech):
• Unknowns to de-risk:
• Non-goals:

Knowledge Snapshot:

• New facts:
• New risks/constraints:
• Plan-changing signals:
• Technique provenance (technique → Aha Y/N):
• Aha Check:
• Open questions:

Deliverable format

• Lane (Fast Spark / Full Session).
• Double Diamond stage (Discover / Define / Develop / Deliver).
• Problem statement + success criteria (or marked unknown).
• Reframe used.
• Aha Check (one line).
• Five-tier portfolio with signals + escape hatches.
• Scorecard + brief rationale.
• Decision Log + Assumptions/Constraints.
• Human Input Required (choose tier or update constraints).
• If execution is chosen: hand off to tk.
• Insights Summary.

Activation cues

• “need options” / “alternatives” / “tradeoffs” / “portfolio”
• “brainstorm” / “ideate”
• “stuck” / “blocked” / “nothing works”
• “outside the box” / “fresh angles”
• “ambiguous” / “uncertain” / “unknowns”
• “architecture” / “system design” / “migration” / “integration”