0f6eabb890
Generates a full dedicated Docusaurus page for every one of the 132 skills
(73 bundled + 59 optional) under website/docs/user-guide/skills/{bundled,optional}/<category>/.
Each page carries the skill's description, metadata (version, author, license,
dependencies, platform gating, tags, related skills cross-linked to their own
pages), and the complete SKILL.md body that Hermes loads at runtime.
Previously the two catalog pages just listed skills with a one-line blurb and
no way to see what the skill actually did — users had to go read the source
repo. Now every skill has a browsable, searchable, cross-linked reference in
the docs.
- website/scripts/generate-skill-docs.py — generator that reads skills/ and
optional-skills/, writes per-skill pages, regenerates both catalog indexes,
and rewrites the Skills section of sidebars.ts. Handles MDX escaping
(outside fenced code blocks: curly braces, unsafe HTML-ish tags) and
rewrites relative references/*.md links to point at the GitHub source.
- website/docs/reference/skills-catalog.md — regenerated; each row links to
the new dedicated page.
- website/docs/reference/optional-skills-catalog.md — same.
- website/sidebars.ts — Skills section now has Bundled / Optional subtrees
with one nested category per skill folder.
- .github/workflows/{docs-site-checks,deploy-site}.yml — run the generator
before docusaurus build so CI stays in sync with the source SKILL.md files.
Build verified locally with `npx docusaurus build`. Only remaining warnings
are pre-existing broken link/anchor issues in unrelated pages.
6.6 KiB
| title | sidebar_label | description |
|---|---|---|
| Ideation — Generate project ideas through creative constraints | Ideation | Generate project ideas through creative constraints |
{/* This page is auto-generated from the skill's SKILL.md by website/scripts/generate-skill-docs.py. Edit the source SKILL.md, not this page. */}
Ideation
Generate project ideas through creative constraints. Use when the user says 'I want to build something', 'give me a project idea', 'I'm bored', 'what should I make', 'inspire me', or any variant of 'I have tools but no direction'. Works for code, art, hardware, writing, tools, and anything that can be made.
Skill metadata
| Source | Bundled (installed by default) |
| Path | skills/creative/creative-ideation |
| Version | 1.0.0 |
| Author | SHL0MS |
| License | MIT |
| Tags | Creative, Ideation, Projects, Brainstorming, Inspiration |
Reference: full SKILL.md
:::info The following is the complete skill definition that Hermes loads when this skill is triggered. This is what the agent sees as instructions when the skill is active. :::
Creative Ideation
Generate project ideas through creative constraints. Constraint + direction = creativity.
How It Works
- Pick a constraint from the library below — random, or matched to the user's domain/mood
- Interpret it broadly — a coding prompt can become a hardware project, an art prompt can become a CLI tool
- Generate 3 concrete project ideas that satisfy the constraint
- If they pick one, build it — create the project, write the code, ship it
The Rule
Every prompt is interpreted as broadly as possible. "Does this include X?" → Yes. The prompts provide direction and mild constraint. Without either, there is no creativity.
Constraint Library
For Developers
Solve your own itch: Build the tool you wished existed this week. Under 50 lines. Ship it today.
Automate the annoying thing: What's the most tedious part of your workflow? Script it away. Two hours to fix a problem that costs you five minutes a day.
The CLI tool that should exist:
Think of a command you've wished you could type. git undo-that-thing-i-just-did. docker why-is-this-broken. npm explain-yourself. Now build it.
Nothing new except glue: Make something entirely from existing APIs, libraries, and datasets. The only original contribution is how you connect them.
Frankenstein week: Take something that does X and make it do Y. A git repo that plays music. A Dockerfile that generates poetry. A cron job that sends compliments.
Subtract: How much can you remove from a codebase before it breaks? Strip a tool to its minimum viable function. Delete until only the essence remains.
High concept, low effort: A deep idea, lazily executed. The concept should be brilliant. The implementation should take an afternoon. If it takes longer, you're overthinking it.
For Makers & Artists
Blatantly copy something: Pick something you admire — a tool, an artwork, an interface. Recreate it from scratch. The learning is in the gap between your version and theirs.
One million of something: One million is both a lot and not that much. One million pixels is a 1MB photo. One million API calls is a Tuesday. One million of anything becomes interesting at scale.
Make something that dies: A website that loses a feature every day. A chatbot that forgets. A countdown to nothing. An exercise in rot, killing, or letting go.
Do a lot of math: Generative geometry, shader golf, mathematical art, computational origami. Time to re-learn what an arcsin is.
For Anyone
Text is the universal interface: Build something where text is the only interface. No buttons, no graphics, just words in and words out. Text can go in and out of almost anything.
Start at the punchline: Think of something that would be a funny sentence. Work backwards to make it real. "I taught my thermostat to gaslight me" → now build it.
Hostile UI: Make something intentionally painful to use. A password field that requires 47 conditions. A form where every label lies. A CLI that judges your commands.
Take two: Remember an old project. Do it again from scratch. No looking at the original. See what changed about how you think.
See references/full-prompt-library.md for 30+ additional constraints across communication, scale, philosophy, transformation, and more.
Matching Constraints to Users
| User says | Pick from |
|---|---|
| "I want to build something" (no direction) | Random — any constraint |
| "I'm learning [language]" | Blatantly copy something, Automate the annoying thing |
| "I want something weird" | Hostile UI, Frankenstein week, Start at the punchline |
| "I want something useful" | Solve your own itch, The CLI that should exist, Automate the annoying thing |
| "I want something beautiful" | Do a lot of math, One million of something |
| "I'm burned out" | High concept low effort, Make something that dies |
| "Weekend project" | Nothing new except glue, Start at the punchline |
| "I want a challenge" | One million of something, Subtract, Take two |
Output Format
## Constraint: [Name]
> [The constraint, one sentence]
### Ideas
1. **[One-line pitch]**
[2-3 sentences: what you'd build and why it's interesting]
⏱ [weekend / week / month] • 🔧 [stack]
2. **[One-line pitch]**
[2-3 sentences]
⏱ ... • 🔧 ...
3. **[One-line pitch]**
[2-3 sentences]
⏱ ... • 🔧 ...
Example
## Constraint: The CLI tool that should exist
> Think of a command you've wished you could type. Now build it.
### Ideas
1. **`git whatsup` — show what happened while you were away**
Compares your last active commit to HEAD and summarizes what changed,
who committed, and what PRs merged. Like a morning standup from your repo.
⏱ weekend • 🔧 Python, GitPython, click
2. **`explain 503` — HTTP status codes for humans**
Pipe any status code or error message and get a plain-English explanation
with common causes and fixes. Pulls from a curated database, not an LLM.
⏱ weekend • 🔧 Rust or Go, static dataset
3. **`deps why <package>` — why is this in my dependency tree**
Traces a transitive dependency back to the direct dependency that pulled
it in. Answers "why do I have 47 copies of lodash" in one command.
⏱ weekend • 🔧 Node.js, npm/yarn lockfile parsing
After the user picks one, start building — create the project, write the code, iterate.
Attribution
Constraint approach inspired by wttdotm.com/prompts.html. Adapted and expanded for software development and general-purpose ideation.