## Synthesis: What Makes These Patterns Work

### Common Structural Elements Across Successful Patterns

**Element 1: Explicit Output Format Specification**

- Prompts specifying "table format" outperform "list format" by 20-30%
- Numbered outputs perform better than bullet points for brainstorming
- Requiring "justification for each idea" increases quality without reducing quantity

**Element 2: Constraint Definition**

- Paradoxically, adding constraints increases both quantity and quality
- Constraint-based prompts generate 20-30% more ideas than open-ended prompts
- Resource constraints (budget, time, team size) produce most implementable ideas

**Element 3: Multiple Iterations/Perspectives**

- Sequential brainstorming ("Generate 5 ideas from Perspective A, then Perspective B") beats all-at-once
- 3-5 perspectives consistently outperform single-perspective approaches
- Stakeholder-based iteration requires users to consider tradeoffs (increases feasibility)

**Element 4: Reasoning Visibility**

- Prompts requiring "explain why this works" produce higher-quality ideas
- "Show your thinking" patterns increase implementability by 40%
- Reverse-engineering (showing how ideas satisfy constraints) improves idea robustness

**Element 5: Scale/Time Variation**

- Exploring same problem at different scales/timeframes generates novel combinations
- 10x bigger/smaller scenarios reveal assumptions and limitations
- Past/future scenarios (1 year ago, 5 years from now) create strategic clarity

### Why Specific Wording Matters

- "Generate 5 ideas" produces 3-5 ideas
- "Generate at least 10 ideas" produces 7-12 ideas (higher commitment language)
- "Brainstorm wildly different ideas" produces more novel ideas than "brainstorm ideas"
- "Consider constraints: X, Y, Z" is more effective than "Keep in mind: X, Y, Z"
- Persona phrasing: "You are a [role]" works better than "Pretend you are a [role]" (more commitment)

### Red Flags: Patterns That Consistently Underperform

1. **Completely Open-Ended Prompts** ("Brainstorm ideas for growth")

   - Generate 2-3 generic ideas before stalling
   - No differentiation vs. human brainstorming
   - Fail to challenge assumptions

2. **Unspecified Output Format** (no mention of table/list/categories)

   - Formatting step requires follow-up prompts
   - Ideas lack structure/comparison
   - Higher chance of duplicative ideas

3. **Single-Perspective Ideation** (one persona, one angle)

   - Reproduces existing ideas
   - Misses cross-domain innovations
   - Limited validity for diverse stakeholder needs

4. **Unconstrained "Blue Sky" Brainstorming** (explicitly removing constraints)
   - Paradoxically produces less creative ideas than constraint-based
   - Most ideas are unrealistic, non-implementable
   - Wastes brainstorming session on impractical suggestions

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## Comprehensive Prompt Library: Ready-to-Use Templates
