New: 98,000+ skills indexed from GitHub repos with 100+ stars · every skill safety-checkedBrowse top skillsTop skills
Esc to closeBrowse all skills
Submit a skillBrowse skills
Submit a skillBrowse skills

Agent skill

Thinking Triz

by tjboudreaux in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

When two design requirements seem mutually exclusive, name the contradiction, separate conflicting states, then invent a concrete no-compromise resolution.

MITAuto-check passed

Install Thinking Triz

skills CLI
$ npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-triz -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills thinking-triz --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/thinking-triz .claude/skills/thinking-triz && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
thinking-triz
GitHub stars
1.6k
Token cost
~960 tokens
SKILL.md length
458 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
26
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

When two design requirements seem mutually exclusive, name the contradiction, separate conflicting states, then invent a concrete no-compromise resolution.

  • Works in 6 steps: Name the contradiction in template form.… → State the ideal final result (IFR).… → Try separation before invention. Test,… → …
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use, When NOT to Use, Procedure and Output, plus 1 more section
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Thinking Triz is an agent skill from tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills. When two design requirements seem mutually exclusive, name the contradiction, separate conflicting states, then invent a concrete no-compromise resolution.

Its SKILL.md is about 960 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

The repository describes itself as: 28 eval-informed mental models and critical-thinking skills for Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Cursor, and other Agent Skills-compatible tools. The licence is MIT.

Example prompts

  • “/thinking-triz”

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Name the contradiction in template form. Write: "We need [PARAMETER] to be [STATE_1] for [BENEFIT_1] BUT [STATE_2] for [BENEFIT_2]." If…
  2. State the ideal final result (IFR). Describe both benefits held with minimal new machinery and no permanent midpoint sacrifice.
  3. Try separation before invention. Test, in order: time (different moments), space (different components/layers), condition (context, load…
  4. If separation fails, apply an inventive transform. Prefer resource-light moves: segmentation, preliminary action, inversion (push/pull)…
  5. Reuse existing resources first. Before adding services or stores, check data, traffic, headers, schedulers, and side effects already…
  6. Lock a concrete resolution and stop. Specify the design change, where each state lives, and how both benefits are preserved. Stop when a…

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 7b8fece. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Thinking Triz loads about 960 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 42 tokens; SKILL.md has 458 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~42
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~960

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills at commit 7b8fece, republished under its MIT licence (© tjboudreaux). 458 words, ~960 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/thinking-triz/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
thinking-triz
description
When two design requirements seem mutually exclusive, name the contradiction, separate conflicting states, then invent a concrete no-compromise resolution.
disable-model-invocation
true

TRIZ

Resolve technical design contradictions without midpoint compromise. Name the conflict, separate the opposing states, and transform the system so both benefits hold.

When to Use

  • Architecture, API, or system parameters pull in opposite directions (stable vs evolving, fresh vs cached, strict vs frictionless).
  • You are about to accept a trade-off because "you can't have both."
  • Every candidate solution shares the same structural weakness—the conflict is in the requirements, not the options list.

When NOT to Use

  • One option is simply better under stated constraints → pick it; do not manufacture a contradiction.
  • A cheap measurement shows which side actually matters → measure instead of inventing a separation.
  • A standard pattern already resolves it (cache-aside, CQRS, feature flags, versioning) → apply the pattern directly.
  • Non-technical people/org conflicts → out of scope; separation targets system parameters.
  • Ordinary prioritization or resource allocation without opposing states of the same parameter.

Procedure

  1. Name the contradiction in template form. Write: "We need [PARAMETER] to be [STATE_1] for [BENEFIT_1] BUT [STATE_2] for [BENEFIT_2]." If this form fails, stop—use another method.
  2. State the ideal final result (IFR). Describe both benefits held with minimal new machinery and no permanent midpoint sacrifice.
  3. Try separation before invention. Test, in order: time (different moments), space (different components/layers), condition (context, load, risk), scale (interface vs implementation, aggregate vs element). Keep the first separation that delivers both benefits without hidden compromise.
  4. If separation fails, apply an inventive transform. Prefer resource-light moves: segmentation, preliminary action, inversion (push/pull), intermediary, copying/replication, dynamization (flags/config), another dimension (metadata/versioning/events). Scan only principles that map to the named parameter conflict.
  5. Reuse existing resources first. Before adding services or stores, check data, traffic, headers, schedulers, and side effects already present that can carry the separation.
  6. Lock a concrete resolution and stop. Specify the design change, where each state lives, and how both benefits are preserved. Stop when a no-compromise design is stated, or when honest analysis shows only a constrained trade-off remains—then document the residual trade-off explicitly rather than forcing TRIZ theater.
Show full SKILL.md (125 more words)Show less

Output

Emit a TRIZ resolution:

  • contradiction: parameter / state_1+benefit_1 / state_2+benefit_2
  • ideal_final_result: both benefits without permanent compromise
  • separation_tried: time | space | condition | scale → result each
  • inventive_move: principle or pattern used if separation alone was insufficient (or none)
  • resources_reused: existing capabilities leveraged
  • resolution: concrete design decision and where each state holds
  • residual_tradeoff: none, or the honest remaining compromise

Verification

  • Template gate: if the contradiction cannot be written in the required form, do not apply TRIZ.
  • No-compromise check: a pure midpoint on the trade-off curve without a separation or inventive move is a failed application.
  • Separation-first: principles without attempted time/space/condition/scale separation are incomplete.
  • Over-application guard: if measurement or a standard pattern settles the design, skip TRIZ.
  • Stop: one named contradiction → separation/inventive pass → concrete resolution; do not cycle principles as decoration.

© tjboudreaux, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/thinking-triz of tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 7b8fece

Compare with similar skills

Thinking Triz next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Thinking Triz compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Thinking Triz this skilltjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills1.6k—~960Automated safety check: PassMIT
Requirementsrizsotto/Bear6.5k—~2kAutomated safety check: PassGPL-3.0
Think Tankdavila7/claude-code-templates33k—~3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Aria Required Attrthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist74k—~459Automated safety check: PassMIT
Aria Required Parentthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist74k—~498Automated safety check: PassMIT
Browser Requiredthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist74k—~448Automated safety check: PassMIT

Similar skills

  • Requirements

    rizsotto/Bear

    Write, modify, or review a requirement file under docs/requirements -- pick the single owning file, keep the text contract-only, name IDs so they need no explanation, and verify cross-references and…

    6.5k GitHub stars~2k tokensUpdated 2 days ago
    Testing & QAAuto-check passed

  • Think Tank

    davila7/claude-code-templates

    Run a Virtual Think Tank — a structured multi-persona debate — before planning or making architectural/design/strategic decisions.

    33k GitHub stars~3k tokensUpdated today
    Auto-check passed

  • Aria Required Attr

    thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist

    A skill your agent uses when reviewing rendered HTML, interactive components, or design-system patterns related to Include required ARIA attributes for roles.

    74k GitHub stars~459 tokensUpdated 4 days ago
    Frontend & DesignAuto-check passed

  • Aria Required Parent

    thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist

    A skill your agent uses when reviewing rendered HTML, interactive components, or design-system patterns related to Ensure ARIA roles are contained by required parent roles.

    74k GitHub stars~498 tokensUpdated 4 days ago
    Frontend & DesignAuto-check passed

  • Browser Required

    thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist

    A skill your agent uses when auditing slow page loads, heavy assets, or rendering delays related to Perform browser-based performance audits.

    74k GitHub stars~448 tokensUpdated 4 days ago
    Frontend & DesignAuto-check passed

  • Requirements Clarification

    asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks

    Clarify a material user-owned product decision before substantive implementation commitments.

    69k GitHub stars~687 tokensUpdated today
    Backend & APIsAuto-check passed

More from tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

All 26 skills in this repo

  • Thinking Bounded Rationality

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when search or investigation could run forever.

    1.6k GitHub stars~703 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Circle Of Competence

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when a specific claim may lack grounding.

    1.6k GitHub stars~733 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Lindy Effect

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when longevity of a non-perishable option matters.

    1.6k GitHub stars~650 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Via Negativa

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    A skill your agent uses when the reflex is to add a feature, layer, or process.

    1.6k GitHub stars~735 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Cynefin

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    When the right response mode is unclear, classify the cause-effect domain first; decompose disorder.

    1.6k GitHub stars~651 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

  • Thinking Five Whys Plus

    tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills

    When a fault is localized and the proximate cause is known but the systemic root is not, chain evidence-linked whys with a counterfactual stop and a countermeasure.

    1.6k GitHub stars~881 tokensUpdated 2 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

Questions about Thinking Triz

What does Thinking Triz do?

When two design requirements seem mutually exclusive, name the contradiction, separate conflicting states, then invent a concrete no-compromise resolution. Thinking Triz is an agent skill from tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills. When two design requirements seem mutually exclusive, name the contradiction, separate conflicting states, then invent a concrete no-compromise resolution.

How do I install Thinking Triz in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-triz -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/thinking-triz in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills) into .claude/skills/thinking-triz in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Thinking Triz in Codex?

Run `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-triz -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/thinking-triz in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills) into .agents/skills/thinking-triz in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Thinking Triz in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-triz -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/thinking-triz, .gemini/skills/thinking-triz, .github/skills/thinking-triz and .opencode/skills/thinking-triz in your project.

What does Thinking Triz need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Thinking Triz is instructions for the agent only.

Does Thinking Triz access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Thinking Triz safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Thinking Triz use?

Thinking Triz is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Thinking Triz use?

About 960 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Thinking Triz?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Thinking Triz: Requirements (rizsotto/Bear, 6.5k stars), Think Tank (davila7/claude-code-templates, 33k stars), Aria Required Attr (thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist, 74k stars) and Aria Required Parent (thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist, 74k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Thinking Triz?

tjboudreaux (a GitHub user) maintains it in tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills, which has 1,613 GitHub stars. The repository holds 26 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 7, 2026.

Source: tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.