BMAD Method Guide for Claude Code

This guide walks you through the complete BMAD workflow using Claude Code as your AI-powered IDE.

Step 1: Install BMAD in Your Project

Navigate to your project directory
Run the BMAD installer:
```
npx bmad-method install
```
When prompted:
- Installation Type: Choose "Complete installation (recommended)"
- IDE: Select "Claude Code"

This creates a .bmad-core folder with all agents and a .claude/commands folder with agent commands.

Step 2: Set Up Team Fullstack in Gemini

For ideation and planning, use Google's Gemini with the team-fullstack configuration:

Open Google AI Studio (Gemini)
Create a new chat
Copy the contents of /Users/brianmadison/dev/BMAD-METHOD/.bmad-core/web-bundles/teams/team-fullstack.txt
Paste this content into Gemini to set up the team

Gemini Planning Phase

In Gemini, ask the BMAD team to help you:

Ideate your project concept
Brainstorm features and requirements
Create a PRD (Product Requirements Document)
Design the architecture

Ask questions like:

"Help me brainstorm a [type of application] that does [core functionality]"
"Create a comprehensive PRD for this concept"
"Design the technical architecture for this system"

Copy the PRD and architecture documents that Gemini creates into your project's docs/ folder:

docs/prd.md
docs/architecture.md

Step 3: Back to Claude Code - Document Sharding

Once you have your PRD and architecture documents in the docs/ folder:

Start a new chat in Claude Code
Load the bmad-master agent: Type /bmad-master
Shard the PRD: Type *shard-doc docs/prd.md prd
Shard the architecture: Type *shard-doc docs/architecture.md architecture

This creates organized folders:

docs/prd/ - Contains broken down PRD sections
docs/architecture/ - Contains broken down architecture sections

Step 4: Story Development Cycle

Now begin the iterative development cycle:

Create Stories (Scrum Master)

Start a new chat
Load SM agent: Type /sm
Create story: Type *create (this runs the create-next-story task)
Review the generated story
If approved: Set story status to "Approved" in the story file

Implement Stories (Developer)

Start a new chat
Load Dev agent: Type /dev
The agent will ask which story to implement
Follow the development tasks the agent provides
When story is complete: Mark status as "Done"

Repeat the Cycle

Start a new chat with SM agent (/sm)
Create next story: Type *create
Review and approve
Start new chat with Dev agent (/dev)
Implement the story
Repeat until project complete

Available Commands in Claude Code

All BMAD agents are available as Claude Code commands:

/bmad-master - Universal task executor
/sm - Scrum Master for story creation
/dev - Full-stack developer for implementation
/architect - Solution architect for design
/pm - Product manager for planning
/analyst - Business analyst for requirements
/qa - QA specialist for testing
/po - Product owner for prioritization
/ux-expert - UX specialist for design

Key Workflow Principles

Always start new chats when switching agents to avoid context confusion
Use Gemini for initial planning and ideation with the team-fullstack bundle
Use bmad-master for document management (sharding, templates, etc.)
Follow the SM → Dev cycle for consistent story development
Review and approve stories before implementation begins

Tips for Success

Keep chats focused: Each chat should have one agent and one primary task
*Use help command: Every agent supports *help to see available commands
Review generated content: Always review and approve stories before marking them ready
Maintain status updates: Keep story statuses current (Draft → Approved → InProgress → Done)

This workflow ensures systematic, AI-assisted development following agile principles with clear handoffs between planning, story creation, and implementation phases.

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