BMAD-METHOD/expansion-packs

BMAD Method Expansion Packs

Overview

Expansion packs extend BMAD Method with specialized capabilities for specific use cases. They allow teams to add functionality without cluttering the core workflow.

Core BMAD Flow

The original BMAD Method follows a simple, proven flow:

Analyst → PM → Architect → SM → Dev
(Brief) → (PRD) → (Architecture) → (Stories) → (Implementation)

This core flow remains clean and focused on getting from business requirements to working software.

Why Expansion Packs?

As BMAD has evolved, we've identified specialized needs that don't fit every project:

• Infrastructure and DevOps workflows
• UX/UI design processes
• Data engineering pipelines
• Security and compliance workflows
• Mobile development patterns
• Real World assistance and workflows without AI Agents development in mind

Rather than complicate the core method, expansion packs let you "opt-in" to additional capabilities.

Available Expansion Packs

1. Infrastructure & DevOps

• Purpose: Cloud infrastructure design and platform engineering
• Adds: DevOps agent, infrastructure templates, validation checklists
• Use When: You need to design and implement cloud infrastructure

2. UX/Design (Coming Soon)

• Purpose: User experience and interface design workflows
• Adds: Design Architect agent, UI component templates
• Use When: You need detailed UI/UX design processes

3. Data Engineering (Planned)

• Purpose: Data pipeline and analytics infrastructure
• Adds: Data Engineer agent, ETL templates, data architecture patterns
• Use When: You're building data-intensive applications

Structure of an Expansion Pack

Each expansion pack contains:

expansion-pack-name/
├── README.md           # Overview and usage instructions
├── manifest.yml        # Installation configuration
├── agents/            # Agent configurations (.yml)
├── personas/          # Persona definitions (.md)
├── ide-agents/        # IDE-specific agents (.ide.md)
├── templates/         # Document templates (.md)
├── tasks/            # Specialized tasks (.md)
└── checklists/       # Validation checklists (.md)

Installing an Expansion Pack

Method 1: NPM Script

npm run install:expansion <pack-name>

Method 2: Direct Script

node tools/install-expansion-pack.js <pack-name>

Method 3: Manual

1. Copy files according to manifest.yml
2. Update team configurations as needed
3. Rebuild bundles with npm run build

Creating Your Own Expansion Pack

1. Create a new folder under expansion-packs/
2. Add your specialized agents, templates, and tasks
3. Create a manifest.yml defining installation mappings
4. Write a README explaining purpose and usage
5. Test installation process

Best Practices

1. Keep Core Simple: Don't add to core what could be an expansion
2. Clear Purpose: Each pack should solve a specific need
3. Self-Contained: Packs should work independently when possible
4. Document Well: Clear README and usage examples
5. Version Compatibility: Note which BMAD version the pack requires

Future Vision

We envision a library of expansion packs for various industries and use cases:

• Healthcare compliance workflows
• Financial services security patterns
• E-commerce optimization flows
• Gaming development pipelines
• IoT device management

The goal is to keep BMAD's core simple while allowing infinite extensibility through modular expansion packs.