When the user wants to define, audit, or apply visual identity (typography, colors, spacing, design tokens, frontend aesthetics). Also use when the user mentions "brand style guide," "visual identity," "design system," "typography," "color palette," "brand guidelines," "AI brand aesthetics," "brand colors," "font choices," "spacing system," "design tokens," "motion," "distinctive design," "frontend aesthetics," "PowerPoint theme," "Google Slides brand," or "slide master colors." For brand story, positioning, and voice, use branding.
3k tokens
context cost
the whole folder, loaded on every use
1
files
instructions only
0
copies elsewhere
how many repositories repackaged it
836
stars on the repo
on the repository, not the skill itself
Install
one command, takes just this skill from the repository
Guides visual identity for consistent brand presentation. Companies with consistent branding see up to 23-33% revenue lift; 94% of consumers say consistency influences buying decisions.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Initial Assessment
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read Section 12 (Visual Identity) for colors, typography, spacing. See branding for brand strategy and visual identity strategy layer.
Identify:
Scope: New brand, audit, or component design
Touchpoints: Web, print, social, product UI, slides (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote), documents (Word, Google Docs, PDF reports)
Existing assets: Logo, style guide, design files
Best Practices
Typography
Two-font system: One display font for headlines, one body font for text. Contrast + harmony: different enough for distinct roles, similar enough to feel cohesive.
Body font: Prioritize legibility—large x-height, open counters. For neutral/safe: Source Sans 3, Lora, IBM Plex Sans. For distinctiveness: avoid overused AI fonts (Inter, Roboto, Arial, system fonts); prefer characterful choices that elevate the brand. See Frontend Aesthetics.
Headline font: Communicates brand voice; must be readable in under one second. Carries personality while body handles infrastructure.
Type scale: Use ratios 1.25–1.5 (Major Third or Perfect Fifth) for hierarchy. Limit to 3–4 styles per block.
Pairing rule: Decorative fonts only with neutral typefaces. Assign distinct roles; avoid mixing more than two families.
Sizes: Hero, section, subheading, body, caption; responsive scaling. Line length max 120 chars; generous line-height.
Color Palette
Structure: Primary, secondary, CTA, background, text. Use flexible systems (core hero color + complementary shades), not single rigid colors.
Industry mapping: Finance → blue, gray, navy (stability); Luxury → rose gold, burgundy, black (exclusivity); Tech → teal, neon accents, charcoal (innovation); Wellness → lavender, peach, mint (calm); Sustainability → sage green, earthy tones.
Reproduction: HEX, RGB, CMYK for print and digital. For programmatic slides (e.g. python-pptx), map brand HEX to RGB tuples (R, G, B) for fills and text; keep a single source of truth table (HEX + RGB) in the deliverable.
Accessibility: Contrast >=4.5:1 for normal text, >=3:1 for large text (18px+ or 14px+ bold). Don't rely on color alone for information.
Poor text hierarchy: Disordered, cluttered text confuses users.
Overusing effects: Drop shadows, pop-ups, crowded UI distract from content.
Chasing trends blindly: Adopt trends only when they fit project needs.
Ignoring performance: Heavy assets and complex layouts hurt load times.
Generic AI aesthetics: Inter, Roboto, Arial, Space Grotesk, and system fonts contribute to cookie-cutter design; avoid clichéd schemes (e.g., purple gradients on white). Prefer distinctive choices when brand differentiation matters.
Emoji as icons: Use SVG icons (Heroicons, Lucide, Simple Icons)—never emojis (🎨 🚀 ⚙️) as UI icons; emojis look unprofessional and inconsistent.
Unstable hover states: Use color/opacity transitions on hover; avoid scale transforms that shift layout or cause content jump.
Accessibility Checklist
Contrast: Normal text >=4.5:1; large text >=3:1; interactive elements >=3:1.
Color: Never use color alone to convey information; add text or icons for states (error, success).
Keyboard: All interactive elements reachable via Tab, Enter, Spacebar.
Reduced motion: Respect prefers-reduced-motion for animations.
Frontend Aesthetics
Guides distinctive, production-grade frontend implementation. Components (hero, CTA, footer, etc.) and pages (landing, home, features) should reference these principles for visual differentiation. Intentionality over intensity: bold maximalism and refined minimalism both work when executed with precision.
Typography
Avoid generic AI fonts: Inter, Roboto, Arial, system fonts, Space Grotesk. These create cookie-cutter aesthetics.
Distinctive pairing: One display font (headlines, personality) + one refined body font (readability). Choose characterful, unexpected fonts that elevate the interface.
Consistency: Use CSS variables; limit to 3–4 type styles per block.
Motion
High-impact moments: One well-orchestrated page load with staggered reveals (animation-delay) creates more delight than scattered micro-interactions.
Prioritize: CSS-only for HTML; Motion library for React when available. Scroll-triggering and hover states that surprise.
Accessibility: Always respect prefers-reduced-motion; provide reduced or no-motion alternatives.
| Bold Builders | Groundbreaking, transformative | Dark palettes, space references |
| Utopian Dreamers | What becomes possible | Retrofuturistic, surreal worlds |
Product Marketing Context (Section 12)
When creating or updating .cursor/project-context.md, add:
## 12. Visual Identity (Optional)
**Colors**: Primary #XXX, secondary #XXX; backgrounds #XXX
**Typography**: Headings (font, weight, color); Body (font, weight, color)
**Sizes**: Hero Xpt, section Xpt, body Xpt
**Spacing**: Margins Xpx; section padding Xpx
**Layout**: Viewport, top bar, footer heights if fixed
Slides & Documents (Non-Web)
When the user asks for deck or document branding—not only websites:
Slide master: Background color from token; title font = display/heading token; body = body token; default title/body sizes aligned to type scale from branding / Section 12.
Theme colors: Map primary, secondary, background, text, and one accent to the presentation app's theme (PowerPoint *Design → Variants*, Google Slides *Theme*, Keynote *Document* settings) so shapes and charts inherit palette.
Charts & shapes: Cycle accents in a fixed order (e.g. primary → secondary → tertiary) instead of random colors; keeps decks on-brand.
Documents: Same fonts and heading hierarchy as web where possible; specify paragraph style names (Title, Heading 1–3, Normal) with point sizes and colors.
Strategy and narrative layers remain in branding; this section is visual execution for office/slide tools.
Brand Guidelines Structure (Single Source of Truth)