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markdown-graphs

Design & creation

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Updated 10-23 16:38

About this skill

Markdown Graphs

Treat “markdown graph” as shorthand for a custom visual component used inside MDX. It is not a native Markdown graph format. Preserve the user's publishing medium: when the target only accepts plain Markdown, produce a static SVG or image, or use Mermaid when portability matters more than art direction.

Design the Explanation

  1. Reduce the visual to one claim, comparison, sequence, or relationship.
  2. Choose the smallest topology that explains it: table, nested geometry, left-to-right transformation, or loop.
  3. Write the labels and values before drawing connectors.
  4. Lay out the content on a strict character-like or 8px grid.
  5. Add decoration only when it clarifies grouping, direction, or state.

If the message needs a paragraph to explain the diagram, simplify the diagram before adding more structure.

Choose the Rendering Primitive

Content Preferred primitive Why
Rows and columns Semantic HTML <table> Keeps data accessible and responsive
Text that should linearize exactly <pre> with styled spans Preserves a character-cell composition
Labels, formulas, and simple comparisons CSS Grid Keeps live text easy to align and wrap
Connectors, nested geometry, or precise paths Inline SVG Gives exact, responsive geometry
Moving tracers or chips SVG path plus CSS or <animateMotion> Reuses the explanatory path as the motion track

Prefer live HTML text with an aria-hidden SVG connector layer when practical. Do not reach for Mermaid by default: its auto-layout is useful for portable architecture documentation, but it works against this deliberately composed visual language.

Apply the Visual Grammar

Use the project's existing typography and color tokens first. When the project has no established system, these sampled values are a useful starting point, not canonical values:

--graph-bg: #11110f;
--graph-ink: #c9c5bb;
--graph-muted: #343632;
--graph-accent: #3296f9;
  • Use one regular-weight monospace face. Commit Mono or a good ui-monospace stack fits the reference style.
  • Keep four visual roles: background, readable ink, subdued structure, and one vibrant accent.
  • Reserve the accent for the title, the active state, or the moving tracer. It should explain where to look.
  • Use bracketed uppercase titles such as [ THE PROMPT LOOP ] with modest tracking.
  • Construct frames from quiet dashed strokes, + corner marks, brackets, and arrow glyphs. Keep the frame visibly weaker than the content.
  • Use generous negative space and a consistent outer inset. Do not fill every cell in the grid.
  • Avoid gradients, glows, shadows, decorative filled cards, multiple accents, and unnecessary rounded containers.
  • Use tabular numerals for aligned measurements and tables.

Add Motion Only to Explain

Treat motion as optional. Add it only when the user requests it, the provided reference includes it, or the deliverable is explicitly an explanatory animation. When motion is in scope, animate sequence, direction, propagation, or a state change. Keep the labels and base structure still.

For a moving wire highlight, draw the path twice: a complete muted base and a short accent segment above it. Normalize the path with pathLength="1" and animate stroke-dashoffset:

.trace {
  stroke: var(--graph-accent);
  stroke-dasharray: 0.08 0.92;
  animation: graph-travel 4s linear infinite;
}

@keyframes graph-travel {
  to {
    stroke-dashoffset: -1;
  }
}

Use SVG <animateMotion> with <mpath> when a glyph or numbered chip must follow an existing path. Use linear motion for constant traversal and a strong ease-in-out curve for deliberate movement between states.

  • Keep explanatory loops calm enough to follow, usually about 3–5 seconds.
  • Pause looping motion while the component is off-screen. Include that behavior in the delivered component rather than leaving it as follow-up advice.
  • Honor prefers-reduced-motion; retain a meaningful static highlighted state.
  • Never make animation necessary to read the message.

Implement for MDX

Keep the article invocation small and the component reusable at the frame and token level. Do not force unrelated diagrams into one universal schema.

import { PromptLoop } from "@/components/PromptLoop";

<PromptLoop />
  • Use an SVG viewBox and vector-effect="non-scaling-stroke" for responsive, crisp lines.
  • Use paint-order: stroke with the background color when a title needs to cut through the frame behind it.
  • Keep meaningful labels as text, not outlined paths or baked pixels.
  • Wrap the visual in <figure> and provide an accessible name or visible <figcaption> that states its takeaway.
  • Let the source remain a live component. Export a high-resolution SVG, PNG, or video only for channels that require a static asset.

Verify the Result

Before calling the diagram complete, confirm:

  • The takeaway remains clear with animation disabled.
  • The accent has one semantic job and the muted structure recedes.
  • Labels align to a consistent grid and no connector crosses readable text.
  • The component remains legible and unclipped at its smallest target width.
  • Reduced-motion behavior preserves the explanation.
  • A rendered screenshot matches the intended MDX surface, not just an isolated component preview.

Primary References