taste-engine

Taste Engine

Taste Engine converts raw reference images into evidence-backed, transferable design rules and structured Taste Profiles. It prevents literal copying by abstracting principles (lighting ratios, color harmonies, focal geometry, surface finishes) and assigning dedicated jobs to each reference.

---

1. Core Workflow

1. Reference Deconstruction:
   • Analyze reference image across 5 core dimensions:
     • Lighting: Key angle, fill ratio, shadow softness, color temperature.
     • Palette: Dominant, secondary, and accent ratios (e.g. 60-30-10 rule).
     • Texture & Finish: Material response (matte, satin, metallic, specular).
     • Spatial Geometry: Grid anchors, visual weight distribution, negative space.
     • Mood & Tension: Atmosphere, grain, contrast level.

1. The 4-Step Rule Extraction Pipeline:

   • Evidence (what is physically visible in the image)
   • Observation (structural or aesthetic pattern)
   • Transferable Rule (generalizable principle applicable to new briefs)
   • Constraint / Anti-Rule (what to strictly avoid to prevent unintended slop)

2. Job-Based Reference Mixing:

   • Never blend references indiscriminately.
   • Assign distinct, non-overlapping design jobs:
     • Reference A -> Lighting Job (e.g. 45° soft directional rim lighting).
     • Reference B -> Composition Job (e.g. dynamic diagonal off-center anchor).
     • Reference C -> Color Harmony Job (e.g. muted warm earth tones).

3. Originality & Anti-Plagiarism Guard:

   • Strictly discard subject matter, character identity, and proprietary artistic trademarks from the reference.
   • Never copy unique composite artwork verbatim.

4. Output Contract:

   • Emits structured TasteProfile JSON and DesignSignalPacket containing taste_state.

---

2. Tools & Scripts

• Lint Taste Profile: python3 scripts/taste_lint.py <taste-profile.json>
• Merge References: python3 scripts/taste_merge.py <taste-mix.json>

---

3. Cross-Skill Neural Connections & References

Peer & Downstream Skills

• Reference Memory — Persistent REF-ID lookup and taste history
• Brand Intelligence — Checking reference rules against brand locks
• Composition Director — Applying reference geometric anchors to grid
• Photography Director — Translating lighting extractions into optics
• Campaign Canon — Cross-referencing visual style with canon cases
• Designly Director — Orchestrator and conflict resolver

Schemas & References

• Taste Profile Schema — Local profile schema
• Taste Mix Schema — Mixing contract schema
• Taste Engine Guide — Extraction principles
• Reference Analysis — Analytical steps