Create effective visual communication through research-backed design principles.
Design = Communication + Aesthetics — Good design is invisible: it guides the eye, conveys the message, and feels "right" without effort.
Quick Workflow
1. PURPOSE — What should viewer DO after seeing this?
2. AUDIENCE — Who? What culture? What device?
3. HIERARCHY — What's #1, #2, #3 in importance?
4. LAYOUT — Sketch placement (Z or F pattern)
5. COLORS — 60-30-10 rule (check cultural meaning!)
6. TYPE — Max 2 fonts (1 display + 1 body)
7. ELEMENTS — Add graphics, icons, photos
8. REFINE — Remove until it breaks, then add back
9. CHECK — Squint test, mobile test, contrast check
10. REVIEW — Self-critique and iterate (optional loop)
Self-Review Loop (Auto-Improvement)
Once the work is created, you can turn on the loop to analyze and improve automatically.
When should you ask the User
Ask the user before starting the loop:
"Would you like me to turn on the Auto-Improvement Loop? I will analyze the results and refine repeatedly until good quality is achieved."
Options:
- Quick Review — 1 round of analysis + fixes if necessary
- Full Loop — Re-analyze until it passes every item in the Quality Checklist
- Skip — Deliver right away, no review needed
Review Loop Workflow
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. CREATE — สร้างผลงาน (slides, graphics, etc.) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. ANALYZE — วิเคราะห์โครงสร้าง │
│ • อ่าน XML/code ที่สร้าง │
│ • ตรวจสอบ positions, sizes, colors │
│ • สร้าง thumbnails (ถ้าเป็น PPTX) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. CRITIQUE — วิจารณ์ตาม Design Principles │
│ ใช้ Review Checklist (ด้านล่าง) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌───────────────────┐
│ ผ่านทุกข้อ? │
└───────────────────┘
↙ NO YES ↘
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ 4. FIX │ │ 5. DELIVER │
│ แก้ไขปัญหา │ │ ส่งมอบผลงาน │
│ ที่พบ │ │ │
└──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
↓
กลับไป Step 2
(max 3 iterations)
Review Checklist (Score 0-10)
| Category | Check | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Hierarchy | #1 element clearly dominant 2x+ over the rest? | High |
| Contrast | WCAG AA (4.5:1)? | High |
| Alignment | Elements align to grid? | Medium |
| White Space | ≥20% empty space? | Medium |
| Color Count | ≤4 colors? | Medium |
| Font Count | ≤2 fonts? | Low |
| Visual Impact | Is there a focal point that draws the eye? | High |
| Brand Consistency | Does it match the brand guidelines? | High |
Pass threshold: Average ≥ 7/10 and no High-weight items below 6
Visual Impact Boost
If the Visual Impact score is low, you can use these skills to help:
| Need | Skill | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Hero images | /art-director |
Gen prompt for an AI image with good composition |
| Local image gen | /comfyui-user |
Gen images via the ComfyUI server on the local machine |
| Decorative elements | /geometric-elements |
Create corners, lines, patterns |
Example integration:
1. สร้าง slide แล้วพบว่า visual impact ต่ำ
2. ใช้ /art-director สร้าง prompt สำหรับ background image
3. ใช้ /comfyui-user gen รูป (หรือ cloud API)
4. ใส่รูปใน slide แล้ว re-analyze
Iteration Limits
- Max iterations: 3 rounds (prevent infinite loop)
- Stop early if: The User says to stop, or the score does not increase for 2 consecutive rounds
- Report: Summarize the changes made in each iteration
Design Principles (Summary)
CRAP Principles
| Principle | What | How |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast | Make differences obvious | Size, color, weight |
| Repetition | Create consistency | Reuse colors, fonts |
| Alignment | Connect visually | Grid, edges |
| Proximity | Group related items | Spacing |
→ Details: references/gestalt.md
Visual Hierarchy (order of impact)
- Size — Larger = more important
- Color/Contrast — Bright catches eye first
- Position — Top-left (Western), top-right (RTL)
- White Space — Isolation creates emphasis
- Weight — Bold stands out
Reading Patterns
| Pattern | Best For | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Z-Pattern | Visual/marketing | Top-L → Top-R → Bottom-L → Bottom-R |
| F-Pattern | Text-heavy | Horizontal scans + vertical down left |
Color System
60-30-10 Rule
| % | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 60% | Dominant | Background |
| 30% | Secondary | Containers, cards |
| 10% | Accent | CTAs, highlights |
Quick Palettes
| Mood | Colors |
|---|---|
| Professional | Navy + White + Gold |
| Energetic | Orange + Black + White |
| Calm | Blue + Light Gray + White |
| Premium | Black + Gold + White |
| 2025 Trend | Dark + Neon accent |
Cultural Color Meanings (Check First!)
| Color | Western | East Asia | Thai Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Danger, urgency | Luck, joy | Auspicious |
| White | Pure, clean | Mourning | Formal/Mourning |
| Yellow | Optimism | Sacred | Royal |
| Gold | Luxury | Prosperity | Premium |
→ Full guide: references/color-theory.md
Accessibility (WCAG)
| Standard | Normal Text | Large Text (18pt+) |
|---|---|---|
| AA (Minimum) | 4.5:1 | 3:1 |
| AAA (Enhanced) | 7:1 | 4.5:1 |
Tool: WebAIM Contrast Checker
Typography
Quick Rules
- Max 2 fonts — 1 display + 1 body
- Hierarchy via size — Not font changes
- Line height — 1.4-1.6 for body, 1.1-1.2 for headlines
Safe Font Pairs
| Display | Body | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| Montserrat Bold | Open Sans | Modern |
| Playfair Display | Lato | Elegant |
| Kanit Bold | Sarabun | Thai-friendly |
→ Full guide: references/typography.md
Layout
8px Spacing System
| Size | Use |
|---|---|
| 8px | Within groups |
| 16px | Between elements |
| 24-32px | Sections |
| 48px | Page margins |
Social Media Dimensions
| Platform | Ratio | Size |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Thumbnail | 16:9 | 1280×720 |
| Instagram Post | 1:1 | 1080×1080 |
| Instagram Story | 9:16 | 1080×1920 |
| Facebook/LinkedIn | 1.91:1 | 1200×630 |
→ Layout templates: references/layouts.md
Presentation Slides
Core Rules
| Rule | Guideline |
|---|---|
| One idea per slide | Single focused message |
| Rule of 4 | Max 4 bullets, 4 words each |
| Don't compete | Audience can't read AND listen |
Font Sizes
| Context | Titles | Body | Captions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large room | 60pt+ | 40pt+ | 24pt+ |
| Virtual | 44pt+ | 32pt+ | 20pt+ |
→ Full guide: references/presentation-design.md
YouTube Thumbnails
| Element | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Faces | Use expressive faces (+20-30% CTR) |
| Text | Minimal, bold, curiosity |
| Colors | High contrast, 3-4 max |
| Mobile | Readable at small size |
Layout: Face 40%+ height, eye contact, blur background
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Too many fonts | Max 2 |
| No hierarchy | Make #1 thing 2x bigger |
| Centered everything | Use left-align + proximity |
| Rainbow colors | Pick 1 accent color |
| Filled every space | Add 20% more white space |
| Text on busy photo | Add overlay or blur |
| Ignoring culture | Check color meanings |
Checklists
Before Designing
- What's the ONE message?
- Who's the audience? (culture, device)
- What emotion should it evoke?
Quality Check
- Clear hierarchy? (squint test)
- Readable at target size?
- Max 3-4 colors, 2-3 fonts?
- Contrast 4.5:1+? (WCAG AA)
- Aligned to grid?
- Enough white space?
Tools Integration
/geometric-elements — Decorative Assets
python scripts/generate.py shape --style star --color "#D4A84B" --size 100
python scripts/generate.py corner-accent --color "#D4A84B" --size 150
python scripts/generate.py line-divider --color "#D4A84B" --width 800
/art-director — Visual Impact (AI Image Prompts)
When you want an image with good composition and visual impact:
1. Invoke /art-director พร้อมบอก context (slide theme, mood, brand)
2. ได้ prompt ที่พร้อมใช้กับ AI image generators
3. Gen รูปผ่าน /comfyui-user หรือ cloud API
AI Slide Backgrounds (Best Practices)
Workflows that work well:
1. ขอดู REFERENCE — ให้ user แชร์ตัวอย่าง slides ที่ชอบ
2. วิเคราะห์ PATTERNS — สรุป style (colors, elements, layout)
3. Gen ทั้ง BACKGROUND — ไม่แยกชิ้น, ไม่มี text
4. ITERATE — ปรับ size/position ตาม feedback
5. User วาง TEXT เอง — ยืดหยุ่นกว่า
✅ Do:
| Technique | Why |
|---|---|
| Gen complete background | Gets a more cohesive, beautiful image than separate pieces |
Use --edit with the logo as a ref |
The AI sees the actual shape, no need to guess |
| Say "NO TEXT" | Text from AI is often wrong/ugly |
| White background | Nano Banana Pro cannot make transparent |
| Start simple | A small logo in one corner is better than a lot in every corner |
❌ Don't:
| Technique | Problem |
|---|---|
| "TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND" | Gets a fake checkerboard |
| Describe the logo shape yourself | If the AI misinterprets, use --edit instead |
| Gen pieces separately then assemble | Elements do not match each other |
| Too much decoration | Too cluttered, not professional |
Prompt Template:
Professional presentation [TYPE] slide background,
16:9 aspect ratio. NO TEXT. [STYLE] STYLE.
BACKGROUND: [color, grid, gradient]
DECORATIVE: [small/subtle elements, specific corners]
LAYOUT: Leave [area] empty for [content]
COLORS: [hex codes]
/comfyui-user — Local Image Generation
For gen images on the local machine via ComfyUI:
1. Invoke /comfyui-user พร้อมบอกว่าต้องการรูปแบบไหน
2. เลือก workflow (turbo สำหรับ gen ใหม่, edit สำหรับแก้รูปเดิม)
3. ได้รูปพร้อมใช้ใน slides
Integration Skills
| Need | Skill | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative elements | /geometric-elements |
corners, lines, patterns, shapes |
| AI image prompts | /art-director |
hero images, backgrounds that need good composition |
| Local image gen | /comfyui-user |
gen images via the ComfyUI server |
| PowerPoint slides | /pptx |
Create/Edit PPTX files |
| ThepExcel brand | /thepexcel-brand-guidelines |
brand colors, fonts, logo usage |
References
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Color theory | references/color-theory.md |
| Typography | references/typography.md |
| Layouts | references/layouts.md |
| Presentation design | references/presentation-design.md |
| Gestalt principles | references/gestalt.md |
Related Skills
/geometric-elements— Generate decorative assets for designs/thepexcel-brand-guidelines— Apply brand colors and typography/art-director— For photography/cinema prompts (not layout)/pptx— Design presentation slides