aesthetic-craft-visual

name: aesthetic-craft-visual description: Visual and static design intelligence. Use alongside the core aesthetic-craft skill when creating posters, flyers, social media graphics, mockups, business cards, banners, album covers, book covers, logos, brand identity, invitations, menus, signage, or any static visual composition. Covers print design principles, composition for fixed frames, typography as art, brand identity and logo design, and the unique challenges of design that exists in a single view — no scroll, no interaction, no second chance.

Aesthetic Craft — Visual / Print / Static

Prerequisites: Always read aesthetic-craft/SKILL.md (core) first. This sub-skill adds guidance for static visual design.

The Static Design Mindset

Static design has no scroll, no hover, no animation, no progressive disclosure. Everything competes for attention simultaneously in a single frame. This makes hierarchy not just important — it's the entire game. If someone can't parse the most important information in 2 seconds, the design has failed.

Three realities:

1. One frame, one chance. A poster on a wall gets 1-3 seconds of attention. A social media graphic is a thumb-stop or a thumb-scroll. There is no "below the fold" — everything is the fold.
2. Composition is king. In web design, the browser dictates flow (top to bottom). In static design, YOU control where the eye goes. Every element placement is a directional decision.
3. Print is permanent. No hotfix, no A/B test, no next deploy. What ships is what lives. This demands more rigor, not less.

Composition Principles

The Eye Path

Every static design should have a deliberate eye path — a visual sequence the viewer follows:

1. Entry point: The largest, boldest, or most contrasting element. This is what the eye hits first.
2. Flow: From the entry point, where does the eye travel? Guide it with scale, color, alignment, and whitespace.
3. Anchor: Where does the eye land last? Usually the CTA, the date/time, the logo, or the takeaway.

Common composition structures:

• Z-pattern: Eye scans top-left → top-right → diagonal → bottom-left → bottom-right. Good for balanced layouts with a top headline and bottom CTA.
• F-pattern: Eye scans top → left column down. Good for text-heavy designs.
• Center-dominant: One massive focal element in the center. Everything else orbits it. Bold and direct.
• Diagonal tension: Key elements placed on a diagonal axis. Creates energy and movement in a static frame.
• Rule of thirds: Divide the frame into a 3x3 grid. Place key elements at intersections. Prevents dead-center compositions.

Scale Contrast

The single most powerful tool in static design. If everything is the same size, nothing matters. Create dramatic scale differences:

• Large vs. small: A 120pt headline next to 12pt body text creates instant hierarchy.
• Tight vs. spacious: Dense text blocks next to generous whitespace creates rhythm.
• Bold vs. light: Heavy type weights next to thin weights create visual tension.
• Color saturation: One vivid element against a muted palette creates a focal point.

The ratio rule: The most important element should be at least 3-4x larger than the secondary elements. Subtle size differences create confusion, not hierarchy.

Whitespace in Static Design

Whitespace is not empty — it's active. In static design, whitespace:

• Creates focus: The more space around an element, the more important it appears.
• Signals premium: Luxury brands use whitespace aggressively. Cluttered = cheap. Spacious = considered.
• Defines groups: Elements close together are related. Space between them separates them. (Gestalt proximity)
• Creates breathing room: Dense designs feel urgent/loud. Spacious designs feel calm/premium. Choose intentionally.

Typography as Art

In static design, typography is not just communication — it IS the visual. A poster can be nothing but type and be extraordinary.

Display Typography

• Type as image: A headline can BE the visual. Oversized, cropped, distorted, layered, textured — treat big type as a graphic element, not just words.
• Mixing typefaces: One serif + one sans-serif is the safe classic. For more personality: one display/decorative + one clean workhorse. Maximum 3 typefaces per design (usually 2 is better).
• Broken type: Letters that extend beyond boundaries, overlap other elements, or get partially cropped create energy. Not appropriate for everything — but powerful for posters, covers, and event graphics.
• Typographic hierarchy tiers:
  • Tier 1 (primary): The one thing you MUST read. Biggest, boldest. Usually 3-7 words.
  • Tier 2 (secondary): Supporting info. Noticeably smaller. Date, subtitle, tagline.
  • Tier 3 (tertiary): Details. Small but legible. Location, credits, fine print.
  • Tier 4 (ambient): Almost invisible. Texture, repeated patterns, decorative type. Optional.

Type Pairing Principles

• Contrast, not conflict: Paired typefaces should be clearly different (serif + sans, geometric + humanist) — not similar-but-slightly-off.
• Share a trait: Good pairings often share x-height, proportions, or era, while differing in style.
• One voice, one personality: The display font sets the mood. The body font shuts up and lets you read.
• When in doubt: One typeface, two weights. Simpler is often better than a clever pairing.

Color in Static Design

Palette Strategies

• Monochromatic: One hue, varied lightness/saturation. Sophisticated, cohesive, hard to mess up.
• Complementary: Two hues opposite on the color wheel. High energy, attention-grabbing. Use one dominant, one accent.
• Analogous: 2-3 adjacent hues. Harmonious, calm, natural feeling.
• Split-complementary: One hue + two adjacent to its complement. Vibrant but more balanced than pure complementary.
• Limited palette with one surprise: Use 2-3 muted colors + one unexpected vivid accent. The accent steals focus intentionally.

Color and Mood

Print Color Considerations

• CMYK vs RGB: Print uses CMYK. Neon colors, vivid greens, and electric blues don't reproduce in print. Design in CMYK if the output is physical.
• Rich black: For large black areas in print, use rich black (C:60 M:40 Y:40 K:100), not just K:100 which prints as dark gray.
• Bleed: For print, extend backgrounds and images 3mm (0.125in) beyond the trim edge.
• Paper color: White paper isn't always white. Uncoated paper is warmer. The paper IS part of your palette.

Brand Identity and Logo Design

Brand identity is the foundation that every other visual output builds on. A logo isn't just a picture — it's a system that must work across every medium, size, and context.

Logo Design Principles

Simplicity is survival. A logo will appear on a favicon (16px), a business card, a billboard, an email signature, and embroidered on a hat. Complexity dies at small sizes. The strongest logos are reducible to their simplest form and still recognizable.

The scalability test: Design the logo at 240px wide. Then view it at 16px (favicon), 32px (browser tab), 60px (mobile app icon), and 480px (print header). It must work at ALL of these. If detail disappears at small sizes, the logo is too complex.

The one-color test: The logo must work in a single color — black on white, white on black. If it depends on color to be understood, it's not a logo yet. Color is enhancement, not structure.

The silhouette test: Squint at the logo until you can only see its outline. Is the shape distinctive? Can you tell it apart from competitors? The silhouette is what people actually remember.

Logo Types

• Wordmark (logotype): The name set in a distinctive typeface. (Google, Coca-Cola, FedEx). Best for: distinctive names, when the name IS the brand.
• Lettermark (monogram): Initials. (IBM, HBO, CNN). Best for: long company names that need abbreviation.
• Symbol / icon: A standalone graphic mark. (Apple, Nike, Twitter/X). Best for: established brands where the symbol alone carries recognition. Dangerous for new brands — you need to earn symbol-only recognition.
• Combination mark: Symbol + wordmark together. (Adidas, Burger King, Spotify). Best for: most brands. The symbol and text can separate once recognition is built.
• Emblem: Text integrated inside a symbol/shape. (Starbucks, Harley-Davidson, NFL). Best for: heritage, authority, tradition. Harder to scale down.

Logo System Requirements

A logo isn't one file — it's a system of versions:

• Primary version: The full logo as intended.
• Horizontal lockup: For wide spaces (website headers, email signatures).
• Stacked lockup: For narrow/square spaces (social media avatars, app icons).
• Icon-only version: Symbol only, for small sizes and favicons.
• One-color versions: Black, white, and reversed (light on dark).
• Clear space rules: Minimum empty space around the logo that other elements can't invade. Usually defined as a fraction of the logo's height (e.g., "keep 0.5x the logo height clear on all sides").
• Minimum size: The smallest the logo should be displayed before it becomes illegible.

Brand Identity Beyond the Logo

A logo alone is not a brand identity. The full system includes:

• Color palette: Primary, secondary, and accent colors with specific hex/RGB/CMYK values. Include usage rules: which color for backgrounds, text, accents?
• Typography system: Primary typeface (headlines), secondary typeface (body). Weights, sizes, and when to use each.
• Voice and tone: How the brand speaks. Formal or casual? Technical or approachable? This shapes every headline and microcopy decision.
• Imagery style: Photography direction (bright and warm? moody and editorial?), illustration style, icon style. Consistency here is what makes a brand feel cohesive across touchpoints.
• Pattern / texture library: Repeating elements, backgrounds, decorative motifs that extend the brand beyond the logo.
• Do's and don'ts: What you must never do with the brand assets. Stretch the logo? Change the colors? Set it on a busy background? Document the boundaries.

Brand Identity AI Anti-Patterns

Medium-Specific Guidance

Posters

• Distance matters: A poster is read from feet away, not inches. Headlines must be legible at 6+ feet. Details can be smaller — they're for people who walk closer.
• One idea, one image: The poster communicates ONE message. Strip everything else.
• Vertical orientation: Most posters are portrait. Design for how they'll actually hang.
• Environmental context: Where will this be? A gallery wall? A telephone pole? A digital screen? Indoor posters can be subtle. Outdoor posters compete with the world — go bold.

Social Media Graphics

• Platform dimensions:
  • Instagram post: 1080x1080px (or 1080x1350 for portrait)
  • Instagram story: 1080x1920px
  • Twitter/X post: 1600x900px
  • LinkedIn: 1200x627px
  • Facebook: 1200x630px
• Safe zones: Keep critical content away from edges — platforms crop unpredictably. Keep key info within the center 80%.
• Thumb-stop power: Social graphics must be arresting at thumbnail size. Test by viewing at 25% zoom. If it's muddy, simplify.
• Text on social: Keep it minimal. Platforms penalize text-heavy images (especially Meta). If the image needs a paragraph, use the caption instead.
• Brand consistency across posts: A series of social posts should feel related but not identical. Use a consistent color palette and type system while varying composition and imagery.

Business Cards

• Standard size: 3.5" x 2" (US) or 85mm x 55mm (EU). Don't deviate unless intentional.
• Less is more: Name, title, contact. That's it. Every additional element dilutes focus.
• Touch matters: Card stock weight, finish (matte, gloss, soft-touch), texture — these physical qualities ARE the design.
• Readability: No body text below 7pt. Names at 10-12pt minimum.
• Bleed and margins: 3mm bleed, 5mm safe zone from trim edge.

Banners and Headers

• Read horizontally: Banners are wide and short. Arrange content left-to-right: logo → message → CTA.
• Animation (digital banners): If animated, limit to 3 frames / 15 seconds. The message must be clear on the FIRST frame.
• Web banners: Standard sizes still matter (728x90, 300x250, 160x600). Design within the format, don't fight it.

Mockups and Presentations of Design Work

• Context sells: Show your design in context — on a phone screen, on a wall, on a desk. Flat files feel abstract. Mockups feel real.
• Consistent lighting: All mockup scenes should share consistent lighting and perspective.
• Don't overshadow the work: The mockup frame should support, not distract.
• Simplify the story: Show 3-5 key screens/views. Not every state and permutation. Curate what you present.

Album / Book Covers

• Tiny and huge: A cover must work as a 60px thumbnail (Spotify, Amazon) AND as a full-size physical object. Test at both extremes.
• Type dominance: Most iconic covers are typography-driven. The title IS the design.
• Genre conventions: Genres have visual languages. A thriller cover looks different from a romance cover. Know the conventions — then decide whether to follow or subvert them.
• Spine and back: Book covers have three faces. The spine matters for shelf visibility. The back matters for browsers. Design all three.

Flyers and Invitations

• Information hierarchy: What → When → Where → How to RSVP. In that order of visual prominence.
• Scannable: Someone should get the key info in 5 seconds without reading every word.
• Physical distribution: If printed, consider paper size (typically A5 or half-letter), double-sided options, and how it feels in hand.
• Digital distribution: If shared digitally (email, messaging), design for screens too — ensure readability at screen resolution and phone sizes.

Visual AI Anti-Patterns

Working Process for Visual/Static Design

1. Define the single frame: What is the one message? What is the one feeling? Static design cannot afford to say two things at once.
2. If brand identity: Start with the logo system. Design in black and white first. Test at all sizes. Build the full system (lockups, colors, type, voice) before applying it to any specific medium.
3. Sketch the composition: Before colors or fonts, establish where the eye goes. Entry point → flow → anchor. Thumbnail sketch first.
4. Choose the type system: Display font + body font. Set the hierarchy tiers. Type is often 80% of the design.
5. Build the palette: 3-5 colors max. One accent. Match mood to message.
6. Compose with scale contrast: Make the important things BIG. Make the supporting things small. No middle ground.
7. Critique: Run the core critique engine plus: Does this work at thumbnail size? Is there a clear eye path? Would someone on the street give this 2 seconds? Does every element earn its place in this single frame? For logos: does it pass the scalability, one-color, and silhouette tests?
8. Deliver: Share Design Rationale noting the composition strategy and primary hierarchy decision.