design-canvas

---
name: design-canvas
description: >
  Create museum-quality visual art as .png or .pdf: posters, infographics,
  certificates, badges, banners, social graphics, print. Use when "create
  artwork", "design graphic", "visual identity", or "print material".
license: Apache-2.0
---

# Canvas Design Skill

**Degree of freedom: MIXED.** Movement name and composition `[HIGH freedom]`;
brand-asset inventory `[LOW freedom — run exactly]`.

Create design philosophies that are expressed visually. Output .md files (philosophy) and .pdf/.png files (visual art).

## How to reason

1. **Inventory** — existing brand assets and visual language
2. **Name** — 1–2 word movement
3. **Compose** — form, space, color; text as accent only
4. **Refine** — second pass; nothing overlaps; museum craft

## Worked example

> **Inventory:** wordmark in `public/brand/`; no poster system; palette is charcoal + one red.
> **Name:** "Chromatic Silence".
> **Compose:** one red field, monumental type as shape, 12pt label only; no paragraph copy.
> **Refine:** crop so the wordmark does not collide; export PNG at print dpi.

## Self-critique before reporting

- **Brand-first** — new art complements existing assets; it does not invent a second identity
- **Text is accent** — no paragraph dump on the canvas
- **Craft pass** — second refine happened; nothing overlaps or clips
- **Right owner** — UI chrome → `design-frontend`; data charts → `data-visualization`; token SSOT → `design-system`

## Process

### Step 1: Design Philosophy Creation  [HIGH freedom]

Create a VISUAL PHILOSOPHY that will be expressed through:
- Form, space, color, composition
- Images, graphics, shapes, patterns
- Minimal text as visual accent

**Philosophy Structure:**
1. **Name the movement** (1-2 words): "Brutalist Joy" / "Chromatic Silence"
2. **Articulate the philosophy** (4-6 paragraphs):
 - Space and form
 - Color and material
 - Scale and rhythm
 - Composition and balance
 - Visual hierarchy

**Guidelines:**
- Avoid redundancy
- Emphasize craftsmanship once, concretely — say what makes this piece look labored over, not as a refrain
- Leave creative space for interpretation

### Step 2: Canvas Creation  [HIGH freedom]

With the philosophy established, express it visually.

**Principles:**
- Create museum or magazine quality work
- Use repeating patterns and perfect shapes
- Treat abstract design as systematic observation
- Add sparse, clinical typography
- Use limited, intentional color palette
- Ensure nothing overlaps or falls off the canvas

**Text Rules:**
- Text is always minimal and visual-first
- Context guides scale (punk poster vs. minimalist identity)
- Fonts should be design-forward
- Use different fonts for variety
- All elements need breathing room and clear separation

## Example Philosophies

**"Concrete Poetry"**
Communication through monumental form and bold geometry. Massive color blocks, sculptural typography, Brutalist spatial divisions. Ideas expressed through visual weight and spatial tension. Text as rare, gesture - never paragraphs.

**"Chromatic Language"**
Color as the primary information system. Geometric precision where color zones create meaning. Typography minimal - small sans-serif labels letting chromatic fields communicate. Information encoded spatially and chromatically.

**"Analog Meditation"**
Quiet visual contemplation through texture and breathing room. Paper grain, ink bleeds, vast negative space. Photography and illustration dominate. Typography whispered. Japanese photobook aesthetic.

**"Organic Systems"**
Natural clustering and modular growth patterns. Rounded forms, organic arrangements, color from nature. Information shown through visual diagrams, spatial relationships, iconography. Text only for key labels.

**"Geometric Silence"**
Pure order and restraint. Grid-based precision, bold photography, dramatic negative space. Typography precise but minimal. Swiss formalism meets Brutalist honesty. Structure communicates.

## Quality Standards

**Quality bar:**
- Work must appear meticulously crafted
- Every detail should look labored over with care
- Composition, spacing, color choices must show expert-level craftsmanship
- Nothing overlaps, formatting is flawless
- Could be displayed in a museum

**Refinement Process:**
- Take a second pass to refine/polish
- Don't add more graphics; refine what exists
- Ask: "How can I make what's here more of a piece of art?"

## Multi-Page Option

When requested:
- Create additional pages following the design philosophy
- Each page should be a unique twist on the original
- Almost tell a story in a tasteful way
- Bundle in same .pdf or multiple .pngs

## Output

1. **Design Philosophy** (.md) - 4-6 paragraphs describing the aesthetic movement
2. **Visual Artifact** (.pdf or .png) - Museum-quality visual design

## Check existing first  [LOW freedom — run exactly]

**Before creating ANY visual design, verify:**

1. **Check for existing brand assets:**
```bash
ls -la public/ assets/ src/assets/ 2>/dev/null
ls -la *.svg *.png brand/ logos/ 2>/dev/null
```

2. **Check for existing design system:**
```bash
cat tailwind.config.* 2>/dev/null | grep -A20 "colors\|fontFamily"
cat docs/THEME_GUIDE.md .cursor/rules/*.md 2>/dev/null
```

3. **Understand context:**
- Is there an existing brand identity?
- What are the target use cases?

**Why:** Visual designs should complement, not conflict with, existing brand identity.

## Validation  [LOW freedom — do not skip]

After creating the artifact:

1. **Visual inspection** → Check composition and balance
2. **Typography check** → Fonts render correctly, readable hierarchy
3. **Color verification** → Colors match specification
4. **Export quality** → Resolution appropriate for intended use
5. **Accessibility** → Sufficient contrast for any text elements
6. **File size** → Optimized for intended distribution