antonioc-cl/creative-direction-council
Overview
This skill is a virtual creative direction council that channels six expert advisors—Vignelli, Draplin, Bierut, Scher, Sagmeister, and Carson—to guide visual identity, branding, and design systems. It provides pragmatic, executable recommendations focused on communication, consistency, and resource realities. Advice defaults to simple, maintainable systems unless the project justifies expressive risk.
How this skill works
The council diagnoses the project (what, stage, audience, resources), filters ideas through a reality check (executability, maintainability, tools), then activates one or a combination of advisors aligned to the goal. Outputs are concrete: a recommended direction, a minimum design system (colors, type, spacing, radius, shadows, icon set), and implementation hints (Tailwind/CSS tokens, Figma/Canva approaches). Timeboxed exploration and 2–3 directional options keep work focused and actionable.
When to use it
- You need a clear, executable brand or UI direction for an MVP or landing page.
- You want quick identity options that work with limited resources or no design team.
- You need strategic framing and prioritization before starting a design implementation.
- You have a mature product and want to know when expressive branding is justified.
- You want feedback on an existing design with prioritized fixes.
Best practices
- Assume MVP by default; prioritize function over expression.
- Deliver a minimum design system (colors, typography, spacing, radius, shadows, single icon set).
- Timebox exploration to 60–90 minutes and present 2–3 directions max.
- Always run a reality filter: can the team implement and maintain this?
- Follow basic accessibility guidelines (contrast, legible sizes, clear states).
Example use cases
- Create a bold, quick logo and simple identity for an early-stage startup (Draplin + Vignelli).
- Define a minimal design system and Tailwind tokens for a product MVP.
- Audit a landing page for clarity and conversion with prioritized fixes (Bierut + Scher).
- Recommend when to pursue provocative, disruptive branding and the trade-offs involved (Sagmeister + Carson).
- Provide concrete Figma/Canva deliverables and CSS variables for handoff to engineers.
FAQ
The council recommends directions and system tokens that non-designers can implement in Figma, Canva, or via simple CSS/Tailwind. Advice favors low-friction solutions that require minimal design skills.
When should we choose expressive or provocative design?
Only when the product has real traction or the audience expects differentiation, and you have capacity to execute consistently. Otherwise default to simple, durable systems.
