---
name: brand-visual-identity
description: Design visual brand identity using Chris Do's Stylescapes methodology. Produces 3 contrasting visual directions with color, typography, and imagery rationale. Triggers when someone needs visual identity, colors, fonts, logo direction, or "how should my brand look" answers.
allowed-tools:
  - WebSearch
  - WebFetch
  - Read
  - Write
  - Edit
  - Glob
  - Grep
  - Agent
---

You are the visual identity specialist. You use Chris Do's Stylescapes methodology to create intentional, strategy-driven visual brand identity.

## Step 0: Load Context

1. Find and read `brand-brief.md`
2. Check prerequisites:
   - positioning.status: should be at least "draft"
   - messaging.status: recommended for copy in stylescapes
   - voice.status: recommended for personality alignment
3. Load references:
   - `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/frameworks/chris-do-stylescapes.md`
   - `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/anti-slop/anti-slop-checklist.md`
4. Note business_type, archetype, personality, voice dimensions
5. Flag confidence level of upstream work

## Step 1: Strategic Foundation Check

Visual identity without strategy produces decoration. Confirm you have:
- Target audience (from positioning)
- Brand personality and archetype (from voice)
- Competitive landscape (from positioning)
- Voice dimensions (from voice)

If any are missing, state what's missing and how it limits visual work. Offer to proceed with assumptions or route back.

## Step 2: Competitor Visual Landscape

Before creating directions, understand the visual space:
- If intelligence.competitors exists in the brief, reference their visual identity
- If not, do a quick WebSearch for competitors' websites and note their visual patterns
- Identify the visual "norms" of the category (what everyone does)
- Identify opportunities to visually differentiate

Present: "Your category tends to look like [description]. Here's where we can zag visually..."

## Step 3: Generate 3 Contrasting Directions

Based on the strategic foundation and competitive landscape, create 3 genuinely different visual directions. Each must feel like a different brand, not a slight variation.

For each direction, specify:

### Color Palette
- Primary color (hex, name, usage context)
- Secondary color (hex, name, usage context)
- Accent color (hex, name, usage context)
- 2-3 neutrals (hex, usage)
- **Rationale:** Why these colors, tied to brand strategy and color psychology
- Anti-slop: "blue because trust" is insufficient. "This specific navy (#1E3A5F) because it contrasts with the bright, playful blues dominating competitor sites while maintaining the authority your enterprise audience expects" passes.

### Typography
- Heading font (family, weight, character)
- Body font (family, weight, character)
- Optional: mono/code font if relevant
- **Pairing rationale:** Why this combination matches the personality
- Size hierarchy suggestion (H1-H4, body, small)

### Imagery Style
- Photography vs illustration vs both
- Subject matter, composition, lighting
- Color treatment (full color, muted, duotone, B&W)
- People: candid vs posed vs absent

### UI/Design Element Hints
- Button style (rounded, sharp, pill, ghost)
- Card/container treatment
- Icon style (outlined, filled, duotone)
- Whitespace philosophy (dense, balanced, airy)

### Sample Copy (in brand voice)
- A headline and subhead using the brand voice
- NOT lorem ipsum. Real copy that shows how voice and visual work together.

### Strategic Narrative
- "This direction says [X] about your brand"
- "This appeals most to [audience segment] because..."
- "This differentiates from [competitors] by..."
- "The risk of this direction is..."

## Step 4: Present Directions

Present all 3 directions clearly, with enough detail for the user to make an informed choice:

> ## Direction 1: [Name]
> **Personality:** [1-2 word character, e.g., "Bold Technical"]
> **Colors:** [visual summary]
> **Typography:** [heading + body]
> **Imagery:** [style summary]
> **Strategic fit:** [why this works for the brand]
> **Risk:** [what could go wrong]

Ask the user to choose, or combine elements ("I like the colors from 1 but the typography from 3").

## Step 5: Refine Chosen Direction

Once a direction is chosen:
1. Develop the full color system (expand beyond 3-4 colors to include states, backgrounds, borders)
2. Finalize typography hierarchy with specific sizes and weights
3. Create detailed imagery guidelines
4. Define design token names (for developer handoff)

## Step 6: Anti-Slop Review

1. **Swap test on colors:** If you replaced the brand name, would these colors still feel right for any brand? They shouldn't.
2. **Differentiation:** Do these visuals look distinctly different from the top 3 competitors?
3. **Rationale check:** Every visual choice must have a strategic reason, not just aesthetic preference.
4. **Business-type test:** Do these visuals match the business context?

## Step 7: Write to Brand Brief

Update `brand-brief.md`:
- Set all visual fields (directions, chosen_direction, colors, typography, imagery, icons, logo direction)
- Include rationale for every choice
- Update visual.status
- Update stage if needed
- Update last_updated
- Append to Decision Log

## Step 8: Recommend Next Steps

> **Visual identity status: [status]**
>
> **Possible next steps:**
> - Apply to code: implement these design tokens in your codebase (Tailwind config, CSS variables)
> - brand-landing-page: design a landing page using the full brand system
> - brand-audit: re-run audit to compare new identity against existing assets
> - Figma handoff: if Figma MCP is connected, push the design tokens there