--- name: linkedin-content-design description: Design framework for LinkedIn carousels and single-image posts. Generates slide-by-slide visual briefs — type scale, color use, layout, hierarchy, whitespace — that you can execute in Figma, Canva, or any tool. Assumes the user has the copy ready or can describe the topic. --- # LinkedIn Content Design This is a **design** skill. It tells you how to lay out, type, color, and compose LinkedIn posts so they look designed — not auto-generated. Use this skill when the user wants help with the **visual design** of a LinkedIn post. ## How to use this skill 1. **Ask:** "Is this a carousel (multi-slide) or a single-image post?" 2. **Ask:** "Do you have the copy ready, or want me to help structure it?" — if they need copy help, give a quick 5-slide skeleton (hook · stakes · insight · how · CTA) and move on. The skill's focus is the *visual brief*, not the copywriting. 3. **Generate a design brief per slide / per image** using the systems and patterns below. 4. Always include the **design rhythm checklist** at the end so the slides feel like a series, not five disconnected images. --- ## Branch A — CAROUSEL DESIGN ### Step 1 — Lock the system before designing any slide A carousel feels designed when **every slide pulls from the same small system**. Before producing slide-by-slide briefs, decide these once: **Format** - 1080 × 1350 px (4:5 portrait) — default for LinkedIn feed - 1080 × 1080 px (1:1 square) — only if the user explicitly wants square **Type system** — max 2 fonts, 3 weights total - Display font (headlines): a bold sans-serif works for most posts. Examples: Inter Bold, Söhne, GT Walsheim, Helvetica Neue Bold. - Optional accent font (handwritten / serif / display) for ONE word per slide — used sparingly. **Type scale** (on a 1080 px wide slide): | Role | Size | Weight | |---|---|---| | Eyebrow / metadata | 20–24 px | Medium / Regular | | Hook headline (slide 1) | 100–130 px | Bold | | Slide headline | 70–90 px | Bold | | Subhead | 36–48 px | Semibold | | Body | 24–32 px | Regular | | Footer / signature | 18–22 px | Regular | Line-height: 95–100% for big headlines, 130% for body. Tracking (letter-spacing): -3% on display sizes, 0 on body, +4% on small all-caps labels. **Color palette** — max 3 colors - 1 background (cream, off-white, brand color, or dark) - 1 text color (must hit 4.5:1 contrast with background — no gray on gray) - 1 accent (used in 1 element per slide — a word, a number, a button, a sticker) **Margins** — 80 px on every edge. Never put text in the outer 80 px (LinkedIn crops borders on mobile). **Grid alignment** — pick ONE per carousel: - Left-aligned (safest, easiest to read) - Centered (only if the brand is editorial / quote-driven) - Never mix. ### Step 2 — Generate a design brief per slide For each of the 5 slides, output a brief in this format: ``` Slide [n] — [role] Layout: [where headline sits, where body sits, where accent sits] Type: [exact sizes + weights for each element] Color: [bg color, text color, accent use this slide] Visual: [optional: icon, mockup, sticker, divider, etc.] Whitespace: [what % of the slide should be empty] ``` **Default design patterns by slide role:** **Slide 1 — Hook (the one that has to stop the scroll)** - Layout: headline anchored top-left or top-center, 2–3 lines max, occupies top half. - Type: hook headline at 100–130 px bold, eyebrow label at 20–24 px above it. - Color: high-contrast bg/text. Accent on ONE word of the headline (e.g. the contrarian verb). - Whitespace: 60% of the slide should be empty. The hook breathes. - Optional: small "01 / 05" indicator at edge. **Slide 2 — Set the stakes** - Layout: smaller headline top, supporting paragraph below. - Type: headline 60–80 px, body 28–32 px regular. - Color: same as slide 1. No accent here — let the data/copy speak. - Whitespace: 50%. **Slide 3 — The insight / shift** - Layout: full-bleed statement. 2 short lines centered or left-aligned, big. - Type: 80–100 px bold. Accent on the second line ONLY. - Color: this slide can flip — dark bg with light text — to mark a turning point in the carousel. - Whitespace: 70%. Almost minimalist. **Slide 4 — The how (the action)** - Layout: numbered list. 3 items max. Each item on its own line. - Type: numbers at 60 px in accent color, text at 28–34 px regular. Generous gap (40–60 px) between items. - Color: back to original bg/text. - Visual: optional small icon next to each number, OR keep it clean text-only. - Whitespace: 30%. This slide can be denser — it's the practical one. **Slide 5 — CTA** - Layout: centered, vertical center of the slide. - Type: CTA headline 48–60 px bold. Optional small "follow for more" line below at 20 px. - Color: accent color on the CTA verb or button. - Visual: arrow ↓ or → pointing to the action. Optional sticker / handwritten note. - Whitespace: 60%. ### Step 3 — Design rhythm checklist After producing the 5 briefs, remind the user to verify: - [ ] Same background on every slide (unless slide 3 intentionally flips) - [ ] Headline anchor position is consistent across slides (e.g. always top-left) - [ ] Type scale never goes outside the 6 sizes defined above - [ ] Accent color appears on EVERY slide, but only on ONE element - [ ] Footer / signature in the same spot on every slide - [ ] Optional: "01/05", "02/05" indicator in the same corner ### Common mistakes to flag in the brief If the user describes something that violates these, gently point it out: - More than 2 fonts → "Drop one — pick the one that does the headline best" - 4+ colors → "Cap at 3. Use the accent on only one element per slide" - Center alignment on slides 1–4 → "Use left-align for hook + content. Save center for CTA only" - Drop shadows on text → "Skip. Almost never reads as designed" - Walls of text (>30 words on one slide) → "Split into 2 slides" - All slides same density → "Vary the whitespace — slide 3 should breathe more than slide 4" --- ## Branch B — SINGLE IMAGE DESIGN For a single-image post, the whole message has to land in one frame. No swipe to do the work for you. ### Step 1 — Pick a format Ask the user which feel they want: 1. **Statement post** — one big idea, billboard-style. Best for opinions, predictions, declarations. 2. **Comparison post** — split image, two sides contrasted. Best for before/after, this vs that, problem vs solution. ### Step 2 — Generate the brief **Statement post brief:** ``` Format: 1080 × 1350 (4:5) or 1080 × 1080 (1:1) Layout: Headline centered, vertically middle. Max 12 words, 2 lines. Type: 120–160 px bold sans-serif. Tracking -3%. Line-height 95%. Color: Bold contrast. Try: cream bg + black text + 1 accent word. OR dark bg + cream text + 1 accent word. Accent: Apply to ONE word that carries the punch (verb or key noun). Margins: 100 px minimum (more breathing room than a carousel). Footer: Small signature bottom — name + handle in 20 px. Whitespace: 65–70%. ``` **Comparison post brief:** ``` Format: 1080 × 1350 (vertical split) or 1080 × 1080 (horizontal split) Layout: Two equal halves with a 4 px divider line between them. Each half has: - Top label (BEFORE / AFTER, or LEFT / RIGHT, or BAD / GOOD) - One short headline (3–8 words) - Optional small visual (icon, screenshot, mockup) Type: Labels at 24 px medium uppercase, headlines at 60–80 px bold. Color: Each half gets its own bg color for contrast. Try: - Half A: muted gray bg, gray text - Half B: brand bg, high-contrast text OR: dark vs light. Margins: 60 px inside each half. Footer: Same as Statement post. Whitespace: 30–40% per half. ``` ### Common mistakes to flag - More than 12 words visible → cut it - Center-aligned multi-line on a long quote → it gets unreadable, switch to left-align - Two halves of equal visual weight in a comparison → exaggerate the contrast; one side should win at a glance --- ## House style (customize this section) Users can replace the defaults above with their own brand system by filling this in: ``` Brand display font: [e.g. Inter Bold] Brand body font: [e.g. Inter Regular] Brand accent font: [optional — handwritten / serif / display, used sparingly] Brand background: [hex / name] Brand text color: [hex / name] Brand accent color: [hex / name] Brand always uses: [e.g. 80 px margins, left-aligned, eyebrow on every slide] Brand never uses: [e.g. drop shadows, gradients, more than 3 colors] ``` When this section is filled in, override the defaults above with these values. --- ## What this skill does NOT cover This is a starter design skill. It does **not** cover: - Custom illustration, photography, or 3D - Animated or video content - Brand identity design (logos, full visual systems) - Generating files in Figma / Canva / Photoshop (the skill outputs the brief — you execute) - Advanced visual concepts like custom typography, data viz, or interactive prototypes