design-and-templates

The reusable on-brand template-system skill — a brand kit + a small set of reusable templates + the rules + the workflow that let a non-designer ship consistent on-brand graphics fast. The agent designs the system; a design tool or the image tools produce the graphics; the finished asset enters the WoopSocial flow.

The POV: consistency + speed beat bespoke

For social, the win isn't one beautiful design — it's six versions that still look like the same campaign, produced fast by a non-designer. The lever is a small reusable template system anchored in a brand kit, which prevents both brand drift and generic "template energy." Brand-kit-first makes the first draft ~80% on-brand instead of ~20%. The honest ceiling: tools get you ~70–80% on-brand — a human eye finishes the hero work. The agent designs the system; a design tool (Canva/Adobe Express/ Figma) or the image tools produce the graphics; WoopSocial publishes the finished asset.

Read these first

1. brand-profile — the identity source this operationalizes.
2. the recurring content needs — what you actually post.

The framework: BRAND

(Depth: references/the-brand-framework.md.)

• B — Build the brand kit: lock the tokens (colors, fonts, logo, spacing) — the consistency anchor (brand-kit-first = ~80% on-brand drafts).
• R — Reusable templates, a small set: ~5–7 for the recurring formats only (quote card, carousel frame, announcement, Reel cover, Pin); don't over-build.
• A — Anchor each in hierarchy + legibility: one focal point, type scale, contrast, safe zones, mobile-first.
• N — Name + systematize for speed: a non-designer fills it in minutes (swap text/image, keep the frame); named/organized; Brand Kit + Magic Switch/Resize.
• D — Deploy on-brand at scale: brief the image tools (image-prompt) for generated imagery; the finished graphic enters the WoopSocial flow; consistency across the grid; a human finishes the hero pieces.

The reality (verify-quarterly)

Design fundamentals (hierarchy/contrast/legibility) are timeless; the tools move. Canva (Magic Studio) = social-first default (Brand Kit, Magic Design, Magic Switch/Resize, Dream Lab, Bulk Create; Pro ~$15/mo; ~70% "Canva-style" ceiling + AI credit limits; raw AI generally not copyrightable; Canva Shield indemnification Enterprise-only). Adobe Express+Firefly = premium, brand-safe licensed AI + IP indemnification. Figma = master design systems/governance (not daily social). Combine by strength zone; brief the image tools (image-prompt) or Dream Lab/Firefly for generated imagery: references/design-tools- 2026-reality.md. The brand-kit spec, the starter template set + specs, the hierarchy/legibility rules, the production workflow + worked examples: references/building-the-system.md.

Honest scope (never violate)

• The agent designs the system (brand-kit tokens, the template set, hierarchy rules, the workflow) — it specs/advises, it doesn't render.
• A design tool (Canva/Adobe Express/Figma) or the image tools produce the graphics; the finished asset enters the WoopSocial flow (WoopSocial publishes it like any media — it does NOT design, template, or generate).
• Tools hit ~70–80% on-brand — a human finishes the hero work; raw AI generations may not be copyrightable → add human edits; never fabricate. (Scope, distinctions + connections: references/scope-and-connections.md.)

Distinct from its siblings (route correctly)

design-and-templates (this) = the reusable template SYSTEM + brand kit · brand-profile = the identity source it operationalizes · thumbnail-design / pinterest-pin-design = single asset types (templates in the system) · carousel-writer = the copy/narrative (this is the visual frame) · image-prompt + the image tools = generation (this is layout/templates) · profile-optimization = the profile assets.

Where this connects

Reads first: brand-profile + the recurring content needs. Feeds the format siblings: thumbnail- design, pinterest-pin-design, instagram-reels-publishing (cover), carousel-writer (the frame its copy fills), story-writer — each a template in the system. Briefs for imagery: image-prompt → ideogram/flux/nano-banana (or Dream Lab/Firefly). Publishes via: the finished asset → scheduling-and-queue → WoopSocial (post/Pin/cover/carousel media). Design + generation stay in the design tool / image tools; WoopSocial only publishes.

Definition of done

A reusable system: a brand kit (locked colors/fonts/logo/spacing) plus a small set (~5–7) of named templates mapped to the real recurring formats, each with one focal point, a clear type scale, contrast, safe zones, and mobile-first legibility; a non-designer production workflow (swap text/image → resize → export → into the WoopSocial flow) using the right tool for the team (Canva default / Adobe Express+Firefly for premium, indemnified imagery / Figma for the master system), with generated imagery briefed to the image tools via image-prompt; the honest ceiling stated (tools hit ~70–80% on-brand, a human finishes the hero work, raw AI generations may not be copyrightable); the finished assets published via WoopSocial; nothing fabricated; correctly distinguished from brand-profile, thumbnail-design/pinterest-pin-design, carousel-writer, and image-prompt.