Graphic Design Skill

Patterns for visual design, SVG creation, layout composition, typography, and brand identity.

Design Principles

Visual Hierarchy

Level	Purpose	Techniques
Primary	First thing seen	Largest, boldest, highest contrast
Secondary	Supporting info	Medium size, moderate weight
Tertiary	Details	Smaller, lighter, subtle

Hierarchy Tools

• Size — Larger = more important
• Weight — Bolder = more attention
• Color — High contrast = focal point
• Position — Top/center = primary
• Whitespace — Isolation = emphasis

Balance Types

Type	Characteristics	Best For
Symmetrical	Mirror image, formal	Corporate, traditional
Asymmetrical	Visual weight balanced, dynamic	Modern, creative
Radial	Elements radiate from center	Logos, icons

Layout & Composition

Grid Systems

┌─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┐
│  1  │  2  │  3  │  4  │   12-column grid
├─────┼─────┼─────┼─────┤   (most flexible)
│  5  │  6  │  7  │  8  │
├─────┼─────┼─────┼─────┤
│  9  │ 10  │ 11  │ 12  │
└─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┘

Golden Ratio (1:1.618)

• Use for proportions that feel "right"
• Width to height relationships
• Spacing progressions
• Element sizing

Rule of Thirds

┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│         │    ●    │         │  Place key elements
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤  at intersection
│    ●    │         │    ●    │  points for dynamic
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤  composition
│         │    ●    │         │
└─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘

Alignment Principles

Principle	Rule
Edge alignment	Elements share common edges
Center alignment	Elements share center axis
Baseline alignment	Text shares baseline
Optical alignment	Visually aligned (may differ from mathematical)

Typography

Type Scale (1.25 ratio)

Level	Size	Use
Display	72px	Hero headlines
H1	48px	Page titles
H2	36px	Section headers
H3	28px	Subsections
Body	16px	Main content
Caption	12px	Supporting text

Font Pairing Rules

Combination	Example	Vibe
Serif + Sans	Georgia + Helvetica	Classic, professional
Sans + Sans	Montserrat + Open Sans	Modern, clean
Display + Body	Playfair + Source Sans	Elegant, editorial

Typography Best Practices

• Line height: 1.4–1.6× font size for body
• Line length: 45–75 characters optimal
• Letter spacing: Increase for ALL CAPS
• Contrast: Dark on light or light on dark
• Hierarchy: Max 3 font sizes per design

Color Theory

Color Relationships

        Primary
           ●
          /|\
         / | \
        /  |  \
       ●───●───●
   Secondary  Tertiary

Color Schemes

Scheme	Description	Mood
Monochromatic	One hue, varied lightness	Cohesive, elegant
Complementary	Opposite on wheel	High contrast, vibrant
Analogous	Adjacent on wheel	Harmonious, natural
Triadic	Three equidistant	Balanced, dynamic
Split-complementary	Base + two adjacent to complement	Softer contrast

Color Psychology

Color	Associations	Use Cases
Blue	Trust, stability, tech	Corporate, software
Green	Growth, nature, success	Health, finance
Red	Energy, urgency, passion	CTAs, alerts
Purple	Creativity, luxury	Premium, creative
Orange	Friendly, energetic	Social, youth
Yellow	Optimism, attention	Highlights, warnings

Contrast & Accessibility

WCAG Level	Contrast Ratio	Use
AA (normal)	4.5:1	Body text
AA (large)	3:1	18px+ or 14px bold
AAA	7:1	Maximum accessibility

Applying Color Theory to Mermaid Diagrams

Color theory principles translate directly to Mermaid diagram styling. The GitHub Pastel Palette v2 (defined in the markdown-mermaid skill) implements these principles:

Semantic Color Mapping (from color psychology):

Semantic Purpose	Palette Color	Fill	Text	Stroke
Primary actions	Blue	#ddf4ff	#0550ae	#80ccff
Success/output	Green	#d3f5db	#1a7f37	#6fdd8b
Business logic	Gold	#fff8c5	#9a6700	#d4a72c
Special/DevOps	Purple	#d8b9ff	#6639ba	#bf8aff
Errors/critical	Red	#ffebe9	#cf222e	#f5a3a3
Raw/ingestion	Bronze	#fff1e5	#953800	#ffb77c
Background	Neutral	#eaeef2	#24292f	#d0d7de

Design Principles Applied:

1. Triadic harmony: Blue + Gold + Red form a balanced triad
2. Analogous groups: Green + Blue are adjacent, creating calm flow sections
3. Light fills + dark text: Ensures WCAG AA contrast (4.5:1+)
4. Neutral arrows (#57606a): Don't compete with colored nodes — visual hierarchy preserved
5. Consistent stroke family: Each color has a matching mid-tone stroke (not jarring black borders)

When to Override the Palette:

• Diagrams comparing two systems → Use just 2 contrasting colors (complementary scheme)
• Status dashboards → Green/Yellow/Red RAG mapping
• Sequential processes → Monochromatic gradient (light to dark within one hue)

SVG Design

SVG Structure

<svg viewBox="0 0 width height" xmlns="...">
  <defs>
    <!-- Reusable definitions -->
    <linearGradient id="grad1">...</linearGradient>
    <filter id="shadow">...</filter>
  </defs>

  <!-- Background layer -->
  <rect .../>

  <!-- Main content -->
  <g transform="translate(x, y)">
    <!-- Grouped elements -->
  </g>

  <!-- Foreground/overlay -->
</svg>

Common SVG Elements

Element	Use	Key Attributes
<rect>	Rectangles, backgrounds	x, y, width, height, rx (rounded)
<circle>	Circles, dots	cx, cy, r
<ellipse>	Ovals	cx, cy, rx, ry
<line>	Straight lines	x1, y1, x2, y2
<path>	Complex shapes	d (path data)
<text>	Typography	x, y, text-anchor, dominant-baseline
<g>	Grouping	transform

SVG Path Commands

Command	Meaning	Example
M	Move to	M 10 20
L	Line to	L 30 40
H	Horizontal line	H 50
V	Vertical line	V 60
Q	Quadratic curve	Q cx cy, x y
C	Cubic curve	C cx1 cy1, cx2 cy2, x y
Z	Close path	Z

SVG Text Alignment

<!-- Horizontal alignment -->
text-anchor="start|middle|end"

<!-- Vertical alignment -->
dominant-baseline="auto|middle|central|hanging"

<!-- Centered text -->
<text x="50%" y="50%" text-anchor="middle" dominant-baseline="central">
  Perfectly Centered
</text>

SVG Gradients

<!-- Linear gradient -->
<linearGradient id="grad" x1="0%" y1="0%" x2="100%" y2="0%">
  <stop offset="0%" stop-color="#007ACC"/>
  <stop offset="100%" stop-color="#00a8e8"/>
</linearGradient>

<!-- Radial gradient -->
<radialGradient id="glow" cx="50%" cy="50%" r="50%">
  <stop offset="0%" stop-color="#007ACC" stop-opacity="0.4"/>
  <stop offset="100%" stop-color="#007ACC" stop-opacity="0"/>
</radialGradient>

SVG Transforms

Transform	Syntax	Use
Translate	translate(x, y)	Move element
Rotate	rotate(deg, cx, cy)	Spin around point
Scale	scale(x, y)	Resize
Skew	skewX(deg) / skewY(deg)	Shear

Banner & Marketing Design

Banner Dimensions

Platform	Size	Aspect
VS Code Marketplace	1280×640	2:1
GitHub Social	1280×640	2:1
Twitter Header	1500×500	3:1
LinkedIn Banner	1584×396	4:1
Open Graph	1200×630	~1.9:1

Banner Composition

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │         VISUAL ELEMENT          │    │  Top third: Logo/Icon
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                         │
│           MAIN HEADLINE                 │  Middle: Primary message
│           Subtitle Text                 │
│                                         │
│  [Badge 1]  [Badge 2]  [Badge 3]        │  Bottom third: CTAs/Details
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Badge/Pill Design

<!-- Rounded pill badge -->
<g>
  <rect x="-50" y="-16" width="100" height="32" rx="16"
        fill="#007ACC" opacity="0.15"/>
  <text x="0" y="0" text-anchor="middle" dominant-baseline="central"
        font-size="12" fill="#94a3b8">Label</text>
</g>

Icon Design

Icon Grid

┌────────────────────┐
│ ┌──────────────┐   │  Outer: Padding zone
│ │              │   │  Inner: Safe area
│ │   CONTENT    │   │  Content: Icon artwork
│ │              │   │
│ └──────────────┘   │  Standard: 24×24, 16×16
└────────────────────┘

Icon Principles

• Simplicity — Recognize at small sizes
• Consistency — Same stroke weight, style
• Optical balance — Visually centered, not mathematically
• Metaphor — Universally understood symbols

Icon Styles

Style	Characteristics	Use
Outlined	Stroke only, no fill	Light, modern UI
Filled	Solid shapes	Bold, clear visibility
Duotone	Two tones/colors	Distinctive, branded
Glyph	Single color, simplified	System icons

Design Systems

Spacing Scale (8px base)

Token	Value	Use
xs	4px	Tight spacing
sm	8px	Default gap
md	16px	Section spacing
lg	24px	Component gaps
xl	32px	Major sections
2xl	48px	Hero spacing

Elevation/Shadow

Level	Shadow	Use
0	None	Flat elements
1	0 1px 2px	Subtle lift
2	0 2px 4px	Cards
3	0 4px 8px	Dropdowns
4	0 8px 16px	Modals

Border Radius Scale

Token	Value	Use
none	0	Sharp corners
sm	4px	Subtle rounding
md	8px	Standard buttons
lg	16px	Cards, pills
full	9999px	Circles, pills

Design Review Checklist

Visual Quality

• Consistent spacing throughout
• Aligned elements (check edges)
• Balanced composition
• Clear visual hierarchy
• Appropriate whitespace

Typography

• Readable font sizes
• Proper line height
• Consistent font usage
• Good contrast ratios
• Appropriate letter spacing

Color

• Consistent color palette
• Sufficient contrast
• Meaningful color use
• Works in different contexts
• Accessible (WCAG compliant)

Technical

• Optimized file size
• Correct dimensions
• Responsive/scalable
• Cross-platform compatible
• Proper naming conventions

Synapses

High-Strength Connections

• [creative-writing] (High, Complements, Bidirectional) — "Visual storytelling"
• [vscode-extension-patterns] (High, Applies, Forward) — "Extension branding and UI"

Medium-Strength Connections

• [markdown-mermaid] (Medium, Extends, Bidirectional) — "Diagram visualization"
• [cognitive-load] (Medium, Applies, Forward) — "Visual information processing"
• [ascii-art-alignment] (Medium, Complements, Bidirectional) — "Text-based visual design"

Supporting Connections

• [writing-publication] (Low, Supports, Forward) — "Document visual design"
• [meditation-facilitation] (Low, Uses, Forward) — "Reflective design iteration"