Efecto — Social Media Design Guide

Design social media assets — Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook — using the Efecto design tool. Proper sizing, bold typography, and platform-specific best practices.

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Setup

This skill requires the Efecto MCP server. Check if it's available by looking for tools like create_session, add_section, or get_document in your tool list.

If Efecto tools are NOT available, install the MCP server:

Claude Code

claude mcp add efecto -- npx -y @efectoapp/mcp

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "efecto": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@efectoapp/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf / VS Code / Other MCP Clients

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "efecto": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@efectoapp/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Once installed, you'll have access to 46 design tools plus a standalone image search tool. The MCP server connects your agent to the Efecto design canvas at efecto.app.

How It Works

1. Your agent creates an Efecto session via MCP (create_session)
2. You open the returned design URL in your browser
3. The agent pushes design commands — you see every change live
4. Iterate with natural language until the design is perfect

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Using Efecto Tools — Quick Reference

Session Workflow

Every design starts with a session:

create_session  label: "Instagram Carousel"

Returns { sessionId, documentId, designUrl }. Tell the user to open the URL, then poll session_status until browserConnected: true.

Building Social Media Designs

The primary workflow is: create artboard → add sections with JSX → refine with updates.

# 1. Create an artboard (Instagram post example)
create_artboard  name: "Slide 1"  width: 1080  height: 1080  backgroundColor: "#111827"  className: "flex flex-col"

# 2. Add content with JSX
add_section  parentId: "<artboard-id>"  jsx: '<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-8 p-16 w-full h-full">
  <h1 className="text-7xl font-extrabold text-white text-center leading-none">Stop designing like it&apos;s 2020</h1>
  <p className="text-xl text-gray-400 font-medium">Swipe for 5 rules -></p>
</section>'

# 3. Duplicate artboard for carousel slides
duplicate_artboard  artboardId: "<artboard-id>"  newName: "Slide 2"

# 4. Read state and batch-update the duplicate
get_document
batch_update  updates: [
  { nodeId: "abc", textContent: "01" },
  { nodeId: "def", textContent: "White space is not wasted space" }
]

All 46 Tools

Category	Tools
Session	create_session, wait_for_connection, session_status, close_session
Reading	get_document, get_selection, get_node_tree, list_artboards, find_nodes
Creating	create_artboard, add_section, add_node
Modifying	update_node, update_class, update_artboard, batch_update, replace_section
Organizing	move_node, duplicate_node, duplicate_artboard, group_nodes, ungroup_node, reorder_node
Selection	select_nodes, deselect_all, set_visibility, delete_nodes, delete_artboard
Alignment	align_nodes, distribute_nodes
Fill & Export	set_fill, export_image
Viewport	zoom_to_artboard, zoom_to_fit, set_viewport, move_artboard
Document	rename_document, new_document
History	undo, redo
Theme	get_theme, set_theme, set_theme_mode, reset_theme
Quality	audit_design, repair_design

JSX Format for add_section

Write standard HTML tags with Tailwind className. The tag determines the node type:

<div>/<section>/<nav>  → frame       <img>     → image
<h1>-<h6>/<p>/<span>   → text        <button>  → button
<a>                    → link        <svg>     → icon
<input>                → input       <video>   → video

Icons: <svg icon="arrow-right" className="w-5 h-5 text-gray-600" />

Critical Gotchas

• Artboard className must include flex flex-col — without it, children overlap at (0,0)
• Artboard backgroundColor is a property, NOT a className — use backgroundColor: "#111827", not className: "bg-gray-900"
• Never use arbitrary hex in className — bg-[#f9f9f9] silently fails. Use named colors (bg-gray-50) or inline style
• Use grow instead of flex-1 — flex-1 doesn't work in Efecto
• Buttons ignore children — use a flex container with <span> + <svg> instead
• Always add w-full on direct children of artboards
• For carousels: use duplicate_artboard to create slides, then batch_update to change content per slide

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Images — Use Real Photos, Not Placeholders

Use search_images to find free, high-quality stock photos from Lummi. No session required — call it anytime.

search_images
  query: "team celebration"
  orientation: "square"
  luminance: "bright"
  limit: 4

Then apply images to your designs:

• Image node: add_node with type: "image", src: "<url>", alt: "...", className: "w-full h-full object-cover"
• Background fill: set_fill with fill: { type: "image", url: "<url>", size: "cover" }
• In JSX: <img src="<url>" alt="..." className="w-full h-full object-cover" />

Tips for social media: Match orientation to the platform format — square for Instagram/LinkedIn posts, vertical for Stories/Reels/TikTok, horizontal for YouTube thumbnails/Twitter. Use luminance: "dark" for dramatic social content. Real photos make social media content feel authentic — avoid empty placeholder boxes.

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Shader Nodes & Visual Effects

Make social media content stand out with shader nodes. Use add_node with type: "shader".

Generative Backgrounds

Eye-catching backgrounds without images — perfect for quote cards, carousels, and story slides:

add_node
  parentId: "<artboard-id>"
  type: "shader"
  shaderType: "meshGradient"
  className: "w-full h-full"

Shader types: meshGradient (organic), liquidMetal (premium), chrome (bold), pulsar (energy), particles (ambient), fireworks (celebration).

Apply Effects to Photos

Process images with ASCII, dither, halftone, or glitch effects for scroll-stopping visuals:

search_images  query: "team photo"  orientation: "square"  limit: 1
add_node
  parentId: "<artboard-id>"
  type: "shader"
  inputType: "image"
  mediaInput: { mediaUrl: "<url>", mediaType: "image", objectFit: "cover" }
  effectId: "ascii-standard"
  effectEnabled: true
  className: "w-full h-full"

Best effects for social: ascii-standard (tech/dev content), dither-atkinson (retro), halftone-mono (print/zine), glitch-vhs (nostalgic), art-kuwahara (painterly), glitch-digital (edgy).

Post-Processes

Add film grain, vignette, or scanlines for texture:

postProcesses: [
  { type: "grain", enabled: true, settings: { intensity: 0.3 } },
  { type: "scanlines", enabled: true, settings: { intensity: 0.2 } }
]

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Mindset: Think Poster, Not Website

When you design a website, you're writing for someone who stopped scrolling and is reading. On social media, you have 1-2 seconds to communicate before they scroll past. This changes everything:

• Type big. The canvas is 1080px wide but renders at ~375px on a phone screen. A text-base paragraph that's perfectly legible on a website becomes unreadable squished into an Instagram card. Default to text-xl or text-2xl where you'd normally use text-base.
• Write less. If a slide has more than 2-3 short lines, it has too much text. Cut ruthlessly. One idea per slide.
• Think like a billboard. Would you put a paragraph on a highway billboard? No. Same energy.

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Typography for Social Media

Choose font sizes based on the role, not a formula. The canvas is large (1080px+) but the content is consumed small — so sizes need to be generous.

Role	Size	Weight	Example
Hero / Impact	text-7xl to text-8xl	font-extrabold or font-black	A single punchy statement
Slide headline	text-4xl to text-5xl	font-bold or font-extrabold	The main point of each slide
Supporting text	text-2xl to text-3xl	font-medium or font-normal	One sentence of context
Labels / tags	text-lg to text-xl	font-semibold	Category labels, @handles
Smallest allowed	text-lg	any	Nothing smaller than this. Ever.

Key insight: Where you'd use text-base on a website, use text-xl on social. Where you'd use text-2xl for a web heading, use text-4xl to text-5xl on social. It's not scaling — it's choosing the right size for a medium that gets consumed at 1/3 the designed resolution.

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Copywriting: Gen-Z Designer Energy

Social media copy is NOT web copy. Write like a creative director at a streetwear brand, not a SaaS marketing team.

Rules:

• Max 6-8 words per headline. "Ship faster. Break nothing." not "Our platform helps engineering teams ship code faster while maintaining quality."
• One idea per slide. If you need a comma, you probably need two slides.
• Kill filler words. No "that", "just", "really", "very", "in order to", "leverage", "utilize".
• Use sentence fragments. "Built different." "Zero to launch." "Your next big thing." Complete sentences are optional.
• Active voice, present tense. "Build" not "Building". "Ship" not "Shipping".
• No paragraphs. If text wraps more than 2 lines on a social media slide, rewrite shorter.
• CTAs are 2-3 words. "Follow for more" / "Save this" / "Link in bio" / "Try it free"

Bad (website brain):

"Our comprehensive platform provides teams with everything they need to design, build, and deploy modern web applications efficiently."

Good (social media brain):

"Design. Build. Ship."

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Instagram

Artboard Sizes

Format	Width	Height	Use Case
Post (Square)	1080	1080	Feed posts, single images
Portrait Post	1080	1350	Feed posts (more screen real estate)
Story / Reel	1080	1920	Stories, Reels, vertical video covers
Carousel Slide	1080	1080	Each slide in a carousel
Carousel (Portrait)	1080	1350	Carousel, portrait format

Carousel Best Practices

1. Slide 1 = the hook. Bold headline, eye-catching, minimal text. This is the thumbnail in someone's feed — it decides if they stop scrolling.
2. Consistent design system. Same background, type styles, and layout across all slides. Only the content changes.
3. One point per slide. Not three. Not two. One.
4. Number your points. Big, bold numbers (01, 02, 03) anchor each slide and create a sense of progression.
5. Last slide = CTA. "Follow for more" / "Save this for later" / "Link in bio".
6. Swipe cue on slide 1. Arrow, dots, or "Swipe ->" so people know there's more.
7. High contrast only. Subtle color differences get crushed by JPEG compression and small screens.

Carousel Template

// Slide 1 — Hook (bold, minimal, scroll-stopping)
<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-8 p-16 bg-gray-900 w-full h-full">
  <h1 className="text-7xl font-extrabold text-white text-center leading-none tracking-tight">Stop designing like it's 2020</h1>
  <p className="text-xl text-gray-400 font-medium">Swipe for 5 rules -></p>
</section>

// Slide 2-N — Content (one idea, big number, short text)
<section className="flex flex-col justify-center gap-8 p-16 bg-gray-900 w-full h-full">
  <span className="text-8xl font-black text-blue-400">01</span>
  <h2 className="text-4xl font-bold text-white leading-snug">White space is not wasted space</h2>
  <p className="text-2xl text-gray-400 leading-relaxed">Let your design breathe. Cramped layouts feel amateur.</p>
</section>

// Last Slide — CTA (simple, direct)
<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-6 p-16 bg-gray-900 w-full h-full">
  <h2 className="text-5xl font-extrabold text-white text-center">Found this useful?</h2>
  <p className="text-3xl text-blue-400 font-bold text-center">Save it. Share it.</p>
  <p className="text-xl text-gray-500 font-medium">@yourbrand</p>
</section>

Story Template

<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-10 px-12 py-24 bg-gray-900 w-full h-full">
  <span className="text-xl font-semibold text-blue-400 uppercase tracking-widest">New drop</span>
  <h1 className="text-5xl font-extrabold text-white text-center leading-tight">Your bold statement here</h1>
  <p className="text-2xl text-gray-400 text-center leading-relaxed max-w-[900px]">One short sentence of context.</p>
  <button className="px-10 py-5 text-xl font-bold text-gray-900 bg-white rounded-2xl">See more</button>
</section>

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YouTube

Artboard Sizes

Format	Width	Height	Use Case
Thumbnail	1280	720	Video thumbnail (16:9)
Channel Banner	2560	1440	Channel art (safe area: 1546x423 center)
End Screen	1280	720	End screen overlay
Community Post	1080	1080	Community tab image

Thumbnail Best Practices

YouTube thumbnails are the most competitive visual format on the internet. They render at ~200px wide in sidebar suggestions and ~360px in search results.

1. Face + emotion wins. If applicable, a human face with an exaggerated expression outperforms everything. Use large image fills for photos.
2. Max 3-5 words. The title does the explaining — the thumbnail does the selling. "DON'T DO THIS" beats "5 Common Mistakes Developers Make When Deploying".
3. Massive text. text-6xl to text-8xl font-black. If you can't read it at 200px wide, it's too small.
4. High contrast outlines. Text needs to pop against any background. Use contrasting colors or add a dark container behind light text.
5. Split composition. Left half = text/graphic, right half = face/subject. Or vice versa. Don't center everything.
6. 2-3 colors max. Thumbnails with too many colors look chaotic at small sizes. Pick one bold accent color.
7. No thin fonts. Everything font-bold or heavier. Thin type disappears.

Thumbnail Template

<section className="flex items-center gap-8 p-12 bg-blue-600 w-full h-full">
  <div className="flex flex-col gap-4 grow">
    <h1 className="text-7xl font-black text-white leading-none uppercase">Stop doing this</h1>
    <p className="text-3xl font-bold text-blue-200">5 design mistakes</p>
  </div>
  <div className="w-[400px] h-[400px] bg-blue-800 rounded-3xl"></div>
</section>

Channel Banner Template

// Safe area is center 1546x423 — keep all important content there
<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-4 p-16 bg-gray-900 w-full h-full">
  <h1 className="text-6xl font-extrabold text-white tracking-tight">Your Channel Name</h1>
  <p className="text-2xl text-gray-400 font-medium">Design tips every week</p>
</section>

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TikTok

Artboard Sizes

Format	Width	Height	Use Case
Video Cover	1080	1920	Video thumbnail / cover image
Profile Photo	200	200	Account avatar

TikTok Tips

• Vertical-first — everything is 9:16
• Safe zones matter. Bottom 20% is covered by captions/UI. Top 15% has the username/follow button. Keep key content in the center 65%.
• Even bolder than Instagram — TikTok moves faster
• Text must be readable over video frames — use solid color blocks or dark overlays behind text
• text-5xl to text-7xl for headlines, nothing below text-xl

TikTok Cover Template

<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-8 px-12 py-48 bg-gray-900 w-full h-full">
  <span className="px-6 py-2 text-lg font-bold text-white bg-red-500 rounded-full uppercase">Part 3</span>
  <h1 className="text-5xl font-extrabold text-white text-center leading-tight">The trick nobody talks about</h1>
  <p className="text-2xl text-gray-400 text-center">Watch till the end</p>
</section>

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Pinterest

Artboard Sizes

Format	Width	Height	Use Case
Standard Pin	1000	1500	Standard pin (2:3 ratio)
Long Pin	1000	2100	Infographic / tall pin
Square Pin	1000	1000	Square format
Board Cover	600	600	Board thumbnail

Pinterest Tips

• Pinterest is a search engine, not a feed. Pins are discovered through keywords, not followers.
• Tall pins win. 2:3 ratio takes more screen space in the masonry grid. Long pins (1000x2100) for infographics or step-by-step content.
• Text overlay is essential. Pinterest users scan thumbnails to decide what to click. If your pin is just a photo, it gets scrolled past.
• Keep text in the top 60% — the bottom gets cropped in grid view.
• Warm, bright colors outperform dark designs on Pinterest (opposite of Instagram/YouTube).
• Include a clear CTA: "Read more", "Get the free guide", "Shop now".

Pin Template

<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-between gap-8 px-12 py-16 bg-amber-50 w-full h-full">
  <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-6">
    <span className="text-lg font-bold text-amber-700 uppercase tracking-widest">Free Guide</span>
    <h1 className="text-5xl font-extrabold text-gray-900 text-center leading-tight">10 Design Rules Every Beginner Needs</h1>
    <p className="text-2xl text-gray-600 text-center">Save this pin for later</p>
  </div>
  <div className="w-full h-[500px] bg-amber-100 rounded-3xl"></div>
  <p className="text-xl font-semibold text-amber-700">yourdomain.com</p>
</section>

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Facebook

Artboard Sizes

Format	Width	Height	Use Case
Post Image	1200	630	Shared image / link preview
Cover Photo	1640	856	Page cover (safe: center 820x312)
Event Cover	1920	1005	Event banner
Story	1080	1920	Facebook Story
Ad (Square)	1080	1080	Feed ad
Ad (Landscape)	1200	628	Feed ad, landscape

Facebook Tips

• Facebook compresses images aggressively — use solid colors over subtle gradients
• Link preview images (1200x630) are the most common format — they appear when sharing URLs
• Cover photos get cropped differently on mobile vs desktop. Keep critical content in the center 820x312 safe zone.
• Text-heavy images get penalized in ad delivery — keep text under 20% of the image area for ads
• Wider aspect ratios (1200x630) for feed, vertical (1080x1920) for Stories

Post Template

<section className="flex items-center gap-12 p-16 bg-white w-full h-full">
  <div className="flex flex-col gap-4 grow">
    <span className="text-xl font-semibold text-blue-600 uppercase tracking-wide">Announcement</span>
    <h1 className="text-5xl font-extrabold text-gray-900 leading-tight">We just launched something big</h1>
    <p className="text-2xl text-gray-500">Link in comments</p>
  </div>
  <div className="w-[350px] h-[350px] bg-blue-100 rounded-3xl"></div>
</section>

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Twitter / X

Artboard Sizes

Format	Width	Height	Use Case
Image post	1200	675	Standard tweet image (16:9)
Card image	1200	628	Link preview card
Banner	1500	500	Profile banner
Two-image post	700	800	Each image in 2-image tweet
Thread graphic	1200	675	Consistent visual for threads

Twitter Tips

• Even more aggressive than Instagram — the timeline is dense and fast
• Headlines: text-5xl to text-7xl font-extrabold
• Body: text-2xl to text-3xl max
• Aim for one sentence visible at a glance
• Works well with high contrast and bold color blocks
• Thread graphics: use a consistent template across all images with a numbering system (1/7, 2/7, etc.)

Tweet Image Template

<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-6 p-16 bg-gray-900 w-full h-full">
  <h1 className="text-6xl font-extrabold text-white text-center leading-tight">Hot take incoming</h1>
  <p className="text-2xl text-gray-400 text-center">Your bold opinion in one sentence.</p>
  <p className="text-xl text-blue-400 font-semibold">@yourhandle</p>
</section>

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LinkedIn

Artboard Sizes

Format	Width	Height	Use Case
Post	1200	1200	Square feed post
Portrait post	1080	1350	Takes more feed space
Carousel slide	1080	1080	Document carousel
Banner	1584	396	Profile/company banner
Article cover	1200	644	Newsletter header

LinkedIn Tips

• Slightly more polished than Instagram, but same type-size rules apply
• Carousel slides: numbered insights, one per slide
• Include name/logo on every slide for brand recognition
• Professional does not equal boring — still use bold type and strong contrast
• LinkedIn carousels are uploaded as PDFs — each artboard becomes a page

LinkedIn Carousel Template

// Cover slide
<section className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-8 p-16 bg-white w-full h-full border-2 border-gray-100">
  <span className="text-xl font-semibold text-blue-600">Your Name | Topic</span>
  <h1 className="text-5xl font-extrabold text-gray-900 text-center leading-tight">7 lessons from building a design system</h1>
  <p className="text-2xl text-gray-500 text-center">A thread. Slide -></p>
</section>

// Content slide
<section className="flex flex-col justify-center gap-8 p-16 bg-white w-full h-full border-2 border-gray-100">
  <span className="text-7xl font-black text-blue-600">01</span>
  <h2 className="text-4xl font-bold text-gray-900 leading-snug">Start with your constraints, not your aspirations</h2>
  <p className="text-2xl text-gray-500 leading-relaxed">A design system for 3 engineers looks nothing like one for 300.</p>
  <p className="text-lg text-gray-400 font-medium">Your Name</p>
</section>

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General Design Rules

Layout

• Center-align most content (social is not web's default left-align)
• Generous padding: p-12 to p-16 minimum — don't crowd the edges
• Vertically center: justify-center on slides — content should sit in the middle, not hang from the top
• w-full h-full on top-level sections to fill the artboard completely

Color & Contrast

• Minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio — feed images get JPEG-compressed, low contrast disappears
• Solid backgrounds beat gradients for text readability
• Dark mode designs (white on dark) tend to pop more in feeds
• Avoid pastel-on-pastel — it looks washed out at thumbnail size

Multi-Slide Consistency

• Same background color on every slide
• Same headline position (same y-position across slides)
• Same font sizes for the same role (all headlines match, all body text matches)
• Brand element (@handle or logo) in the same spot on every slide

Platform Quick Reference

Platform	Best Format	Text Style	Vibe
Instagram	1080x1350 portrait	Bold, centered	Visual-first, aesthetic
YouTube	1280x720 thumbnail	Massive, high-contrast	Clickbait energy, faces
TikTok	1080x1920 vertical	Bold with safe zones	Fast, punchy, trending
Pinterest	1000x1500 tall	Warm, clear overlay	Aspirational, search-driven
Facebook	1200x630 landscape	Clean, readable	Broad audience, shareable
Twitter/X	1200x675 landscape	One-liner, bold	Opinionated, minimal
LinkedIn	1080x1080 square	Professional-bold	Thought leadership, clean