Infographic Generation Skill

Create professional, on-brand infographics using Gemini AI via the Nano Banana MCP server. This skill follows a strict interactive process — never skip ahead without user approval at each step.

When This Skill Loads (DO THIS IMMEDIATELY)

Read references/gemini-image-api.md (MCP tool reference)
Read references/api-setup.md (API key setup guide)
Execute Phase 0 (silent config check)
Begin Phase 1

Phase 0: Silent Config Check

Run silently — do NOT ask questions yet.

0.1: Ensure Directory Structure

mkdir -p .infographic/images
mkdir -p .infographic/prompts

0.2: Check for API Key

# Load .env if it exists
if [ -f .env ]; then
  source .env 2>/dev/null
fi

echo "${GEMINI_API_KEY:+API key is configured}"

If configured: Proceed silently. If NOT configured: Flag for Phase 4.

0.3: Check for Brand Config

if [ -f .infographic/brand.md ]; then
  cat .infographic/brand.md
fi

If brand config exists, acknowledge briefly:

I found your saved settings. Ready to create your infographic!

If nothing exists, proceed to Phase 1.

Phase 1: Understand the Content

Goal: Understand what the user wants to communicate and for which platform.

1.1: Extract the Core Message

Read the user's content (LinkedIn post, concept, data, or topic). Identify:

The ONE key insight or takeaway
The main supporting points
Any data, numbers, or comparisons

Propose your understanding, then confirm with AskUserQuestion:

Here's what I see as the key message:
[Your extracted insight in one sentence]

Main points:
1. [Point 1]
2. [Point 2]
3. [Point 3]

Use AskUserQuestion:

question: "Does this capture your key message correctly?"
header: "Content"
options:
  - label: "Yes, that's right"
    description: "Move on to platform selection"
  - label: "Close, but adjust"
    description: "I'll tell you what to change"
  - label: "No, let me reframe"
    description: "I'll explain the key message differently"

1.2: Platform & Resolution

Use AskUserQuestion:

question: "Where will this be posted?"
header: "Platform"
options:
  - label: "LinkedIn (Recommended)"
    description: "4:5 portrait, optimized for feed engagement"
  - label: "Instagram"
    description: "1:1 square or 4:5 portrait"
  - label: "Twitter/X"
    description: "16:9 landscape for timeline"
  - label: "Presentation"
    description: "16:9 landscape for slides"

Phase 2: Suggest Visualizable Concepts

Goal: Don't visualize the entire post. Identify the 3–5 specific parts that would work best as a standalone infographic.

Analyze the content and extract 3–5 discrete concepts that could each become a focused infographic. For each, explain:

What the concept is (one line)
Why it's a good candidate for visualization
What type of visual it maps to (process, comparison, hierarchy, metaphor, etc.)

Present like this:

Looking at your content, here are the parts worth visualizing:

1. **[Concept A]** — [brief description]. Great for visualization because [reason].
2. **[Concept B]** — [brief description]. Great for visualization because [reason].
3. **[Concept C]** — [brief description]. Great for visualization because [reason].
4. **[Concept D]** — [brief description]. Great for visualization because [reason].
5. **[Concept E]** — [brief description]. Great for visualization because [reason].

Then use AskUserQuestion (use the actual concept names as labels):

question: "Which concept would you like to turn into an infographic?"
header: "Concept"
options:
  - label: "[Concept A short name]"
    description: "[Brief reason why it's visualizable]"
  - label: "[Concept B short name]"
    description: "[Brief reason why it's visualizable]"
  - label: "[Concept C short name]"
    description: "[Brief reason why it's visualizable]"
  - label: "[Concept D short name]"
    description: "[Brief reason why it's visualizable]"

Note: AskUserQuestion supports up to 4 options. If you have 5 concepts, present the top 4 and the user can pick "Other" to choose the 5th.

Never proceed without their selection.

Phase 3: Propose Visualization Approaches

Goal: For the chosen concept, suggest 3 different ways to visualize it.

Think about what visual structure fits the concept's shape:

Concept Shape	Visual Approaches
Sequential process	Vertical flow, timeline, numbered steps
Comparison	Side-by-side split, grid, before/after
Hierarchy	Pyramid, layers, tier list
Hidden depth	Iceberg, surface vs. depth
Parts of a whole	Pie/donut, silhouette with branches
Convergence	Funnel, hourglass
Overlap	Venn diagram
Transformation	Tangled → straight, chaos → order

Present 3 options, then use AskUserQuestion:

For "[chosen concept]", here are 3 ways to visualize it:

Use AskUserQuestion:

question: "Which visualization approach do you prefer?"
header: "Layout"
options:
  - label: "[Layout Type A]"
    description: "[How content maps to this layout and why it fits]"
  - label: "[Layout Type B]"
    description: "[How content maps to this layout and why it fits]"
  - label: "[Layout Type C]"
    description: "[How content maps to this layout and why it fits]"

Wait for user to choose. Then map their specific content to the chosen structure:

Here's how your content maps to [chosen approach]:

[Show the exact mapping with their words — e.g., what goes in each section,
what text appears where, how the visual hierarchy works]

Use AskUserQuestion:

question: "Does this content mapping look right?"
header: "Mapping"
options:
  - label: "Yes, looks good"
    description: "Proceed to generate the infographic"
  - label: "Adjust the mapping"
    description: "I'll tell you what to change"
  - label: "Try a different approach"
    description: "Go back and pick another visualization style"

Phase 4: API Key Setup

Goal: Ensure the Gemini API key is available for the Nano Banana MCP server.

Check if Key Exists

echo "${GEMINI_API_KEY:+API key is configured}"

If Key IS Set → Skip to Phase 5

If Key NOT Set

Check for a saved .env file:

if [ -f .env ] && grep -q GEMINI_API_KEY .env; then
  source .env
  echo "Loaded key from .env"
fi

If still not set, ask the user:

Use AskUserQuestion:

question: "I need a Gemini API key to generate the image. How do you want to proceed?"
header: "API Key"
options:
  - label: "Set it up now (Recommended)"
    description: "I'll guide you through getting a free key from Google AI Studio"
  - label: "I have a key ready"
    description: "Let me paste it"
  - label: "Skip for now"
    description: "Just give me the prompt to use elsewhere"

Path A: Set Up Now

To get your Gemini API key:

1. Go to Google AI Studio: https://aistudio.google.com
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Click "Get API Key" in the left sidebar
4. Click "Create API Key" and select a project
5. Copy the generated key

Paste your API key below when ready.

Path B: User Has Key — Paste it below.

After user provides key (Path A or B):

Tell the user to save the key in their Claude Code environment settings:

Great! To make this work, add your API key to Claude Code's environment:

1. Open Claude Code settings (or ~/.claude/settings.json)
2. Add GEMINI_API_KEY as an environment variable with your key value
3. Restart Claude Code

The Nano Banana MCP server will pick up the key automatically on startup.
Then run /infographic again — it will work from now on.

The MCP server's env block references ${GEMINI_API_KEY}, which Claude Code resolves from its settings and passes to the MCP process at startup.

Path C: Skip — Complete all phases but output the prompt as text instead of generating. Save to .infographic/prompts/[topic]-prompt.md.

Phase 5: Generate the Infographic

Goal: Craft a detailed prompt following brand guidelines, generate, and display.

5.1: Craft the Prompt

Build a detailed prompt that includes ALL of the following:

The exact content — all text, labels, titles from the mapping in Phase 3
The visualization structure — the chosen layout from Phase 3
Brand guidelines — colors, typography, styling (see Brand Guidelines section below)
Platform specs — aspect ratio and resolution embedded in prompt text

IMPORTANT: Since the MCP tool does not accept separate aspect ratio or resolution parameters, embed them in the prompt:

Platform	Append to Prompt
LinkedIn	"Output as a 4:5 portrait aspect ratio image at approximately 2048 pixels wide"
Instagram (square)	"Output as a 1:1 square aspect ratio image at approximately 2048 pixels wide"
Twitter/Presentation	"Output as a 16:9 landscape aspect ratio image at approximately 2048 pixels wide"

5.2: Show Prompt for Approval

Here's the prompt I'll use:

---
[Full prompt text]
---

Use AskUserQuestion:

question: "Ready to generate with this prompt?"
header: "Prompt"
options:
  - label: "Yes, generate"
    description: "Looks good, go ahead"
  - label: "Tweak the prompt"
    description: "I want to adjust something before generating"
  - label: "Start over"
    description: "Go back to concept selection"

5.3: Generate

Call tool: generate_image
Parameters: { "prompt": "[approved prompt]" }

5.4: Copy and Display (CRITICAL)

mkdir -p .infographic/images
cp "./generated_imgs/[returned-filename]" ".infographic/images/[topic-slug]-v1.png"

IMMEDIATELY display to user using Read tool:

Read file: .infographic/images/[topic-slug]-v1.png

The user MUST see the image to give feedback.

If No API Key (Skip Path)

Save the prompt to .infographic/prompts/[topic]-prompt.md with manual instructions:

To generate:
1. Go to aistudio.google.com
2. Select "Gemini" model
3. Paste the prompt
4. Click Generate
5. Download the image

Phase 6: Review & Edit

Goal: Iterate until the user is happy.

6.1: First Impression

Use AskUserQuestion:

question: "Here's your infographic. What do you think?"
header: "Reaction"
options:
  - label: "Love it!"
    description: "Maybe small tweaks, but the direction is right"
  - label: "Good direction, needs changes"
    description: "Core works, specific things to adjust"
  - label: "Not quite right"
    description: "Let's try a different approach"
  - label: "Start over"
    description: "Go back and try a different visualization"

If "Love it!" → copy to [topic]-final.png, go to Phase 7. If "Start over" → return to Phase 3.

6.2: Collect Specific Feedback

Use AskUserQuestion with multiSelect:

question: "What would you like to change?"
header: "Changes"
multiSelect: true
options:
  - label: "Colors"
    description: "Wrong colors, too dark/light, off-brand"
  - label: "Text"
    description: "Wording, size, placement, readability"
  - label: "Layout"
    description: "Spacing, arrangement, composition"
  - label: "Style"
    description: "Too busy/simple, wrong feel"

Drill down on each selection to get specifics.

6.3: Apply Edits

First edit:

Call tool: edit_image
Parameters: {
  "imagePath": ".infographic/images/[topic]-v1.png",
  "prompt": "Edit this infographic:\n1. [Change 1]\n2. [Change 2]\nKeep everything else exactly the same."
}

Subsequent edits:

Call tool: continue_editing
Parameters: { "prompt": "[further changes]" }

After each edit:

Copy from ./generated_imgs/[returned-filename] to .infographic/images/[topic]-v[N].png
Display using Read tool
Ask if changes are correct

Repeat until user approves. Save final version as [topic]-final.png.

Phase 7: Wrap Up

Your infographic is ready!

Saved to:
├── .infographic/images/[topic]-final.png

Want to visualize another concept from your content? (I had [N] other suggestions from Phase 2.)

If yes → return to Phase 3 with the next chosen concept.

Brand Guidelines

These are non-negotiable. Every infographic MUST follow these exactly.

Colors

Role	Color	Hex
Primary text	Dark	#020309
Light backgrounds / text on dark	Light yellow	#FAF3E3
Subtle backgrounds	Light blue	#E5F5F9
Primary accent	Green	#D2ECD0
Secondary accent	Red/pink	#F3C1C0
Tertiary accent	Dark yellow	#FDEEC4

NEVER use black (#000000) as a background color.

Typography

Element	Font	Fallback
Headings (24pt+)	Space Grotesk	Montserrat → Arial
Body text	Montserrat	Georgia

Smart color selection based on background
Preserve text hierarchy and formatting

Shape & Accent Styling

Property	Rule
Shadows	Solid / hard shadows only — 0 blur (`8px, 8px, 0px #000`)
Borders	Solid borders — 2px width
Border radius	Slightly rounded — must NOT look fully round
Accent colors	Cycle through yellow (#FDEEC4), blue (#E5F5F9), and green (#D2ECD0)

Footer

Always include: "Ben Van Sprundel | Founder @ BenAI"

Prompt Template

When crafting prompts, always include these brand specs. Example suffix:

Follow these exact brand guidelines:
- Background: #FAF3E3 (light yellow). NEVER use black backgrounds.
- Primary text color: #020309 (near-black)
- Accent colors: green #D2ECD0, red/pink #F3C1C0, dark yellow #FDEEC4. Cycle through them.
- All boxes and cards must have: solid hard shadows (8px offset, 0 blur, #000), solid 2px borders, slightly rounded corners (not fully round).
- Headings in Space Grotesk or Montserrat (bold, 24pt+). Body text in Montserrat.
- Footer text: "Ben Van Sprundel | Founder @ BenAI"
- Output as a [aspect ratio] image at approximately 2048 pixels wide.

File Naming

Stage	Pattern	Example
First version	`[topic]-v1.png`	`success-iceberg-v1.png`
After edits	`[topic]-v2.png`	`success-iceberg-v2.png`
Final	`[topic]-final.png`	`success-iceberg-final.png`
Series	`[topic]-01-v1.png`	`tips-01-v1.png`
Prompts	`[topic]-prompt.md`	`.infographic/prompts/tips-prompt.md`

Directory Structure

.infographic/
├── brand.md           # Saved brand config (optional, for overrides)
├── images/            # All generated infographics
│   ├── topic-v1.png
│   ├── topic-v2.png
│   └── topic-final.png
└── prompts/           # Saved prompts (for no-key fallback)
    └── topic-prompt.md

Important Rules

Never skip the suggestion steps — Always get user approval at Phase 2 (concept choice) and Phase 3 (visualization approach) before generating
Don't visualize the entire post — Pick a focused part, not everything
Follow brand guidelines exactly — Colors, shadows, borders, typography are non-negotiable
Embed image specs in prompt — Aspect ratio and resolution go in the prompt text
Copy MCP output to project directory — Always copy from ./generated_imgs/ to .infographic/images/
Always display the image — Use Read tool immediately after saving so the user can see it
Edit, don't regenerate — Use edit_image/continue_editing for tweaks; only regenerate for major concept changes
Show prompt before generating — Always get approval on the exact prompt
NEVER use black backgrounds — Use #FAF3E3 (light yellow) or #E5F5F9 (light blue)
Always include footer — "Ben Van Sprundel | Founder @ BenAI"