Visual Identity

Define the visual identity system for "$ARGUMENTS". Create specifications for logo usage, color palette, typography, and imagery that express the brand visually.

Arguments. $ARGUMENTS may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as <project> and treat --skip-checks as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use <project>. If --skip-checks is present, skip the prerequisite check and, before writing any artifact, append one line to .singularskills/log.jsonl: {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-visual","workflow":"branding","phase":4,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"04-visual.md","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}.

Prerequisites

Part of a workflow. This skill is phase 4 (Visual) of the Brand Identity Process workflow (branding); cross-domain workflows run it too. First check .singularskills/log.jsonl for an open run for this project: a run-started line with "project":"<project>" and no later run-finished line for the same workflow and project. If one exists, the conductor is running you: continue here. Otherwise, if the user asked to start, run, continue or resume a process or workflow rather than this one step, do not continue here: invoke the workflow skill with the workflow the user asked for, or branding when they named none, followed by <project>; it runs this phase in order, asks before it writes and records the run. Otherwise continue here: a later phase runs on its own, behind its gate.

Run this skill's gate before writing: sh <this skill's folder>/scripts/gate.sh <project> <project root>, where <project root> is the folder that contains .singularskills/ (use . when you are already there). If it exits non-zero, stop and tell the user what it printed, unless --skip-checks was given (see Arguments). On a refusal, before you stop, append this line to .singularskills/log.jsonl (create the folder and file if missing): {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-visual","workflow":"branding","phase":4,"project":"<project>","event":"refused","artifact":"04-visual.md","note":"<what the gate printed>"}. Once the gate has passed, or under --skip-checks once you have appended the skipped line, append this line before you start work: {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-visual","workflow":"branding","phase":4,"project":"<project>","event":"started","artifact":"04-visual.md","note":""}.

Read .singularskills/branding/<project>/02-strategy.md and .singularskills/branding/<project>/03-verbal.md. If 03-verbal.md does not exist, tell the user:

Phase 3 (Verbal) has not been completed for "<project>". Run /branding-verbal <project> first, or use --skip-checks to bypass.

Process

1. Read context files:

   • Read .singularskills/branding/<project>/02-strategy.md for personality and positioning
   • Read .singularskills/branding/<project>/03-verbal.md for voice and tone

2. If the user has existing assets:

   • Review logo files in .singularskills/branding/<project>/assets/logo/
   • Review fonts in .singularskills/branding/<project>/assets/fonts/
   • Review imagery in .singularskills/branding/<project>/assets/imagery/
   • Document and formalize what exists

3. If creating from scratch, define:

   Logo usage rules:

   • Minimum size, clear space requirements
   • Approved variations (primary, icon, monochrome, reversed)
   • Prohibited uses
   • Ask the user to provide/create logo files and place in .singularskills/branding/<project>/assets/logo/

   Color palette:

   • Primary colors (2-3) with hex, RGB values
   • Secondary colors (2-4) with hex, RGB values
   • Neutral colors for backgrounds and text
   • Accessibility: contrast ratios for text on each background

   Typography:

   • Primary typeface: name, weights, usage (headings vs. body)
   • Secondary typeface (if needed)
   • Type scale: sizes, weights, line heights for each level
   • Ask the user to provide font files and place in .singularskills/branding/<project>/assets/fonts/

   Imagery style:

   • Photography style (mood, composition, subjects)
   • Illustration style (if applicable)
   • Icon style
   • Do's and don'ts

4. Write the artifact to .singularskills/branding/<project>/04-visual.md

Output

The visual identity written to .singularskills/branding/<project>/04-visual.md. Present a summary to the user highlighting:

• Primary color palette
• Typography choices
• Logo variations defined
• Imagery direction

Record the run. After you have written the artifact, append this line to .singularskills/log.jsonl (the started line of Prerequisites, with "event":"finished"): {"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"branding-visual","workflow":"branding","phase":4,"project":"<project>","event":"finished","artifact":"04-visual.md","note":""}.

Open the artifact with this frontmatter (agent is the agent you run in, or unknown; gate is passed when the gate ran clean and skipped under --skip-checks):

---
skill: branding-visual
workflow: branding
phase: 4
project: <project>
started: <ISO timestamp>
finished: <ISO timestamp>
agent: <the agent you run in, or "unknown">
gate: <passed|skipped>
---

End the artifact with ## Decisions and ## Open questions, in this shape:

## Decisions
- <what was chosen> — <why> — <what was rejected>

## Open questions
- <what the next phase or a reviewer must settle>