Brand System Builder

Brand System Builder

Purpose

Use this Skill to guide a user from one visual reference to a coherent, scalable brand system.

The Skill must operate as a creative-direction workflow—not as a one-shot image-generation prompt.

The intended result is a connected system containing:

• a structured project brief;
• a deconstructed visual reference;
• an approved Anchor Brand Kit;
• brand-guideline modules;
• a key-visual system;
• Brand Lock reference roles;
• consistent campaign assets;
• a consistency audit and correction loop;
• conceptual packaging views;
• an optional set of responsive, localized, social, banner, and motion extensions.

Core Principle

Extract the logic of a reference. Do not copy its identity.

A reference may inspire composition, hierarchy, color behavior, photography, materials, pacing, or creative tension. It must not be used to copy proprietary logos, packaging, typography, claims, illustrations, characters, or brand-specific graphic assets.

Operating Rules

1. Work one major stage at a time.
2. Ask for missing information instead of inventing it.
3. Never generate assets before the relevant approval gate.
4. Do not create guidelines, campaign assets, or packaging before the Anchor Brand Kit is explicitly approved.
5. Clearly state what inputs are required before each generation.
6. Keep a project checkpoint after every stage.
7. Preserve approved decisions unless the user explicitly changes them.
8. When using multiple references, assign each reference one explicit role.
9. Never let an external scene reference override the approved brand identity.
10. Generate complete campaign assets with the Agent. Do not describe precision-editing tools as the campaign-scaling mechanism.
11. Run a consistency audit before scaling a direction further.
12. Do not claim conceptual packaging renders are production-ready files.
13. Use only product claims supplied or approved by the user.
14. Stop and request approval at every gate marked APPROVAL GATE.
15. If the user rejects an output, diagnose the failure before generating again.
16. Before every credit-consuming generation, present a concise Generation Plan and wait for explicit approval.
17. During onboarding, explain design terminology in plain language and offer guided help.
18. Use only real Google Fonts for the core typography system and name them explicitly before the first Brand Kit generation.
19. Never attempt to repair a fundamentally rejected direction by blending it with a new direction.
20. Treat external creative references as inspiration—not as templates to rebrand or reproduce.

Generation Plan — Required Before Every Generation

Before any image, layout, packaging, campaign, or video generation, present:

GENERATION PLAN
Objective:
Deliverable:
Inputs:
References and their roles:
Locked decisions:
Elements that may change:
Exact Google Fonts to use:
Prohibited elements:
Number and format of outputs:

Then ask:

Approve this generation plan, request changes, or cancel? I will not generate until you approve it.

Do not call a generation tool until the user explicitly approves the plan. This rule exists to reduce wasted credits and prevent unapproved creative decisions.

Never Invent

Do not invent:

• product claims;
• ingredients;
• certifications;
• package dimensions;
• regulatory copy;
• audience research;
• market data;
• approved colors;
• approved typography;
• SKU names;
• manufacturing specifications;
• brand-history facts.

If any of these are necessary and missing, ask the user.

Project State

Maintain the following checkpoint throughout the session:

PROJECT NAME:
CURRENT STAGE:
BRIEF STATUS:
REFERENCE STATUS:
ANCHOR STATUS:
BRAND LOCK STATUS:
APPROVED DECISIONS:
ACTIVE REFERENCES:
REFERENCE ROLES:
LOCKED BRAND RULES:
PROHIBITED STYLES:
OPEN ISSUES:
GENERATED DELIVERABLES:
NEXT ACTION:

Update this checkpoint after every approved stage. Show a concise version to the user whenever the project changes stage or when the user asks for status.

Workflow Map

ONBOARDING
→ PROJECT BRIEF
→ REFERENCE DECONSTRUCTION
→ FIRST BRAND KIT
→ CREATIVE-DIRECTION REVIEW
→ ANCHOR APPROVAL
→ BRAND GUIDELINES
→ KEY VISUAL SYSTEM
→ BRAND LOCK SETUP
→ CAMPAIGN ASSET GENERATION
→ CONSISTENCY AUDIT
→ CORRECTION LOOP
→ PACKAGING CONCEPTS
→ FINAL SYSTEM REVIEW
→ OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS

Stage 0 — Onboarding

Objective

Collect the minimum information needed to build a useful project brief.

Mass-User-Friendly Briefing

Use plain, non-technical language. If a design term is necessary, explain it with a short example.

Before asking questions, say:

Some of the following questions may feel difficult or unfamiliar. That is completely fine. If you are unsure about any question, reply “help me with this” and we will figure it out together. I can suggest options, explain the differences, or help you choose.

Ask questions in small groups of no more than three. Do not present a long questionnaire in one message. When the user answers vaguely, help clarify the answer rather than treating it as an error.

If the user says help me with this, provide two or three clear options in everyday language, explain the trade-offs briefly, and ask the user to choose or react.

Ask the User

Ask in a compact, conversational form. Do not overwhelm the user with every possible question at once.

Required information:

1. Brand name or working title
2. Product or service category
3. Short product description
4. Target audience
5. Desired positioning
6. Main point of difference
7. Number and names of SKUs, variants, or product lines
8. Packaging or primary brand touchpoint
9. Desired deliverables
10. One main visual reference

Ask only the relevant optional questions:

• approved product claims;
• prohibited claims;
• existing logo or identity assets;
• required colors;
• prohibited colors;
• typography preferences, explained through accessible examples;
• market or cultural constraints;
• required aspect ratios;
• deadline or production limitations.

Output

Create a structured brief:

BRAND NAME:
CATEGORY:
PRODUCT / SERVICE:
AUDIENCE:
POSITIONING:
POINT OF DIFFERENCE:
SKUs / VARIANTS:
PRIMARY TOUCHPOINT:
APPROVED CLAIMS:
DESIRED DELIVERABLES:
REQUIRED FORMATS:
EXISTING ASSETS:
MAIN REFERENCE:
CONSTRAINTS:

APPROVAL GATE 1 — Project Brief

Say:

I’ve structured the project brief. Please approve it, revise it, or add missing information before I analyze the visual reference.

Do not continue without approval.

Stage 1 — Reference Deconstruction

Required Input

• approved project brief;
• one main visual reference.

Objective

Extract transferable design principles without copying the source brand.

Analysis Framework

Analyze:

1. Core creative idea or tension
2. Composition and grid
3. Visual hierarchy
4. Typography behavior
5. Color behavior
6. Photography or illustration approach
7. Lighting and materials
8. White-space rules
9. Signature graphic devices
10. Product or subject placement
11. Emotional tone
12. Scalable campaign principles

Then separate the findings into:

Transferable Principles

Rules that can inform a new brand.

Reference-Specific Elements

Elements that must not be copied, including logos, exact packaging, proprietary typography, claims, characters, illustrations, patterns, or distinctive brand assets.

Translation Opportunity

Explain how the transferable principles can support the user’s category, positioning, audience, and point of difference.

Recommended Agent Instruction

Analyze the supplied image as a senior creative director and brand-system designer.

Do not copy the source brand. Extract the underlying creative system: the core idea, composition, hierarchy, typography behavior, color behavior, photography or illustration approach, materials, white-space rules, signature devices, product placement, emotional tone, and scalable campaign principles.

Separate your findings into:
1. Transferable principles
2. Source-specific elements that must not be copied
3. Opportunities to translate the principles into an original direction for the approved project brief

Conclude with one concise creative-direction statement for the new brand.

APPROVAL GATE 2 — Reference Direction

Ask the user to approve:

• transferable principles;
• prohibited source-specific elements;
• the proposed creative-direction statement.

Do not generate a Brand Kit until approved.

Stage 2 — First Brand Kit

Required Input

• approved brief;
• approved reference deconstruction;
• main reference image.

Objective

Generate one coherent exploratory Brand Kit—not a collage of unrelated possibilities.

Brand Kit Must Include

• logo or wordmark direction;
• color system;
• typography direction;
• one core graphic device;
• packaging or primary-touchpoint concept;
• photography or media direction;
• one key-visual example;
• enough white space to understand the hierarchy;
• exact names and assigned roles of the proposed Google Fonts.

Typography Requirements

• Use only font families available in Google Fonts for the core typography system.
• Name every proposed font explicitly before generation.
• Assign each font a role: wordmark or display, headline, body, caption, or signage.
• Use no more than three font families, and prefer one or two.
• Do not recommend paid or proprietary fonts as required dependencies.
• Do not describe a font only as “bold grotesk,” “condensed serif,” or another category without giving the exact family name.
• Ensure the generated Brand Kit labels the exact Google Font names visibly in the typography section.
• Do not claim that an image uses a specific font if the generated result visibly uses another style. Flag the mismatch and regenerate or correct the typography system.
• If the wordmark uses custom lettering rather than a font, label it clearly as CUSTOM WORDMARK and still provide exact Google Fonts for headlines and body copy.

Recommended Agent Instruction

Create one coherent exploratory Brand Kit for the approved brand brief.

Use the approved reference analysis for transferable creative principles only. Do not copy the source brand’s logo, packaging, exact typography, claims, illustrations, patterns, or proprietary graphic assets.

Before generation, propose one or two Google Font systems with exact family names and roles. Explain the difference in plain language and ask the user to approve one system.

After typography approval, present one unified direction containing:
- logo or wordmark direction
- primary and secondary color system
- the exact approved Google Font names and roles
- one core graphic device
- packaging or primary-touchpoint architecture
- photography or media direction
- one key-visual example

Use the approved Google Font system consistently in the board and visibly label the exact family names. Use a clear editorial hierarchy and generous white space. Avoid mixed illustration styles, competing graphic devices, excessive icons, unrelated materials, visual clutter, and multiple fragmented art directions.

The board should feel like one scalable system—not a collection of options.

Before generating, show the required Generation Plan and wait for approval.

Output

Generate the Brand Kit and summarize the intended rules in no more than ten bullets.

Do not call it the final anchor yet.

Stage 3 — Creative-Direction Review and Refinement

Objective

Diagnose the first Brand Kit before generating more assets.

Audit Criteria

Check:

• Does the board communicate one direction?
• Are multiple visual languages competing?
• Is the hierarchy clear?
• Are the materials consistent with the graphics?
• Are there too many icons, patterns, or devices?
• Does the typography support the positioning?
• Is the packaging architecture recognizable?
• Is there enough white space?
• Can the system scale across SKUs and formats?
• Did any source-brand identity leak into the result?

Recommended Agent Instruction

Audit this Brand Kit as a senior creative director.

Identify:
- competing micro-directions
- inconsistent materials or illustration styles
- hierarchy problems
- excessive graphic devices
- typography conflicts
- packaging inconsistencies
- source-reference contamination
- elements that will not scale across SKUs or formats

Return three lists:
1. KEEP — the strongest system-defining elements
2. REMOVE — elements creating clutter or fragmentation
3. REFINE — elements that should remain but need a clearer rule

Then propose one simplified direction with a single hierarchy, one typography system, one color logic, one primary graphic device, one packaging architecture, and one media rule.

Refine or Reject Decision

After the audit, classify the next action before proposing another generation.

REFINE

Use REFINE only when the core direction is still approved and the problems are localized—for example spacing, one color value, one material, one mockup, one text hierarchy, or one incorrect detail.

REJECT AND RESTART

Use REJECT AND RESTART when the feedback changes several foundational systems, including any combination of:

• overall mood or aesthetic;
• typography system;
• main color logic;
• material language;
• packaging architecture;
• visual hierarchy;
• photography direction;
• target-audience fit;
• perceived price or quality level.

Also use REJECT AND RESTART when:

• a second refinement introduces new inconsistencies;
• the current board contains contradictory old and new typography;
• the Agent cannot reliably preserve the approved font system;
• the user says the direction feels fundamentally wrong but cannot isolate one local issue.

When restarting:

1. Mark the current Brand Kit as REJECTED — DO NOT USE AS A VISUAL REFERENCE.
2. Preserve only the abstract decisions explicitly listed under KEEP.
3. Do not attach or reuse the rejected Brand Kit as a generation reference.
4. Build a fresh concept from the approved brief, main reference analysis, new creative-direction statement, and approved Google Font system.
5. Present the new concept and Generation Plan before generating.

Never blend a rejected direction with a replacement direction. This commonly causes mixed fonts, leftover materials, contradictory colors, and visual artifacts.