rampstackco/claude-skills · GitHub
Direct visual and creative work for campaigns, photography, illustration, video, and branded experiences. Use this skill whenever the user wants to brief a photographer, direct illustrators, plan a creative campaign, develop visual concepts, or evaluate creative work for fit. Triggers on art direction, photo brief, photography brief, illustration brief, campaign concept, creative concept, visual direction, mood board, look and feel, visual treatment, video direction. Also triggers when the user has approved brand identity but needs to extend it into specific creative deliverables. Use `creative-direction` instead when the ask is the project-wide aesthetic brief that this skill consumes as input.
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README.md# art-direction The skill is [SKILL.md](SKILL.md). Generated by `scripts/build-tested-on.mjs` from openaddict.com. CI checks it against the site, so edit the script, not this file. ## Tested on OpenAddict Set up for testing, not yet run. What has been searched and run so far: [openaddict.com/skills/coverage](https://openaddict.com/skills/coverage).
references/creative-brief-template.md# Art Direction Brief Template A fillable brief for art direction projects. Fill every section before production begins. A short brief beats a generic brief; a generic brief produces generic work. --- ## Project: [Name] **Project type:** [Photography / Illustration / Video / Animation / Mixed] **Channel(s):** [Where this will live] **Date briefed:** [YYYY-MM-DD] **Production date:** [YYYY-MM-DD] **Director:** [Name] **Producer:** [Name] **Budget:** [Range] --- ## 1. Project context **Why this project exists:** [1 to 2 paragraphs. The business reason this work needs to be made.] **What it must accomplish:** [The specific outcome. Awareness, conversion, brand association, internal use, etc.] **How it will be measured:** [Concrete success indicator. Engagement, completion rate, brand lift, internal feedback.] --- ## 2. Concept **The big idea (one sentence):** [The angle, insight, or opinion the creative work expresses.] **Why this concept now:** [2 to 3 sentences. Why this idea fits the moment, the brand, and the audience.] **What this concept rejects:** [The opposite or adjacent ideas this concept is not.] --- ## 3. Audience **Primary audience:** [Specific persona. "Mid-career operator at a B2B SaaS company evaluating tools for their team," not "B2B buyers."] **What they currently feel about the category:** [1 to 2 sentences.] **What we want them to feel after seeing this:** [1 to 2 sentences.] --- ## 4. Subjects **People:** - Cast: [Demographics, archetypes, specific casting direction] - Wardrobe: [Direction] - Expression: [What we want them showing] - Diversity: [Explicit casting expectations] **Products:** - What appears: [List] - Staging: [How they're shown] - Hierarchy: [Hero product vs supporting] **Settings:** - Locations: [Specific or category] - Environment: [Indoor/outdoor, real/built, public/private] - Time of day: [If relevant] **Objects/props:** - Required: [Specific items] - Forbidden: [Things never to include] --- ## 5. Composition **Formats and channels:** | Channel | Aspect ratio | Resolution | Specific requirements | |---|---|---|---| | [e.g., Instagram feed] | 1:1 | [px] | [Crop-safe area for text overlay] | | [e.g., Instagram stories] | 9:16 | [px] | [Top/bottom safe areas] | | [e.g., Web hero] | 16:9 | [px] | [Subject must allow text overlay on left] | | [e.g., Print] | [Specific] | [DPI] | | **Shot list:** [Specific shots required. Include reference frame for each.] 1. [Shot description]: [Reference image] 2. [Shot description]: [Reference image] 3. [Shot description]: [Reference image] **Framing direction:** - Crop tendency: [Tight / medium / wide] - Subject placement: [Centered / off-center / dynamic] - Eye line: [To camera / away / unspecified] - Depth: [Foreground emphasis / background environment / flat] - Negative space: [Generous / minimal / variable] --- ## 6. Lighting **Direction:** [2 to 4 sentences describing the lighting approach.] **Specific qualities:** - Source: [Natural / available / controlled] - Direction: [Front / side / back / overhead] - Quality: [Hard / soft] - Color temperature: [Warm / neutral / cool] - Time of day if natural: [Specific] **Lighting references:** [3 to 5 reference images with annotations.] --- ## 7. Color and treatment **Color palette:** [Brand palette + any campaign-specific extensions] **Treatment direction:** - Saturation: [True / muted / desaturated / heightened] - Contrast: [Low / balanced / high] - Color grade: [Specific look or signature] - Film references: [Specific films, photographers, or art if relevant] **Treatment references:** [3 to 5 reference images with annotations.] --- ## 8. Tone **Adjectives (3 to 5):** - [Adjective], not [opposite tendency] - [Adjective], not [opposite tendency] - [Adjective], not [opposite tendency] **Pacing (moving image):** [If applicable: brisk / deliberate / breathless / languid] **Sound direction (moving image):** [If applicable: score, sound design, voice, silence] --- ## 9. Reference moodboard [Link to moodboard with 10 to 15 curated images.] Each reference labeled with what we are taking from it (composition, lighting, treatment, casting, etc.). Avoid using a single reference for everything; pull specific elements from different sources. --- ## 10. What to avoid **Visual cliches in our category to reject:** - [Specific cliche with example] - [Specific cliche with example] - [Specific cliche with example] **Treatments not aligned with our direction:** - [Specific treatment] - [Specific treatment] **Casting we will not use:** - [Specific casting type and why] --- ## 11. Deliverables **Final deliverables required:** | Asset | Format | Count | Specifications | |---|---|---|---| | [e.g., Hero image] | JPG, PNG | 5 | 16:9, 4K | | [e.g., Story crops] | MP4 | 10 | 9:16, 1080p, 15s max | | [e.g., Behind-the-scenes] | MP4 | 1 | 16:9, 60s | **Editing/retouching specifications:** [Color grading approach, retouching rules, watermarking, captions] **File naming convention:** [`project-asset-version-channel.format`] **Delivery method:** [How files arrive. Drive, DAM, direct upload.] --- ## 12. Timeline | Milestone | Date | Owner | |---|---|---| | Pre-production complete | | | | Production day(s) | | | | Selects review | | | | Edit v1 / first cut | | | | Final delivery | | | --- ## 13. Approvals **Approval path:** 1. [Person / role] - [What they approve] 2. [Person / role] - [What they approve] 3. [Final approver] **Maximum review rounds:** [Typically 2 to 3] **Hard stop:** [Date after which changes are out of scope] --- ## 14. Talent **Photographer / Illustrator / Director:** [Name and rate] **Why we picked them:** [1 to 2 sentences linking their portfolio to this brief] **Crew:** [Producer, stylist, lighting, etc.] **Talent (on-camera):** [Casting decisions] --- ## 15. Open questions [Anything unresolved at brief-writing time. Resolve before production day.] - [ ] [Question] - [ ] [Question] --- ## Sign-off Brief approved by: - [Name] [Date] - [Name] [Date] Production day(s) confirmed: [Date]
references/illustration-brief.md# Illustration Brief A complete brief for commissioning illustration work. Use as a starting template, fill out fully before sending to the illustrator. The cost of a thorough brief is one extra hour of writing. The cost of a thin brief is a redo (and most illustrators charge for redos). --- ## Project overview **Project name:** [Working title] **Date of brief:** [YYYY-MM-DD] **Delivery deadline:** [Final files due] **Illustrator / studio:** [If selected] **Producer / point of contact:** [Name and contact] **Budget:** [Total or per-illustration rate] --- ## The story ### Premise [The core idea in one sentence. What is each illustration fundamentally about?] ### Audience [Who will see these illustrations. Their context, their state of mind.] ### Goal [What do these illustrations accomplish? Editorial illustration, brand storytelling, product visualization, instruction, decoration?] ### Brand role [How does the brand show up? Subtle (illustrations stand on their own), prominent (brand mark visible in scene), or in-between?] ### The feeling [3 to 5 adjectives describing the emotional through-line. "Playful," "considered," "warm," "sharp," "optimistic."] --- ## The look ### Style references [5 to 10 reference illustrations. Source: illustrator portfolios (Behance, It's Nice That, Cargo), editorial illustration archives, ad campaigns. AVOID: direct competitor imagery, AI-generated images, copyrighted character work used out of context.] For each reference, note WHAT to take from it: - "From this illustration: the loose hand-drawn line quality" - "From this illustration: the limited color palette" - "From this illustration: the flat geometric construction" NOT just dumping references with no commentary. The illustrator needs to know which qualities matter. ### What to AVOID - [Specific style cliche to avoid, e.g., "Corporate Memphis / Alegria figures"] - [Specific style cliche to avoid, e.g., "isometric tech-startup spot illustrations"] - [Visual treatment that's been overused in the category] ### Style and technique - **Medium:** [Vector / raster / mixed / hand-drawn scanned / 3D] - **Line quality:** [Geometric and clean / loose and gestural / no line / variable] - **Fill style:** [Flat / textured / gradients / cross-hatching / watercolor] - **Detail level:** [Highly detailed / minimal / mid] - **Perspective:** [Flat / isometric / one-point / loose / mixed] - **Figure style** (if illustrating people): [Realistic / stylized / abstract / no figures] ### Color - [Specific palette with hex codes if matching brand] - [Number of colors: limited (2-3), moderate (4-6), full] - [Treatment: brand-matched / shifted / monochrome / sepia / saturated / muted] ### Composition - [Single subject focus / scene with multiple elements / pattern / decorative] - [Negative space treatment] - [Orientation defaults: square, landscape, portrait, mixed] --- ## Illustration list A specific list of illustrations needed. Each entry is a deliverable. ### Required illustrations (must-have) 1. **[Illustration name]** - Subject: [What's depicted] - Concept: [What it should communicate or evoke] - Use case: [Where it will appear, e.g., "blog post hero, 1200x675"] - Variants: [Aspect ratios or color modes needed] 2. **[Illustration name]** - Subject: - Concept: - Use case: - Variants: [Continue for all required illustrations] ### Optional illustrations (if time and budget allow) 1. **[Illustration name]** 2. **[Illustration name]** ### Variants per illustration Most illustrations need to work in multiple contexts: - **Light mode and dark mode:** does the illustration need a dark-background variant? - **Aspect ratios:** which crops are needed (16:9, 1:1, 9:16, banner)? - **Resolution variants:** retina vs standard, social vs hero - **Cropped vs full:** is a cropped detail of the same illustration also needed? - **Animation:** is a static illustration plus a looping animated version needed? When briefing, note which variants each illustration must support. --- ## Technical specs ### Source files - **Format:** [AI / SVG / PSD / PNG layered / Procreate / Figma] - **Layered structure required:** [Yes - so the brand can adjust colors, swap elements, or animate later. No - flat delivery only.] - **Editability:** [Editable text and shapes preferred / OK to outline] ### Export formats - **Web:** [SVG for vector, WebP / PNG for raster] - **Print:** [If applicable: CMYK, 300 DPI, with bleed] - **Resolution:** [Specific minimums per use case] - **Color profile:** [sRGB for web, CMYK for print] ### Delivery - **Format:** [Cloud delivery, file sharing, hard drive] - **Naming convention:** [e.g., "ProjectName_IllustrationN_VariantX.svg"] - **Asset management:** [Where the files live after delivery] ### Licensing - **Usage:** [Where the illustrations can be used; web, print, paid media, all media, in perpetuity] - **Term:** [Duration of license; usually 1 year, 2 years, or perpetual] - **Geography:** [Worldwide, US-only, etc.] - **Exclusivity:** [Exclusive to brand, or illustrator can include in portfolio? Most illustrators want portfolio rights even on exclusive work.] - **Modification rights:** [Can the brand modify the illustration in-house, or does any change require returning to the illustrator?] - **NFT / generative AI training:** [Explicitly state whether the illustrator can use the work to train AI, and whether the brand can.] --- ## Process and milestones ### Stages and approvals A typical illustration commission moves through these stages. Define what each milestone delivers and who approves. | Stage | What is delivered | Who approves | |---|---|---| | Brief approved | This document, signed | Brand lead | | Sketches / thumbnails | 2-3 rough directions per illustration | Brand lead + creative director | | Refined sketch | Single chosen direction, more detail | Brand lead + creative director | | Color and style test | One illustration finalized as reference | Brand lead + creative director | | Final illustrations | All deliverables, in all variants | Brand lead | | Files handed over | Source + exports, organized | Brand lead | ### Revision rounds - **Sketch round 1:** [What is in scope. Typically composition and concept. Major changes are easier here.] - **Sketch round 2:** [Refinement only. Style and composition are locked.] - **Final art rounds:** [Typically 1 round of small adjustments. Beyond this, usually billed separately.] - **Beyond included rounds:** [Cost or process for additional rounds.] ### Timeline | Milestone | Date | Owner | |---|---|---| | Brief approved | | | | Sketches delivered | | | | Sketch sign-off | | | | First finished illustration | | | | Style sign-off | | | | Remaining illustrations delivered | | | | Final files handed over | | | --- ## Budget breakdown | Item | Cost | Notes | |---|---|---| | Illustrator fee (base) | | | | Per-illustration rate | | | | Style test / first finish | | | | Revisions beyond included rounds | | | | Rush fees (if applicable) | | | | License fees (if separate from base) | | | | Source file delivery (if separate) | | | | **Total** | | | --- ## Approval process ### Who approves at each stage - **Brief:** [Name] - **Sketches:** [Names] - **Style test:** [Names] - **Final illustrations:** [Name] - **Final delivery:** [Name] ### Use of work - All deliverables become brand-owned within the licensing terms above. - Illustrator credit: [Required / optional / no credit. Typical: credit required where editorial use, optional where commercial.] - Promotion: [Illustrator can / cannot promote on their own portfolio. Typical: yes after the work is publicly launched.] --- ## Open questions [Things still being decided.] - [ ] [Question] - [ ] [Question] - [ ] [Question] --- ## Sign-off Brief approved by: - [Name, role, date] - [Name, role, date] Once signed off, scope changes require a written change order.
references/photo-shoot-brief.md# Photo Shoot Brief A complete brief for commissioning a photo shoot. Use as a starting template, fill out fully before sending to the photographer. The cost of a thorough brief is one extra hour of writing. The cost of a thin brief is a reshoot. --- ## Project overview **Project name:** [Working title] **Date of brief:** [YYYY-MM-DD] **Shoot date(s):** [Target dates] **Location(s):** [Specific or "TBD - photographer recommends"] **Photographer / studio:** [If selected] **Producer / point of contact:** [Name and contact] **Budget:** [Total or range] --- ## The story ### Premise [The core idea in one sentence. What is this shoot fundamentally about?] ### Audience [Who will see these images. Be specific. Their context, their state of mind.] ### Goal [What do these images accomplish? Brand awareness? Conversion? Emotional connection? Editorial illustration?] ### Brand role [How does the brand show up? Subtle (it's about the people), prominent (the product is the hero), or in-between?] ### The feeling [3 to 5 adjectives describing the emotional through-line. "Confident," "intimate," "celebratory," "considered," "energetic."] --- ## The look ### Visual references [5 to 10 reference images. Source: photographers' portfolios, ad campaigns, editorial work. AVOID: direct competitor imagery.] For each reference, note WHAT to take from it: - "From this image: the soft natural light" - "From this image: the close composition on hands" - "From this image: the muted color palette" NOT just dumping references with no commentary. ### What to AVOID - [Specific visual cliche to avoid, e.g., "Stock-photo-style smiling at camera"] - [Specific visual cliche to avoid] - [Visual treatment that's been overused in the category] ### Lighting - [Natural / studio / mixed] - [Soft and diffused / dramatic and directional / high-contrast / low-contrast] - [Time of day if natural] ### Color - [True color / treated / monochrome / desaturated] - [Specific color palette or mood, with hex codes if matching brand] ### Composition - [Tight crops vs. wide environments] - [Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical] - [Subject placement preferences] - [Portrait vs. landscape orientation defaults] ### Wardrobe and styling - [Casual / formal / specific style direction] - [Color preferences for wardrobe] - [Things to avoid (logos other than ours, distracting patterns, etc.)] ### Subjects / talent - [Demographics and casting direction] - [Specific talent if cast, or open call criteria] - [Diversity considerations] - [Number of subjects per shot] ### Props and set - [Required props] - [Set direction (clean, lived-in, organized, chaotic, etc.)] - [Branded elements (yes / no / minimal)] --- ## Shot list A specific list of shots needed. Each entry is a shot the photographer must deliver. ### Required shots (must-have) 1. **[Shot name]** - Description: [What's in the frame] - Composition: [Tight, wide, environmental] - Use case: [Where this image will be used, e.g., "homepage hero, 16:9"] - Quantity: [How many variations] 2. **[Shot name]** - Description: - Composition: - Use case: - Quantity: [Continue for all required shots] ### Optional shots (if time and budget allow) 1. **[Shot name]** 2. **[Shot name]** ### Variants per shot Most shots need to work in multiple aspect ratios. Specify: - **16:9 (wide):** for web hero, video thumbnails - **4:5 (vertical):** for social, mobile hero - **1:1 (square):** for Instagram, app icons, avatars - **9:16 (vertical extreme):** for Stories, vertical video When briefing, note which aspect ratios each shot must support. Photographer composes accordingly (loose enough to crop multiple ways, OR shoots specifically for each crop). --- ## Technical specs ### Resolution and format - **Minimum resolution:** [e.g., 6000x4000] - **File format:** [RAW + edited high-res JPG / TIFF] - **Color profile:** [sRGB / Adobe RGB] - **Color space:** [Web vs. print] ### Editing - **Editing scope:** [Color correction only / full retouch / specific retouch needs] - **Editing reference:** [Examples of approved final-look] ### Delivery - **Format:** [Cloud delivery, file sharing, hard drive] - **Naming convention:** [e.g., "ProjectName_ShotN_VariantX.jpg"] - **Asset management:** [Where the files live after delivery] ### Licensing - **Usage:** [Where the images can be used; web, print, paid media, all media, in perpetuity] - **Term:** [Duration of license; usually 1 year, 2 years, or perpetual] - **Geography:** [Worldwide, US-only, etc.] - **Exclusivity:** [Exclusive to brand, or photographer can include in portfolio?] --- ## Logistics ### Timeline | Milestone | Date | Owner | |---|---|---| | Brief approved | | | | Treatment / mood board sign-off | | | | Casting / location finalized | | | | Shoot day(s) | | | | Selects delivered | | | | Final edits delivered | | | ### Budget breakdown | Item | Cost | Notes | |---|---|---| | Photographer fee | | | | Talent | | | | Wardrobe / styling | | | | Hair / makeup | | | | Location fee | | | | Set / props | | | | Equipment | | | | Editing / retouching | | | | Production / coordination | | | | Contingency (10%) | | | | **Total** | | | ### Crew - Photographer: [Name] - Photo assistant: [Name] - Producer: [Name] - Stylist: [Name] - Hair / makeup: [Name] - Talent: [Names] - Brand reps on set: [Names] ### Logistics day-of - Call time: [Time] - Wrap time (target): [Time] - Catering / craft services: [Plan] - Wet weather plan: [If outdoor] - Day-of contact list: [Names and numbers] --- ## Approval process ### Who approves at each stage - **Brief:** [Name] - **Treatment / mood board:** [Names] - **Day-of selects:** [Names on set or remote review] - **Edited final selects:** [Name] - **Final delivery:** [Name] ### Revision rounds - **Edits round 1:** [What's in scope] - **Edits round 2:** [What's in scope] - **Beyond round 2:** [Cost or process for additional rounds] ### Use of work - All deliverables become brand-owned within the licensing terms above. - Photographer credit: [Required / optional / no credit] - Promotion: [Photographer can / cannot promote on their own portfolio] --- ## Open questions [Things still being decided.] - [ ] [Question] - [ ] [Question] - [ ] [Question] --- ## Sign-off Brief approved by: - [Name, role, date] - [Name, role, date] Once signed off, scope changes require a written change order.
SKILL.md--- name: art-direction description: "Direct visual and creative work for campaigns, photography, illustration, video, and branded experiences. Use this skill whenever the user wants to brief a photographer, direct illustrators, plan a creative campaign, develop visual concepts, or evaluate creative work for fit. Triggers on art direction, photo brief, photography brief, illustration brief, campaign concept, creative concept, visual direction, mood board, look and feel, visual treatment, video direction. Also triggers when the user has approved brand identity but needs to extend it into specific creative deliverables. Use `creative-direction` instead when the ask is the project-wide aesthetic brief that this skill consumes as input." category: design catalog_summary: "Photography, illustration, and visual direction for campaigns" display_order: 3 --- # Art Direction Direct creative work that extends the brand into specific deliverables. Photography, illustration, video, motion, campaigns, environmental design. This skill assumes brand identity is approved (`brand-identity` complete). Art direction is about applying and extending it, not defining it. --- ## When to use - Briefing photographers, illustrators, videographers - Developing campaign creative concepts - Directing in-house creative teams - Writing creative direction documents for vendors - Evaluating creative deliverables for brand fit - Adapting brand visual identity to a new format or context ## When NOT to use - Setting project-wide aesthetic direction across multiple downstream skills (use `creative-direction` instead). This skill briefs specific creative deliverables; `creative-direction` produces the structured aesthetic brief that this skill consumes. - Defining brand visual identity from scratch (use `brand-identity`) - Day-to-day component design (use `design-standards`) - Writing copy for creative work (use `content-and-copy` or `landing-page-copy`) - Building a design system (use `design-system`) --- ## Required inputs - The deliverable (photo shoot, illustration set, video, campaign) - The brand identity (visual system, voice, imagery direction) - The audience for this specific work - The goal (brand awareness, conversion, education, emotional connection) - Budget and timeline - Distribution context (where it will be seen) --- ## The framework: 5 layers A creative brief covers five layers. Each must be clear before the brief leaves your hands. ### 1. The story What this creative work is fundamentally about. - **The premise.** The core idea in one sentence. - **The emotional through-line.** What the audience feels. - **The role of the brand.** How the brand shows up in the story. - **The takeaway.** What the audience walks away with. A weak premise produces work that's pretty but says nothing. Spend time here. ### 2. The look The visual treatment. **For photography:** - Subject and composition (close-up, environmental, candid, posed) - Lighting (natural, studio, dramatic, soft) - Color palette (true color, treated, monochrome) - Locations (specific or general direction) - Wardrobe and props - Mood references (the photo brief template sets how many) **For illustration:** - Style (flat, dimensional, hand-drawn, geometric, abstract) - Color use (full palette, restricted, brand-only) - Line treatment - Composition style - Detail level - Reference artists or works, with explicit "we want like X but NOT like Y" (the illustration brief template sets how many) **For video / motion:** - Pacing (slow, medium, fast cuts) - Camera movement (static, handheld, sweeping) - Color grading - Transitions and effects - Audio direction (music, voiceover, ambient) - Reference work (3 to 5 examples; no template covers motion, so this count is the one to use) ### 3. The execution Production-level direction. **Specifications:** - Deliverable formats and sizes (web hero, social square, print full-page) - Required shots or frames - Optional shots if budget allows - Wardrobe and prop list (for live action) - Color and asset specs (RGB, CMYK, hex codes for matching) **Constraints:** - Things to avoid (specific cliches, forbidden treatments, regulatory) - Brand-system requirements (logo placement, color use, type rules) ### 4. The variants How this creative scales across distribution. Most creative needs to live in multiple places. Plan the variants up front. **Common variant set for a campaign:** - Hero web image (16:9 or wider) - Mobile web hero (4:5 or 1:1) - Social square (1:1) - Social vertical (9:16) - Email banner (3:1 typical) - Display ad sizes (300x250, 728x90, etc.) - Print sizes if applicable For each variant, note: how the composition adapts, what gets cropped or repositioned, what assets are required. ### 5. The standards The quality bar. **Technical:** - Resolution and format requirements - Color profile - File naming conventions - Delivery format (raw + edited, layered files, exported variants) **Creative:** - What "approved" looks like (specific examples of acceptable work) - What "not approved" looks like (specific examples to avoid) - Number of revision rounds budgeted --- ## Workflow ### For briefing external creative 1. **Confirm the inputs.** Brand identity locked. Audience and goal clear. Budget and timeline known. 2. **Develop the concept.** Premise, emotional through-line, takeaway. 3. **Build the look.** Mood references. Specific direction on style elements. 4. **Write the spec.** Production-level direction. Variants. Constraints. Licensing and usage rights, agreed before the shoot or the first sketch, not after: both brief templates make licensing a pre-production section for the reason that renegotiating it against finished work costs more. 5. **Brief the vendor.** In writing. Walk through it live. Allow questions. 6. **Review milestones.** Treatment review, halfway review, final review. Don't skip the early reviews; corrections compound. 7. **Approve and document.** What was produced, and confirmation that it shipped under the licensing agreed at step 4. ### For directing in-house creative 1. **Same brief, lighter format.** In-house direction can be more iterative. Still document the brief. 2. **Co-create.** In-house teams know the brand. Use their judgment. Don't over-direct. 3. **Establish review rhythm.** Daily check-ins for fast work, weekly for longer projects. ### For evaluating existing creative 1. **Score against the brief.** Did the work hit the brief? Where did it deviate? 2. **Score against the brand.** Does this look like the brand? Could this be confused with a competitor? 3. **Score against the goal.** Will this drive the intended outcome? 4. **Identify fixes.** What can be improved? What's a deal-breaker vs. acceptable? --- ## Failure patterns - **"Modern, clean, minimal" briefs.** Means nothing. Force specificity. Use specific reference brands, named artists, or visual examples. - **No "what to avoid" direction.** Vendors interpret broadly. Tell them what's out of bounds explicitly. - **Reference imagery that's actually competitor work.** You'll get something that looks like the competitor. Never use direct competitors as references. - **Skipping early reviews.** Every revision late in the process is 5x more expensive than catching issues at treatment stage. - **Too many cooks.** 6 stakeholders all giving creative feedback produces incoherent work. Concentrate creative authority. - **Ignoring distribution.** Creative that doesn't work in the actual contexts where it will live is failed creative. - **No variant planning.** Discovering at delivery that you need a square crop and the photographer composed for 16:9 only. - **Approving creative that's "fine."** Fine is the enemy of distinctive. If it doesn't move you, it won't move the audience. --- ## Output format Default output is a creative brief at `creative-brief-[project].md`, written against one of the brief templates in `references/`. The template you pick is the structure: use [`references/photo-shoot-brief.md`](references/photo-shoot-brief.md) for photography, [`references/illustration-brief.md`](references/illustration-brief.md) for illustration, and [`references/creative-brief-template.md`](references/creative-brief-template.md) for anything else or for a mixed production. Each template owns its own section list, section order, and reference-image count. Do not write to the five-layer outline below and hope it maps; the templates carry sections the layers do not, licensing and usage rights among them, and those sections are load-bearing before production starts, not after it. The five layers are the thinking. Every template covers all five, in its own order: 1. The story (premise, through-line, role of brand, takeaway) 2. The look (visual treatment with references) 3. The execution (specs, variants, constraints) 4. The standards (quality bar, examples of acceptable and unacceptable) 5. The logistics (timeline, milestones, budget, deliverables, licensing and usage rights) Plus a separate moodboard or visual reference doc with images, at the count the chosen template gives. --- ## Reference files - [`references/creative-brief-template.md`](references/creative-brief-template.md) - Generic art direction brief template covering any production type (photo, illustration, video, animation, mixed). - [`references/photo-shoot-brief.md`](references/photo-shoot-brief.md) - Detailed brief template for photography commissions. - [`references/illustration-brief.md`](references/illustration-brief.md) - Brief template for illustration commissions.