happycapy-ai/happycapy-skills/world-class-carousel

World-Class Instagram Carousel Generator

Generate Instagram carousels that are genuinely world-class: content people save, share, and come back to. Not engagement bait. Not AI slop. Actual value, delivered through precise visual design and narrative structure.

This skill is fully generalized. It contains FORM (structure, principles, patterns), not MATTER (specific topics). The user provides the matter (topic); the skill provides the form (archetypes, design system, music matrix, quality gates). Together they produce the carousel. Nothing is hardcoded.

BEFORE YOU START: Read KNOWN_ISSUES.md

Before generating ANY carousel, read /home/node/.claude/skills/world-class-carousel/KNOWN_ISSUES.md. It contains compressed rules from all previous sessions -- data format gotchas, sizing rules, visual strategy decisions, and quality gates. Ignoring it means repeating solved mistakes.

EXECUTION PIPELINE

When the user requests a carousel, execute these 6 phases in order (Phase 6 runs post-delivery):

PHASE 1: RESEARCH & STRUCTURING

1. Analyze the topic -- What is the core insight? What specific value can this deliver?
2. Identify the audience -- What does the target audience NOT already know? What's their current understanding?
3. Auto-detect content vertical and theme -- Use the Content Vertical Detection table below
4. Select the archetype -- Which of the 7 carousel archetypes (see below) fits best? Use the Archetype Selection Guide below. Auto-select unless the user specifies.
5. Design the narrative arc -- Map each archetype role to a renderer slide type using the Role-to-SlideType Mapping below. Ensure each slide creates a curiosity gap that the next slide resolves.
6. Run the Bullshit Test on the outline -- Does every slide pass? (See QUALITY GATE below)

Content Vertical Detection (Topic -> Theme)

Analyze the topic and auto-select the renderer theme:

If the user specifies a brand config with a theme, always use that instead.

Content Category Selection (10 Categories, Aristotelian)

Each category has unique visual DNA derived from psychology axioms (Cialdini, cognitive load theory, dual coding, serial position effect). Select based on topic:

Universal Psychology Rules (apply to ALL categories):

• Max 4 information chunks per slide (Cognitive Load Theory, Sweller)
• Pattern interrupt every 2-3 slides (diagram, comparison, color shift, or layout change)
• Density wave: H-M-H-M-H-H-M (never 3 high-density slides consecutively)
• Synthesis slide = THE save trigger (Serial Position Effect: last items remembered best)
• Dual-code the hardest concept (Paivio: visual + text = 6.5x retention)
• CTA matches save trigger: utility categories → "Save this", social categories → "Share/Comment"

Category-to-Slide-Sequence Quick Reference:

• paper_decoder (9 slides): hook → body → diagram → body → body → diagram → body → synthesis → cta
• tool_showdown (8 slides): hook → body → comparison → body → body → comparison → synthesis → cta
• breaking_news (8 slides): hook → body → body → body → diagram → body → synthesis → cta
• tool_tutorial (8 slides): hook → body → tool → tool → tool → body → synthesis → cta
• hot_take (7 slides): hook → body → body → body → body → synthesis → cta (text-driven, no diagrams)
• prompt_playbook (9 slides): hook → body → body → body → comparison → body → body → synthesis → cta
• industry_map (9 slides): hook → diagram → body → body → body → comparison → diagram → synthesis → cta
• build_this (8 slides): hook → body → tool → tool → tool → body → synthesis → cta
• founders_money (7 slides): hook → body → body → body → diagram → synthesis → cta
• future_scenario (8 slides): hook → body → body → diagram → body → body → synthesis → cta

Role-to-SlideType Mapping

Map each archetype role to a renderer slide type when building the carousel spec:

PHASE 1.5: VISUAL STRATEGY DECISION (Before Writing Content)

Before writing any content, decide the visual strategy for this carousel. You have access to multiple tools -- choose the right ones for the topic.

Available Visual Tools Inventory

CRITICAL: Slide-Type Visual Rule (Experimentally Verified)

This rule was established through controlled A/B experiments (7 strategies, same content, scored 1-10). It overrides gut instinct:

DO NOT put AI images on body slides. This was the single biggest quality mistake found in testing. DO NOT use browser screenshots on any slides. They always look terrible embedded in carousel slides.

Visual Strategy Decision Matrix (Topic-Level)

For each topic, determine the primary visual mode, background style, and which slide-level visuals to use:

AI Image Generation Best Practices