kenneth-liao/ai-launchpad-marketplace/design-system

Design System Generator

Create complete visual design systems from scratch through guided discovery, documentation, and AI-generated asset production.

Workflow Overview

Execute these phases in strict order. Output Location must be asked first. Phase 0 is optional (skip if user has no references). Never skip Phases 1-5. Each phase builds on the previous.

Output Location

Before anything else, ask the user where they want the design system saved. Use the AskUserQuestion tool:

Question: "Where should this design system be saved?"

Store the choice as output_location.

Path resolution (happens after Phase 2 when the style name is finalized):

• Local: {output_dir} = ./design-system/
• User level: {output_dir} = ~/.claude/.context/design-systems/{style-name-slug}/

Where {style-name-slug} is the style name lowercased with spaces and special characters replaced by hyphens (e.g., "Ink & Ember" → ink-and-ember, "Neon Chalk" → neon-chalk).

User-level design systems are organized so each style gets its own directory:

~/.claude/.context/design-systems/
├── ink-and-ember/          ← YouTube brand
│   ├── ink-and-ember-design-system.md
│   ├── 01-hero-character.png
│   └── ...
├── paper-and-sage/         ← Newsletter brand
│   ├── paper-and-sage-design-system.md
│   ├── 01-hero-character.png
│   └── ...

Phase 0: Reference Input (Optional)

Before starting discovery, ask the user if they have existing visual references to anchor the design system. References dramatically improve consistency by grounding the system in concrete examples rather than abstract descriptions alone.

Opening prompt: "Before we start defining your design system, do you have any existing visual references? These could be brand assets you already use, inspiration images, or examples of styles you like. This is optional — we can build entirely from scratch too."

Supported input modes:

Analysis protocol:

For each reference image or website, extract and document:

1. Dominant colors — Identify the 3-5 most prominent colors with approximate hex codes. Note which appear to be background, primary, and accent.
2. Line work / rendering style — Is it illustrated or photographic? If illustrated: line weight (thick/thin), edge quality (clean/sketchy), fill approach (flat/gradient/outline-only).
3. Composition patterns — Spacing density, focal point placement, symmetry, use of whitespace.
4. Medium / aesthetic — Flat vector, hand-drawn, 3D, photographic, collage, abstract, etc.
5. Mood / emotional tone — What feeling does it convey? Warm, corporate, playful, dark, etc.
6. Character style (if characters present) — Proportions, facial detail level, body style, identifying features.
7. What's NOT present — Notable absences that may indicate intentional anti-patterns (no gradients, no photography, no text, etc.).

After analysis, present a summary:

"Here's what I'm seeing across your references: [2-3 sentence synthesis of the dominant visual patterns — colors, style, mood, composition]. I'll use this to suggest defaults during the discovery questionnaire, but you can override any suggestion."

Smart defaults:

• Store the analysis results as reference_analysis
• During Phase 1, for each dimension where the reference analysis provides a clear signal, pre-select the closest matching option and note: *"Based on your references, I'd suggest: [option] — [brief reason from analysis]. Does this match your intent?"*
• If the references are ambiguous for a dimension (e.g., mixed styles across images), present all options without a default and note the ambiguity: "Your references show a mix of [X] and [Y] — which direction do you want to lean?"
• The user always has full control — smart defaults are suggestions, not decisions

Reference images are preserved for later use:

• Copy user-provided reference images to design-system/references/ during Phase 5
• These become part of the Reference Library alongside the 8 generated style board images
• During Phase 4 asset generation, user references can be provided to nanobanana as style anchors

Phase 1: Discovery

Guide the user through structured questions to define their visual preferences. Use the AskUserQuestion tool to present options.

Load the full question bank from references/discovery-framework.md.

Rules:

• Ask questions in dimension order (they build on each other)
• Present 3-4 options per question with clear descriptions
• Allow multi-select where the framework indicates
• If Phase 0 produced smart defaults, pre-select the suggested option and include the reasoning. Still present all options — the user decides.
• After each answer, give a brief 1-sentence acknowledgment contextualizing the choice, then move to the next question
• Adapt later questions based on earlier answers (the framework specifies when to skip or modify questions)
• Complete ALL dimensions before moving to Phase 2
• Batch related questions when possible (max 4 per AskUserQuestion call) to keep the flow efficient without overwhelming

Dimensions (in order):

1. Primary use cases
2. Overall vibe / mood
3. Medium preference (illustration vs photography)
4. Specific illustration style direction
5. Color strategy
6. Accent color
7. Base tone
8. Line work / edge treatment
9. Composition approach
10. Anti-patterns (what to avoid)

Phase 2: Synthesis

After all 10 dimensions are answered, synthesize into a coherent design system.

Steps:

1. Review all discovery answers as a complete set
2. Identify the dominant aesthetic thread connecting the choices
3. Generate a memorable 2-3 word style name using the naming convention below
4. Define 3-4 core principles — short imperative phrases with explanations
5. Build the complete color palette — 6 colors with hex codes, role names, usage descriptions, AND natural language AI descriptions (see template)
6. Calculate color ratios based on strategy (see ratio guide in template)
7. Build the Style Language Map — translate every technical spec (colors, line work, fill, texture, composition, mood) into copy-paste-ready natural language phrases for prompt use. This is critical for AI generation consistency.
8. Specify line work, illustration, typography, and composition rules
9. Define the Character System — including system type (Solo, Duo/Companion, or Cast). For each character: archetype, proportions, strict facial feature rules (what IS present AND what is FORBIDDEN), consistent identifiers, and fidelity levels. For Duo systems: define companion appearance, states/behaviors, and which character owns the accent color. See template for full structure.
10. Define application guidelines for each use case from Dimension 1
11. List explicit anti-patterns from Dimension 10 plus any that conflict with chosen directions
12. Create the Consistency Enforcement section — document unwanted feature prevention rules, style drift prevention keywords, and a character verification checklist (see template)

Style Naming Convention: Combine a texture word + a color/mood word. The name should evoke the visual feel in 2-3 words.

Examples: "Ink & Teal", "Neon Chalk", "Warm Blueprint", "Velvet Ember", "Paper & Sage"

Present the style name and core principles to the user for approval before proceeding to Phase 3. If the user wants changes, adjust and re-present.

Phase 3: Documentation

Generate the complete design system document using the template from references/design-system-template.md.

Output: A markdown file saved to {output_dir}/{style-name}-design-system.md (see Output Location for path resolution).

Rules:

• Fill EVERY section — no placeholders or template markers in the final output
• Include specific hex codes for all colors
• Write in present tense, declarative voice
• Include concrete, actionable guidelines (not vague suggestions)
• The document must be fully self-contained — anyone reading it should be able to produce on-brand visuals without additional context
• Include the complete Nano Banana prompt library (8 prompts) in the document

Verification: After writing the document, read it back and check:

• No unfilled {{placeholder}} markers remain
• All sections from the template are present
• All 6 color palette entries have hex codes
• The Nano Banana prompt library has all 8 prompts
• The Style Language Map is complete (no empty categories)
• If any issues found, fix and re-write before proceeding to Phase 4

Phase 4: Asset Generation

Generate 8 style board elements using the creator-stack:nanobanana skill. Build prompts using the templates and best practices from references/prompt-engineering.md.

Required elements (generate in this order):