designer_guide

Design

Guidance for creating and editing designs using the designer tool.

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/siddsachar/row-bot/blob/HEAD/tool_guides/designer_guide/SKILL.md

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DESIGNER TOOL:

You have designer tools that create/edit multi-page visual designs.
Each project has a mode, a canvas aspect ratio, multi-page content, and an optional brand config.
All designs are rendered as HTML/CSS in a sandboxed iframe preview.

Project modes (pick one — the mode dictates layout, canvas, and tool surface)

mode	What it produces	page_kind	Default aspect	Canvas behaviour
`deck`	Slide deck (16:9 / 4:3 / 1:1 / 9:16)	slide	16:9 (1920×1080)	Fixed body — `width:Wpx; height:Hpx; overflow:hidden`. Each page is a single slide.
`document`	A4 / Letter document pages	slide	A4 (794×1123)	Fixed page body — same fixed-frame rules as deck.
`landing`	Tall scrollable landing page	screen	landing (1440×3200 hint)	Tall scrollable. Use `html,body{min-height:100vh;overflow-x:hidden}` and a `.page{max-width:1440px;margin:0 auto}` wrapper. NEVER set `body{overflow:hidden}` or fixed pixel `height`. Use responsive units (`vw`, `clamp()`, `%`).
`app_mockup`	Phone or desktop UI prototype	screen	phone (390×844)	One device viewport per page/route. `html,body{width:Wpx;height:Hpx;overflow:hidden}`. In-content scrolling goes inside an inner `.screen-body{overflow-y:auto}`.
`storyboard`	Cinematic shot-by-shot board	shot	16:9 (1920×1080)	Fixed-frame like deck. Each page = one shot with beat / caption / camera direction.

The user picks mode in the New Design dialog. You can read it with designer_get_project and change it with designer_set_mode. Switching modes does NOT auto-resize the canvas — call designer_resize_project after designer_set_mode if you also want a different aspect.

Core page operations

designer_set_pages: Replace ALL pages. Use for new projects or full reworks. Input: list of {html, title, notes}.
designer_update_page: Update a single page HTML. Input: index, html, optional title.
designer_add_page: Insert a new page. Use index=-1 to append.
designer_delete_page: Remove a page by index. DESTRUCTIVE — requires user approval.
designer_move_page: Reorder a page. Input: from_index, to_index.
designer_get_project: Read project summary (mode, page titles, brand, dimensions). Call before any multi-page edit.
designer_get_page_html: Read the full stored HTML for a single page. Call before full-page rewrites so you preserve existing assets and layout.
designer_get_reference: Read a saved project reference by id or filename so you can reuse prior attachments without asking again.

Interactive modes — `landing` and `app_mockup`

For these modes, never write raw <script> or onclick=. The preview is sandboxed and a thin runtime bridge wires interactivity from declarative attributes.

Declarative attributes the runtime understands

data-row-bot-route="<route_id>" → marks a screen/route section. The runtime shows one route at a time. The outer route container also gets data-row-bot-route-host="1" automatically when emitted via designer_add_screen.
data-row-bot-action="navigate:<route_id>" → click handler that switches to the named route.
data-row-bot-action="toggle_state:<key>" → click handler that flips a state key. The runtime sets data-row-bot-state-<key>="on|off" on <html>; style with [data-row-bot-state-<key>="on"] selectors.
data-row-bot-action="play_media:<asset_id>" → click handler that plays a video/audio asset.
data-row-bot-transition="fade|slide_left|slide_up|none" (optional, on the navigation source).

Tools for interactive projects

designer_add_screen: Add a new screen/route. Input: title, optional route_id (auto-slugified from title), optional html (branded blank if empty), optional copy_from (page index to duplicate).
designer_link_screens: Wire a click on one element to navigate to another screen. Input: source_route, selector (CSS or data-row-bot-element-id), target_route, optional transition.
designer_set_interaction: Generic — attach navigate / toggle_state / play_media to any selector. Input: source_route, selector, action, target, optional event, optional transition.
designer_reorder_routes: Reorder the route list (which is the page list for screen-mode projects).
designer_preview_screen: Render a single route in isolation for review.
designer_set_mode: Switch the project's mode (and tool surface).

Authoring rules per interactive mode

landing: usually ONE page that scrolls vertically. Sections (<section id="...">) for hero / features / pricing / FAQ / CTA / footer. Use anchor links (<a href="#features">) for in-page jumps; reserve data-row-bot-action="navigate:..." for cross-route flows in multi-page landings.
app_mockup: ONE route per logical screen (Home, Detail, Settings, etc.). Each page's HTML is the entire device viewport. Use data-row-bot-action="navigate:<route_id>" on tappable rows, tab bars, and back buttons. Use data-row-bot-transition="slide_left" when going deeper, slide_right when going back. Wrap scrollable content inside an inner .screen-body{overflow-y:auto}.

Media (images, video)

designer_generate_image: Generate an AI image from a text prompt and embed it in a page. Input: prompt, optional page_index (-1=active), position (top/bottom), width, height, size. When a page contains a data-row-bot-shot-visual or data-row-bot-image-slot placeholder (storyboards, typed deck slots), the generated image automatically replaces the placeholder and fills the slot — no extra positioning call needed for the first generation.
designer_insert_image: Insert an attached or local image file. Same slot-replacement behavior as generate.
designer_generate_video: Generate an MP4 from a text prompt (or image-to-video). Input: prompt, optional page_index, position, width, aspect_ratio. Embedded as <video autoplay loop muted playsinline> with a poster.
designer_insert_video: Insert an attached / local video file (mp4/webm/mov). Same autoplay/loop/muted defaults.
designer_move_image, designer_replace_image, designer_move_element, designer_duplicate_element, designer_restyle_element: targeted DOM-level edits.
designer_remove_image: Remove an inserted image, chart, or video from a page WITHOUT deleting the page. Input: image_ref (asset ID or label), optional page_index (-1=active). Use this — NOT designer_delete_page and NOT designer_replace_image — when the user says "remove the picture", "delete the image from shot 2", "clear the visual", etc. Shot-visual / image-slot placeholders revert to their dashed preview automatically.
When reusing a known project asset inside hand-written HTML, use src="asset://ASSET_ID" and keep data-asset-id="ASSET_ID" on the <img> / <video>. Never invent placeholder tokens like __ASSET_...__ or __REMOVE__.

AI content & polish

designer_refine_text: Refine a text element. Input: page_index, tag (e.g. 'h1', 'p'), old_text (exact text), action (shorten/expand/professional/casual/persuasive/simplify/bullets/paragraph/custom), optional custom_instruction.
designer_add_chart: Add a chart. Input: chart_type (bar/line/pie/scatter/donut/histogram/box/area/heatmap), data_csv (inline CSV with header), optional title, page_index, position.
designer_insert_component: Insert a curated reusable block (hero callout, stats band, testimonial, pricing cards, timeline section).
designer_critique_page: Review for hierarchy, overflow, contrast, readability, spacing.
designer_apply_repairs: Apply safe deterministic fixes for selected critique categories.
designer_brand_lint: Read-only scan for contrast issues, off-palette colors, non-brand fonts, missing alt text, logo safe-zone overlaps. Input: optional page_index (-1=all). Returns structured JSON.
designer_generate_notes: Generate speaker notes for one page (deck/document modes).

Brand & canvas

designer_set_brand: Update brand colors/fonts and logo placement. Includes logo_mode, logo_scope, logo_position, logo_max_height, logo_padding.
designer_resize_project: Resize the canvas using a built-in preset or explicit aspect ratio. Available aspects: 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 9:16, A4, letter, landing (1440×3200), phone (390×844), desktop (1440×900). Use after designer_set_mode if changing both.

Export & publish

designer_export: Input: format (pdf/html/png/pptx), optional page range. PDF/PNG/PPTX work best for deck and document. Single-file html works for any mode.
designer_publish_link: Publish a self-contained shareable HTML deck link. For landing and app_mockup, this produces an interactive bundle (includes the runtime bridge + transitions CSS) so navigation and toggles work in the published page.

HTML rules (all modes)

Each page MUST be a complete self-contained HTML document with inline <style>.
Use CSS variables for brand: --primary, --secondary, --accent, --bg, --text, --heading-font, --body-font.
Canvas size + mode are provided in the system prompt — follow the canvas rules table above.
Include Google Fonts <link> if using custom fonts.
Modern CSS only: flexbox, grid, gradients, box-shadow. No external frameworks.
For placeholder images: colored SVG shapes or gradient divs, never external URLs.
No <script> and no inline onclick — the iframe is sandboxed. Use data-row-bot-action for interactive modes; deck/document/storyboard pages have no interactivity.

Content budgets per mode (anti-clipping)

Fixed-slide modes (deck, document, storyboard) clip with overflow:hidden — anything past the canvas height is lost. Stick to these per-page budgets:

deck (16:9 @ 1920×1080): ONE heading + EITHER (a) one paragraph ≤45 words, (b) up to 3 cards/columns with ≤25 words each, OR (c) one chart/image + ≤2 bullets. Max 5 bullets. 64–96 px edge padding. Heading ≤4.5rem, body ≤1.4rem, line-height 1.3–1.5. Leave ≥48 px of bottom breathing room.
document (A4 / Letter): 130–160 words body copy per page (lead paragraph + 3–4 short sections with ~2 bullets each). Max ~5 top-level sections per page — split into more pages rather than cramming. Generous line-height (1.45–1.6), 16–24 px gap between sections, ≥32–48 px bottom padding.
storyboard (1920×1080): each shot gets ONE eyebrow (≤3 words) + ONE heading (≤6 words) + ONE short paragraph (≤35 words) OR a pull-quote card + AT MOST two small metadata cards (shot type, camera move) OR one voiceover card — not both + ONE direction/note line (≤30 words) + ONE footer strip (timeline OR shot counter). Pick 3–4 visible blocks max. Push extra detail to page notes via designer_generate_notes instead of the visible frame. Right column uses display:flex; flex-direction:column; gap:20–28px; padding:64px 56px; with ≥48 px bottom space.

Landing and app_mockup modes flow differently — landing pages scroll vertically, app mockups fit one device viewport per route — but the same principle applies: count blocks before you write HTML, and split rather than cram.

Authoring guardrails (all modes)

No decorative overlap on text. Never place absolutely-positioned decorative CSS art (blobs, hand-drawn shapes, mascots, chef figures, etc.) on top of a heading or body paragraph. If a hero has a headline, either (a) give the illustration its own column/row, (b) put the illustration behind the text with low opacity and z-index:0 AND ensure the text has a readable background or text-shadow, or (c) omit the illustration. When in doubt, use a real AI image via a typed image slot instead of CSS shapes.
Button rows stay horizontal. When emitting two buttons side-by-side (Back + primary, Cancel + Confirm, etc.), use display:flex; gap:12–24px; and give the primary button flex:1. Never let them stack vertically or touch. Secondary / ghost buttons must be visually distinct (transparent or outlined) from the primary action — never two identical filled pills.
Typed image slots over overlays. When authoring a page that will later receive an AI image, mark the target container with data-row-bot-image-slot="NAME" (e.g. <div data-row-bot-image-slot="hero" style="width:100%;aspect-ratio:16/9;"></div>). designer_generate_image / designer_insert_image will fill the first matching slot, sized to cover. Alternatively pass position="replace:.my-class" or position="replace:#my-id" to target a specific container. Never emit an absolute-positioned image overlay unless the user explicitly asked for a floating element.

Post-critique repair loop (mandatory after major rewrites)

After any full-page rewrite, full-project rebuild, mode switch, canvas resize, or multi-page update:

Call designer_critique_page(page_index=<n>) on each changed page.
If any finding category is overflow, either:
- call designer_apply_repairs(page_index=<n>, categories=["overflow"]), OR
- trim content and call designer_update_page again, OR
- split to a new page via designer_add_page.
Never ship a page with an unresolved overflow finding.

For broader sweeps, pass multiple categories: designer_apply_repairs(categories=["spacing","readability","overflow"]).

Workflow patterns

Decks / documents / storyboards (static)

Creating: designer_get_project → designer_set_pages with all pages.
Editing one slide: designer_update_page with the affected index.
"Make all pages darker": designer_get_project → designer_update_page per page.
"Add a pricing slide after slide 3": designer_add_page(index=3, ...).
"Export as PDF": designer_export(format="pdf").
Speaker notes: designer_generate_notes for the relevant page (don't rewrite the HTML).

Landing pages

One page is fine. Build vertically with <section> blocks: hero, features, pricing, FAQ, CTA, footer.
Use clamp() and vw units for typography. Use max-width:1440px on a .page wrapper.
For multi-page landing flows (e.g. a stepper), use designer_add_screen per step and designer_link_screens for the navigation.

App mockups

Plan routes first: list every screen the user mentions. Call designer_set_pages (or designer_add_screen per route) so each page has data-row-bot-route="<id>" on its outer container.
Wire navigation explicitly with designer_link_screens or designer_set_interaction(action="navigate", ...). Don't use <a href="#detail">.
For toggleable UI (dark mode, notifications, expanded panels), use data-row-bot-action="toggle_state:<key>" and style with [data-row-bot-state-<key>="on"] selectors on <html>.
Wrap scrollable content inside an inner .screen-body — the outer body stays at the device viewport.

Mode change

"Turn this deck into a landing page": designer_set_mode("landing") → designer_resize_project("landing") → designer_set_pages([...]) rewriting the content as a single tall page.

Canvas / brand

Canvas changes: designer_resize_project before restyling when the user wants square, vertical, A4, Letter, phone, desktop, landing, or standard slide formats.
Brand changes: designer_set_brand first. It updates stored brand CSS and can switch the automatic logo overlay between all pages, first page only, or manual placeholder mode.

Sharing

Shareable deck/landing URL: designer_publish_link (handles interactive bundles automatically when mode is landing or app_mockup).
One-off file: designer_export(format="html") for a single self-contained file.

AI imagery

"Add a photo of mountains": designer_generate_image(prompt="cinematic photo of mountain landscape at sunrise") — or ask the user to attach a reference image and call designer_insert_image.
"Generate an AI image of a futuristic city": designer_generate_image(prompt="futuristic city skyline").
"Add a 4-second product video": designer_generate_video(prompt="...", aspect_ratio="16:9").
"Generate a still image for every shot": call designer_generate_image once per page — shot-visual placeholders are filled automatically in the correct slot for each.
"Remove the picture from shot 2" / "delete the image on this page": call designer_remove_image(image_ref="<asset-id or label>", page_index=<n>). Do NOT use designer_delete_page (that removes the whole page) and do NOT pass a fake sentinel to designer_replace_image.

Components & critiques

"Add a metrics strip near the top": designer_insert_component(component_name="stats_band", page_index=-1, position="top").
"Review the current slide and fix what feels cramped": designer_critique_page(page_index=-1) → designer_apply_repairs(page_index=-1, categories=["spacing","readability","overflow"]).
"Make the heading shorter": designer_refine_text(page_index=0, tag="h1", old_text="...", action="shorten").
"Add a bar chart of Q1 revenue": designer_add_chart(chart_type="bar", data_csv="Quarter,Revenue\nQ1,120\nQ2,150\n...").
"Show me what you changed" / "review last turn": the UI surfaces a review dialog with a page-by-page mutation diff after every agent turn — you don't need to call it, but do reference it when the user asks what you altered.

IMPORTANT

Refs from designer_get_project can go stale. Re-read if unsure.
Always explain what you changed in your text response after tool calls.
Maintain visual consistency across pages.
Keep HTML compact — avoid unnecessary nesting or unused CSS.
AI images: descriptive prompts. Specify style (photo, illustration, etc.). There is no stock-image tool — use designer_generate_image or designer_insert_image (attached/local file) only.
For interactive modes, never emit <script>, inline event handlers, or rely on <a href> for navigation between routes — use data-row-bot-action.