Style Reference
Core Styles
Simplified style tier for quick selection:
| Core Style | Maps To | Best For |
|---|---|---|
hand-drawn |
sketch-notes | Default. Warm cream paper, black hand-drawn lines, pastel blocks — educational infographics, concept explainers, onboarding, general knowledge articles |
vector |
vector-illustration | Knowledge articles, tutorials, tech content |
minimal-flat |
notion | General, knowledge sharing, SaaS |
sci-fi |
blueprint | AI, frontier tech, system design |
editorial |
editorial | Processes, data, journalism |
scene |
warm/watercolor | Narratives, emotional, lifestyle |
poster |
screen-print | Opinion, editorial, cultural, cinematic |
Use Core Styles for most cases. When no strong content signal is detected, default to hand-drawn (→ sketch-notes). See full Style Gallery below for granular control.
Style Gallery
| Style | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
vector-illustration |
Clean flat vector art with bold shapes | Knowledge articles, tutorials, tech content |
notion |
Minimalist hand-drawn line art | Knowledge sharing, SaaS, productivity |
elegant |
Refined, sophisticated | Business, thought leadership |
warm |
Friendly, approachable | Personal growth, lifestyle, education |
minimal |
Ultra-clean, zen-like | Philosophy, minimalism, core concepts |
blueprint |
Technical schematics | Architecture, system design, engineering |
watercolor |
Soft artistic with natural warmth | Lifestyle, travel, creative |
editorial |
Magazine-style infographic | Tech explainers, journalism |
scientific |
Academic precise diagrams | Biology, chemistry, technical research |
chalkboard |
Classroom chalk drawing style | Education, teaching, explanations |
fantasy-animation |
Ghibli/Disney-inspired hand-drawn | Storybook, magical, emotional |
flat |
Modern bold geometric shapes | Modern digital, contemporary |
flat-doodle |
Cute flat with bold outlines | Cute, friendly, approachable |
intuition-machine |
Technical briefing with aged paper | Technical briefings, academic |
nature |
Organic earthy illustration | Environmental, wellness |
pixel-art |
Retro 8-bit gaming aesthetic | Gaming, retro tech |
playful |
Whimsical pastel doodles | Fun, casual, educational |
retro |
80s/90s neon geometric | 80s/90s nostalgic, bold |
sketch |
Raw pencil notebook style | Brainstorming, creative exploration |
screen-print |
Bold poster art, halftone textures, limited colors | Opinion, editorial, cultural, cinematic |
sketch-notes |
Soft hand-drawn warm notes | Educational, warm notes |
ink-notes |
Black ink on pure white, sparse semantic accents, hand-lettered (à la Mike Rohde's sketchnoting) | Before/After essays, tech manifestos, framework analogies |
vintage |
Aged parchment historical | Historical, heritage |
Full specifications: references/styles/<style>.md
Type × Style Compatibility Matrix
| sketch-notes | vector-illustration | notion | warm | minimal | blueprint | watercolor | elegant | editorial | scientific | screen-print | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infographic | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| scene | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓✓ |
| flowchart | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| comparison | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| framework | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| timeline | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓✓ = highly recommended | ✓ = compatible | ✗ = not recommended
Auto Selection by Type
When no content signal matches strongly, sketch-notes is the default primary for every diagrammatic type. Only override with another primary when the content analysis in Step 2 surfaces a clear signal (technical/data/narrative/opinion).
| Type | Primary Style | Secondary Styles |
|---|---|---|
| infographic | sketch-notes | vector-illustration, notion, blueprint, editorial |
| scene | warm | watercolor, elegant |
| flowchart | sketch-notes | vector-illustration, notion, blueprint |
| comparison | sketch-notes | vector-illustration, notion, elegant |
| framework | sketch-notes | blueprint, vector-illustration, notion |
| timeline | elegant | sketch-notes, warm, editorial |
Auto Selection by Content Signals
| Content Signals | Recommended Type | Recommended Style |
|---|---|---|
| (no strong signal / general article) | infographic | sketch-notes |
| Knowledge, concept, tutorial, learning, guide, onboarding | infographic | sketch-notes, vector-illustration, notion |
| Productivity, SaaS, tool, app, software | infographic | sketch-notes, notion, vector-illustration |
| How-to, steps, workflow, process, tutorial | flowchart | sketch-notes, vector-illustration, notion |
| API, metrics, data, comparison, numbers | infographic | blueprint, vector-illustration |
| Tech, AI, programming, development, code | infographic | vector-illustration, blueprint, sketch-notes |
| Framework, model, architecture, principles | framework | blueprint, vector-illustration, sketch-notes |
| vs, pros/cons, before/after, alternatives | comparison | vector-illustration, notion, sketch-notes |
| Manifesto, mindset shift, workforce, OS, whiteboard, professional visual note | comparison / framework | ink-notes |
| Story, emotion, journey, experience, personal | scene | warm, watercolor |
| History, timeline, progress, evolution | timeline | elegant, warm |
| Business, professional, strategy, corporate | framework | elegant |
| Opinion, editorial, culture, philosophy, cinematic, dramatic, poster | scene | screen-print |
| Biology, chemistry, medical, scientific | infographic | scientific |
| Explainer, journalism, magazine, investigation | infographic | editorial |
Style Characteristics by Type
infographic + sketch-notes (default)
- Warm cream paper background, black hand-drawn lines with slight wobble
- 2–6 rounded pastel info boxes (light blue / mint / lavender / peach)
- Bold hand-lettered title at the top
- Short keyword labels, simple icons, small doodles (stars, underlines, sparkles)
- One-line hand-lettered takeaway sentence at the bottom
- Airy, minimal, diagram-style — never realistic
- Perfect for single-page educational explainers and concept summaries
infographic + vector-illustration
- Clean flat vector shapes, bold geometric forms
- Vibrant but harmonious color palette
- Clear visual hierarchy with icons and labels
- Modern, professional, highly readable
- Perfect for knowledge articles and tutorials
flowchart + vector-illustration
- Bold arrows and connectors
- Distinct step containers with icons
- Clean progression flow
- High contrast for readability
comparison + vector-illustration
- Split layout with clear visual separation
- Bold iconography for each side
- Color-coded distinctions
- Easy at-a-glance comparison
framework + vector-illustration
- Geometric node representations
- Clear hierarchical structure
- Bold connecting lines
- Modern system diagram aesthetic
infographic + blueprint
- Technical precision, schematic lines
- Grid-based layout, clear zones
- Monospace labels, data-focused
- Blue/white color scheme
infographic + notion
- Hand-drawn feel, approachable
- Soft icons, rounded elements
- Neutral palette, clean backgrounds
- Perfect for SaaS/productivity
scene + warm
- Golden hour lighting, cozy atmosphere
- Soft gradients, natural textures
- Inviting, personal feeling
- Great for storytelling
scene + watercolor
- Artistic, painterly effect
- Soft edges, color bleeding
- Dreamy, creative mood
- Best for lifestyle/travel
flowchart + notion
- Clear step indicators
- Simple arrow connections
- Minimal decoration
- Focus on process clarity
flowchart + blueprint
- Technical precision
- Detailed connection points
- Engineering aesthetic
- For complex systems
comparison + elegant
- Refined dividers
- Balanced typography
- Professional appearance
- Business comparisons
framework + blueprint
- Precise node connections
- Hierarchical clarity
- System architecture feel
- Technical frameworks
timeline + elegant
- Sophisticated markers
- Refined typography
- Historical gravitas
- Professional presentations
timeline + warm
- Friendly progression
- Organic flow
- Personal journey feel
- Growth narratives
scene + screen-print
- Bold silhouettes, symbolic compositions
- 2-5 flat colors with halftone textures
- Figure-ground inversion (negative space tells secondary story)
- Vintage poster aesthetic, conceptual not literal
- Great for opinion pieces and cultural commentary
comparison + screen-print
- Split duotone composition (one color per side)
- Bold geometric dividers
- Symbolic icons over detailed rendering
- High contrast, immediate visual impact
framework + screen-print
- Geometric node representations with stencil-cut edges
- Limited color coding (one color per concept level)
- Clean silhouette-based iconography
- Poster-style hierarchy with bold typography
Palette Gallery
Palettes override a style's default colors. Combine any style with any palette: --style vector-illustration --palette macaron.
| Palette | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
macaron |
Soft pastel blocks (blue, mint, lavender, peach) on warm cream | Educational, knowledge, tutorials |
warm |
Warm earth tones (orange, terracotta, gold) on soft peach, no cool colors | Brand, product, lifestyle |
neon |
Vibrant neon (pink, cyan, yellow) on dark purple | Gaming, retro, pop culture |
mono-ink |
Black ink on pure white with sparse semantic accents (coral red, muted teal, dusty lavender) | Professional visual notes, Before/After, manifestos |
Full specifications: references/palettes/<palette>.md
When no palette is specified, the style's built-in Color Palette is used.
Palette Override Rules
- Read style file → rendering rules (Visual Elements, Style Rules)
- Read palette file → Colors + Background
- Palette colors replace style's default Color Palette
- Palette Background replaces style's default Background color
- Style's texture description is preserved