ideate-visuals

Ideate Visuals

Analyze source content and propose visual-communication concepts across multiple categories to enhance the piece.

When to use

• User has set up a project with /onboard-visual-project and wants visual ideas
• User has content and wants brainstorming on how to visualize key concepts
• User wants to identify gaps in visual storytelling for a piece

Inputs to gather

• Project name — If not active, ask which project to ideate for
• Content review — Optionally, ask if there are specific sections to focus on or types of visuals to emphasize

Procedure

1. Identify active project. Check for project directories in ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA:-$HOME/.local/share/claude-plugins}/visual-communications/projects/. If multiple projects exist, ask the user which one to ideate for. Read its project.yaml for context.

2. Read source material. Load the source files referenced in the project config to understand the content, key sections, themes, and audience.

3. Analyze structure. Identify major topics, complex concepts, data points, and narrative arcs that would benefit from visual support.

4. Propose 5–8 visual ideas. Suggest concepts across these categories:

   • Hero/Header Image — Conceptual photography or illustration to set tone
   • Explanatory Visuals — Flowcharts, diagrams, infographics, before/after comparisons
   • Conceptual Illustrations — Metaphor-based, symbolic, or visual-analogy representations
   • Data Visualizations — Charts, graphs, data-driven infographics
   • Spot Illustrations & Icons — Small visuals to break text, reinforce points, section dividers
   • Interactive/Animated — Animated diagrams, scrollytelling, hover-reveal graphics
   • Video Content — Explainer segments, animated infographics, B-roll, text animations

5. Detail each proposal. For each visual, include:

   • Visual type and concept
   • Purpose (how it enhances the content)
   • Recommended placement in the document
   • Complexity: simple | medium | complex
   • Generation method: text-to-image | image-to-image | diagram | video | other

6. Save ideation notes. Write the proposals to ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA:-$HOME/.local/share/claude-plugins}/visual-communications/projects/<project-name>/ideation.md.

7. Solicit feedback. Ask the user which visuals resonate, whether concepts should be expanded or modified, and any constraints or preferences to refine the list.

Output / side effects

• Ideation markdown file written to projects/<project-name>/ideation.md
• 5–8 concrete visual concepts documented with placement and complexity
• User gains clarity on visual strategy for the content
• Ready to proceed to /generate-visual-prompt for chosen visuals

Safety / constraints

• Read project.yaml to understand scope; do not invent concepts outside the content's theme.
• Keep suggestions diverse in type and complexity—include both quick wins and ambitious ideas.