1# Style Reference
2 
3## Core Styles
4 
5Simplified style tier for quick selection:
6 
7| Core Style | Maps To | Best For |
8|------------|---------|----------|
9| `hand-drawn` | sketch-notes | **Default.** Warm cream paper, black hand-drawn lines, pastel blocks — educational infographics, concept explainers, onboarding, general knowledge articles |
10| `vector` | vector-illustration | Knowledge articles, tutorials, tech content |
11| `minimal-flat` | notion | General, knowledge sharing, SaaS |
12| `sci-fi` | blueprint | AI, frontier tech, system design |
13| `editorial` | editorial | Processes, data, journalism |
14| `scene` | warm/watercolor | Narratives, emotional, lifestyle |
15| `poster` | screen-print | Opinion, editorial, cultural, cinematic |
16 
17Use 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.
18 
19---
20 
21## Style Gallery
22 
23| Style | Description | Best For |
24|-------|-------------|----------|
25| `vector-illustration` | Clean flat vector art with bold shapes | Knowledge articles, tutorials, tech content |
26| `notion` | Minimalist hand-drawn line art | Knowledge sharing, SaaS, productivity |
27| `elegant` | Refined, sophisticated | Business, thought leadership |
28| `warm` | Friendly, approachable | Personal growth, lifestyle, education |
29| `minimal` | Ultra-clean, zen-like | Philosophy, minimalism, core concepts |
30| `blueprint` | Technical schematics | Architecture, system design, engineering |
31| `watercolor` | Soft artistic with natural warmth | Lifestyle, travel, creative |
32| `editorial` | Magazine-style infographic | Tech explainers, journalism |
33| `scientific` | Academic precise diagrams | Biology, chemistry, technical research |
34| `chalkboard` | Classroom chalk drawing style | Education, teaching, explanations |
35| `fantasy-animation` | Ghibli/Disney-inspired hand-drawn | Storybook, magical, emotional |
36| `flat` | Modern bold geometric shapes | Modern digital, contemporary |
37| `flat-doodle` | Cute flat with bold outlines | Cute, friendly, approachable |
38| `intuition-machine` | Technical briefing with aged paper | Technical briefings, academic |
39| `nature` | Organic earthy illustration | Environmental, wellness |
40| `pixel-art` | Retro 8-bit gaming aesthetic | Gaming, retro tech |
41| `playful` | Whimsical pastel doodles | Fun, casual, educational |
42| `retro` | 80s/90s neon geometric | 80s/90s nostalgic, bold |
43| `sketch` | Raw pencil notebook style | Brainstorming, creative exploration |
44| `screen-print` | Bold poster art, halftone textures, limited colors | Opinion, editorial, cultural, cinematic |
45| `sketch-notes` | Soft hand-drawn warm notes | Educational, warm notes |
46| `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 |
47| `vintage` | Aged parchment historical | Historical, heritage |
48 
49Full specifications: `references/styles/<style>.md`
50 
51## Type × Style Compatibility Matrix
52 
53| | sketch-notes | vector-illustration | notion | warm | minimal | blueprint | watercolor | elegant | editorial | scientific | screen-print |
54|---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
55| infographic | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
56| scene | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓✓ |
57| flowchart | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
58| comparison | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
59| framework | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
60| timeline | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
61 
62✓✓ = highly recommended | ✓ = compatible | ✗ = not recommended
63 
64## Auto Selection by Type
65 
66When 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).
67 
68| Type | Primary Style | Secondary Styles |
69|------|---------------|------------------|
70| infographic | sketch-notes | vector-illustration, notion, blueprint, editorial |
71| scene | warm | watercolor, elegant |
72| flowchart | sketch-notes | vector-illustration, notion, blueprint |
73| comparison | sketch-notes | vector-illustration, notion, elegant |
74| framework | sketch-notes | blueprint, vector-illustration, notion |
75| timeline | elegant | sketch-notes, warm, editorial |
76 
77## Auto Selection by Content Signals
78 
79| Content Signals | Recommended Type | Recommended Style |
80|-----------------|------------------|-------------------|
81| **(no strong signal / general article)** | **infographic** | **sketch-notes** |
82| Knowledge, concept, tutorial, learning, guide, onboarding | infographic | sketch-notes, vector-illustration, notion |
83| Productivity, SaaS, tool, app, software | infographic | sketch-notes, notion, vector-illustration |
84| How-to, steps, workflow, process, tutorial | flowchart | sketch-notes, vector-illustration, notion |
85| API, metrics, data, comparison, numbers | infographic | blueprint, vector-illustration |
86| Tech, AI, programming, development, code | infographic | vector-illustration, blueprint, sketch-notes |
87| Framework, model, architecture, principles | framework | blueprint, vector-illustration, sketch-notes |
88| vs, pros/cons, before/after, alternatives | comparison | vector-illustration, notion, sketch-notes |
89| Manifesto, mindset shift, workforce, OS, whiteboard, professional visual note | comparison / framework | ink-notes |
90| Story, emotion, journey, experience, personal | scene | warm, watercolor |
91| History, timeline, progress, evolution | timeline | elegant, warm |
92| Business, professional, strategy, corporate | framework | elegant |
93| Opinion, editorial, culture, philosophy, cinematic, dramatic, poster | scene | screen-print |
94| Biology, chemistry, medical, scientific | infographic | scientific |
95| Explainer, journalism, magazine, investigation | infographic | editorial |
96 
97## Style Characteristics by Type
98 
99### infographic + sketch-notes (default)
100- Warm cream paper background, black hand-drawn lines with slight wobble
101- 2–6 rounded pastel info boxes (light blue / mint / lavender / peach)
102- Bold hand-lettered title at the top
103- Short keyword labels, simple icons, small doodles (stars, underlines, sparkles)
104- One-line hand-lettered takeaway sentence at the bottom
105- Airy, minimal, diagram-style — never realistic
106- Perfect for single-page educational explainers and concept summaries
107 
108### infographic + vector-illustration
109- Clean flat vector shapes, bold geometric forms
110- Vibrant but harmonious color palette
111- Clear visual hierarchy with icons and labels
112- Modern, professional, highly readable
113- Perfect for knowledge articles and tutorials
114 
115### flowchart + vector-illustration
116- Bold arrows and connectors
117- Distinct step containers with icons
118- Clean progression flow
119- High contrast for readability
120 
121### comparison + vector-illustration
122- Split layout with clear visual separation
123- Bold iconography for each side
124- Color-coded distinctions
125- Easy at-a-glance comparison
126 
127### framework + vector-illustration
128- Geometric node representations
129- Clear hierarchical structure
130- Bold connecting lines
131- Modern system diagram aesthetic
132 
133### infographic + blueprint
134- Technical precision, schematic lines
135- Grid-based layout, clear zones
136- Monospace labels, data-focused
137- Blue/white color scheme
138 
139### infographic + notion
140- Hand-drawn feel, approachable
141- Soft icons, rounded elements
142- Neutral palette, clean backgrounds
143- Perfect for SaaS/productivity
144 
145### scene + warm
146- Golden hour lighting, cozy atmosphere
147- Soft gradients, natural textures
148- Inviting, personal feeling
149- Great for storytelling
150 
151### scene + watercolor
152- Artistic, painterly effect
153- Soft edges, color bleeding
154- Dreamy, creative mood
155- Best for lifestyle/travel
156 
157### flowchart + notion
158- Clear step indicators
159- Simple arrow connections
160- Minimal decoration
161- Focus on process clarity
162 
163### flowchart + blueprint
164- Technical precision
165- Detailed connection points
166- Engineering aesthetic
167- For complex systems
168 
169### comparison + elegant
170- Refined dividers
171- Balanced typography
172- Professional appearance
173- Business comparisons
174 
175### framework + blueprint
176- Precise node connections
177- Hierarchical clarity
178- System architecture feel
179- Technical frameworks
180 
181### timeline + elegant
182- Sophisticated markers
183- Refined typography
184- Historical gravitas
185- Professional presentations
186 
187### timeline + warm
188- Friendly progression
189- Organic flow
190- Personal journey feel
191- Growth narratives
192 
193### scene + screen-print
194- Bold silhouettes, symbolic compositions
195- 2-5 flat colors with halftone textures
196- Figure-ground inversion (negative space tells secondary story)
197- Vintage poster aesthetic, conceptual not literal
198- Great for opinion pieces and cultural commentary
199 
200### comparison + screen-print
201- Split duotone composition (one color per side)
202- Bold geometric dividers
203- Symbolic icons over detailed rendering
204- High contrast, immediate visual impact
205 
206### framework + screen-print
207- Geometric node representations with stencil-cut edges
208- Limited color coding (one color per concept level)
209- Clean silhouette-based iconography
210- Poster-style hierarchy with bold typography
211 
212---
213 
214## Palette Gallery
215 
216Palettes override a style's default colors. Combine any style with any palette: `--style vector-illustration --palette macaron`.
217 
218| Palette | Description | Best For |
219|---------|-------------|----------|
220| `macaron` | Soft pastel blocks (blue, mint, lavender, peach) on warm cream | Educational, knowledge, tutorials |
221| `warm` | Warm earth tones (orange, terracotta, gold) on soft peach, no cool colors | Brand, product, lifestyle |
222| `neon` | Vibrant neon (pink, cyan, yellow) on dark purple | Gaming, retro, pop culture |
223| `mono-ink` | Black ink on pure white with sparse semantic accents (coral red, muted teal, dusty lavender) | Professional visual notes, Before/After, manifestos |
224 
225Full specifications: `references/palettes/<palette>.md`
226 
227When no palette is specified, the style's built-in Color Palette is used.
228 
229## Palette Override Rules
230 
2311. Read style file → rendering rules (Visual Elements, Style Rules)
2322. Read palette file → Colors + Background
2333. Palette colors **replace** style's default Color Palette
2344. Palette Background **replaces** style's default Background color
2355. Style's texture description is preserved
236 
237