Creative Production Logo Explorer

Logo Explorer

Use this skill when the user wants an interactive logo exploration surface: a review board of candidate logo directions, each labeled with a strategic design route, where selections and rejections steer the next round.

Read references/experience-contract.md before writing the user-facing handoff or reporting artifact links.

Read references/artifact-contracts.md before creating, repairing, or reporting artifacts.

Read references/codex-exec-image-generation.md before running image generation.

Read references/image-building-strategy.md alongside the Codex exec contract for first-pass imagery rules.

Pipeline Role

This skill owns logo and identity-route exploration in the Explore > Build > Polish workflow.

Use it after there is a brand anchor to preserve:

• a brand name or product name;
• an existing logo, sketch, mark, or wordmark;
• a short identity brief with audience, category, positioning, and usage contexts;
• a selected mood-board territory that needs logo-system exploration.

It helps choose a logo direction; it does not produce final trademark-cleared, production-ready vector identity files. Treat production vector identity work as an external or post-P0 handoff after a route is selected.

Anchor And Scope

Start only when there is enough identity anchor to refine. If the user provides only "make a logo," ask one compact clarification for the brand name and category.

Treat logo direction as the variable layer. Preserve approved facts:

• exact brand or product name spelling;
• category and audience;
• existing mark geometry, if supplied;
• required colors, accessibility constraints, and usage contexts;
• claims, taglines, and legal restrictions.

Vary only logo-system dimensions such as mark metaphor, wordmark construction, lockup balance, geometry, contrast, palette direction, icon/monogram approach, and small-size performance.

Generated text and logo typography are directional unless the workflow uses a stricter vector or deterministic text path.

Reference-Image Logo Briefs

When the user supplies product photos, existing logos, sketches, campaign marks, or visual references, treat those references as the core generation context.

For reference-image logo briefs:

• Search the local Creative Production prompt libraries and prior run patterns for logo-specific prompt families before writing new prompts. Reuse or adapt approved logo-board, lockup-board, derivation-sheet, risk-review, and vector-parameter prompt patterns when they fit the brief.
• Use image chaining or image-edit generation when supplied reference images are central to the brief.
• Preserve supplied images as references through the generation pipeline. Do not replace reference-image exploration with hand-authored SVGs, CSS drawings, icon sketches, or text-only mockups unless the user explicitly asks for deterministic vector drafting.
• If the user provides an official or partner logo as a reference, use it according to the brief and legal constraints. If the brief does not grant permission to create a co-branded or official lockup, treat the logo as motif/brand-context reference and generate original campaign-safe concepts.
  • Use generated raster logo boards for the first decision surface. Move to vector construction only after a route is selected and the next owner is an external or post-P0 production identity step.

Core Pattern

Build the first screen as the usable logo board, not a landing page.

Default interaction model:

1. Show one selected anchor plus many exploratory logo routes.
2. Generate options from distinct identity strategies, not weak style synonyms.
3. Render routes on a white inspection background so transparent logo areas read as white.
4. Let the user select or attach a route directly from the review surface.
5. Let the user reject routes, and use those rejects to suppress future directions.
6. Fill images progressively as each generation completes; do not block the whole board on one slow or failed image.
7. Keep failures local to the tile with a retry path.
8. End with a selected logo route, rejected direction notes, prompt metadata, and a handoff to final logo/vector production.

Workflow

1. Confirm the identity anchor and scope.

   • Capture brand name, category, audience, usage contexts, must-preserve constraints, and must-avoid territory.
   • If an existing logo or sketch is supplied, describe what must survive: mark silhouette, proportions, colors, wordmark treatment, spacing, and lockup logic.

2. Create the logo spec.

   • Write a JSON spec with meta, constraints, routes, and optional handoff.
   • Include 6-18 routes for most runs.
   • Each route needs id, label, family, and prompt.
   • Each route also needs decision advice: best_for, decision_advice, watch_out, and next_step.
   • Useful optional fields: rationale, usage_contexts, next_prompt_hints, and final_owner.
   • Prompts should vary identity direction only and should not invent claims, taglines, endorsements, legal marks, partner marks, or unapproved copy.
   • For image-chained logo boards, keep the prompt-family metadata and source-image paths in the manifest so later rounds can reproduce the chain.

3. Generate the app.

   • Use the bundled template and script:

python3 <skill>/scripts/create_logo_explorer.py --spec <spec.json> --output <output-dir> --force
node <output-dir>/server.mjs

4. Generate images through Codex exec workers.

   • Before high-volume generation, state the planned route count and review surface.
   • The local app generates routes independently through /api/image, caches PNGs by prompt hash, and keeps failed tiles retryable. The server injects a per-run X-BV-Run-Token into same-origin pages and requires confirmGenerate: true on image-generation requests.
   • When reference images are supplied, keep source-image paths and prompt-family metadata in the manifest and worker context. The output should be real PNG/JPEG/WebP logo-board imagery saved under the run folder.

5. Review and export the handoff.

   • Select the strongest route and reject poor fits.
   • Use the app export buttons, or read the persisted files under <output-dir>/data/.
   • Expected handoff files: selected-logo-route.json and handoff.md.

6. Present selected options in chat when an inline widget is available.

   • Prefer the shared static review renderer for the primary durable review surface. Use scripts/review_renderer.py with the image-wall preset for generated logo-board images unless the user explicitly needs a custom interactive selector.
   • Use render_moodboard_board_widget for inline logo review after verifying that every item image URL/path renders in the current environment. If image rendering cannot be verified, report that inline image review could not be verified; do not link to the local review page unless the user explicitly asks for debug access.
   • The shared mood-board widget is the only inline MCP review surface for generated logo-board imagery.
   • Use the local HTML board only for agent-side verification, deeper debug inspection, or explicit user requests for local/offline review.
   • For widget items, pass image paths known to work for that widget. Do not assume local absolute filesystem paths render inside an Apps SDK widget; verify first with the widget contract or a browser check.
   • Keep the widget focused: highlight the strongest 3-5 routes first, then include secondary options when useful.

Recommended UI

• Use a white inspection surface by default. Avoid checkerboards for transparent PNG review unless the user explicitly asks for transparency inspection.
• Prefer square logo tiles with enough padding to judge silhouette, spacing, and small-size readability.
• Keep labels below the image; avoid overlays that hide logo shape.
• Include route family and usage contexts where available.
• Include compact decision advice on every route: best use, why it works, watch-out, and next step.
• Make each route selectable in the primary review surface. In an Apps SDK widget, use Attach to chat; in local HTML, provide selection plus copy/export fallback.
• Clicking the selected anchor should open a fullscreen preview.
• Avoid persistent bulky prompt editors unless the user asks for explicit prompt tuning.
• Static review pages should be generated through the shared Creative Production Review Renderer, not hand-written per run. The canonical file is review-board.html. The review should be inspection-first: white background, simple responsive image grid, no marketing-page header chrome, and stable relative image links.

Generation Architecture

Prefer a local backend for image generation:

• The browser sends prompts to the local server.
• The server keeps the API key off the page.
• Cache generated images by prompt hash.
• Generate tiles independently so partial success is visible.
• Avoid regenerating the selected anchor when its image already exists.
• Save source references, prompts, model, quality, generated images, review manifest, rendered HTML, and handoff notes under one durable outputs/logos/<brief-slug>/ folder.

Logo Direction Logic

Use distinct identity families:

• wordmark: typographic, editorial, constructed, humanist
• monogram: initials, ligature, badge, modular letters
• symbol: abstract mark, category metaphor, product metaphor, motion cue
• geometric: grid, modular, low-detail, high-recognition
• heritage: seal, crest, craft, institutional
• tech: interface, node, cursor, agent, system signal
• playful: mascot-adjacent, soft geometry, sticker, rounded
• premium: restrained, quiet luxury, high-contrast, sparse
• utility: app icon, favicon-first, stamp, small-size-first
• adaptive: responsive lockup, family system, campaign mark

Selection should raise the weight of that family while preserving some diversity. Rejection should suppress the exact idea and reduce related family weight.

Handoff Shape

Use the same lightweight handoff wording as the other explorers: selected direction, preserve, avoid, focused next owner, and artifact path.

For logo exploration runs, preserve:

• selected logo direction;
• visual family and route rationale;
• decision advice: best use, why it works, watch-out, and next production step;
• prompt and identity cues;
• rejected routes and suppressed families;
• brand name, category, audience, and usage contexts;
• constraints to preserve and avoid;
• caveats about generated typography, legal clearance, trademark review, and production vectorization;
• final owner: generative-polish, an active Build/Polish owner, or an external/post-P0 production identity step.

Exit Criteria

A successful logo exploration ends with:

• a reviewable logo route grid;
• real generated logo-board imagery when reference images are supplied and generation is available;
• a shared-renderer review page with verified image rendering;
• an inline logo review widget only when the environment supports it and the images are verified to render;
• white-background logo tiles or boards with enough spacing to assess shape, lockup, and small-size behavior;
• per-route decision advice;
• selected and rejected logo directions;
• reusable prompt and identity metadata;
• a named next step for production vector/logo-system work;
• clear caveats about generated text, trademark clearance, brand fidelity, accessibility, and unsupported assumptions.

Before handoff, verify the review surface:

• load the local review page or fetch it over localhost/file path for agent-side verification only;
• confirm the expected image count appears;
• confirm each image request succeeds and has non-zero natural dimensions;
• confirm the durable manifest points to the same images the user sees;
• do not render or recommend an Apps SDK widget if its images fail to display.

Spec Shape

{
  "meta": {
    "title": "Logo exploration for Meridian Labs",
    "stage": "Logo exploration",
    "brand_name": "Meridian Labs",
    "anchor": "AI operations platform for healthcare teams",
    "summary": "Compare logo directions for a calm, precise clinical operations brand.",
    "base_asset": "path/to/existing-logo.png"
  },
  "constraints": {
    "preserve": ["brand name spelling: Meridian Labs", "healthcare operations category", "calm enterprise tone"],
    "avoid": ["medical cross icons", "fake certification seals", "partner logos", "readable taglines"]
  },
  "routes": [
    {
      "id": "monogram-signal",
      "label": "Monogram Signal",
      "family": "monogram",
      "usage_contexts": ["app icon", "sales deck", "website header"],
      "prompt": "Create a clean logo exploration tile for Meridian Labs. Show a simple ML monogram and adjacent wordmark direction on a white background. Preserve the exact brand name intent, healthcare operations category, and calm enterprise tone. No taglines, no fake seals, no partner marks.",
      "rationale": "Tests whether initials can create a compact product-app identity.",
      "best_for": "App icon, sales deck, and website header.",
      "decision_advice": "Use if the brand needs a compact product-led identity that can work without a full wordmark.",
      "watch_out": "Initials may feel generic unless the letter construction has a distinct gesture.",
      "next_step": "Vectorize the monogram and test it at favicon size before adding typography.",
      "final_owner": "external-production-identity"
    }
  ],
  "handoff": {
    "default_owner": "external-production-identity"
  }
}

Files

• assets/logo-explorer-app/: reusable static app template and local image-generation server.
• scripts/create_logo_explorer.py: copies the template, validates the spec, copies an optional base asset, and writes app data.