owainlewis Write a useful carousel
Choose the reader, the problem and the decision the post helps them make. Write the argument before choosing images. The reader should get useful progress with each swipe. A consistent text layout is enough when the idea is clear.
Framework
The cover makes a specific, credible promise. Slide two starts paying it off with an example, consequence or useful distinction. Later slides explain the method, show evidence or address an objection. The final slide gives one relevant action.
For a change story, establish the problem and its cost, introduce another approach, show the method and evidence, explain what improves, and lead to a decision. These are possible beats, not a mandatory seven-slide formula. Combine or cut beats that do not help. A comparison should apply both choices to the same task and end with a usable decision rule. A playbook should leave a method the reader can repeat.
Use supplied or verified results only. Label hypothetical examples. A reference creator's reach claims do not establish what caused that reach. Offer a download or course only when the user has it and wants to promote it.
Four layouts
| Editor name | JSON layout | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Cover | cover |
A clear headline and one short subtitle in body |
| Body 1 | content |
A bold lead in title followed by short paragraphs in body |
| Body 2 | note |
One statement or a visual example; title only |
| CTA | closing |
One next action in title and a supporting line in body |
Use Body 1 for most teaching. Repeated text roles share a fixed type scale; large cover headlines, weight and space supply the hierarchy. Body 2 gives a concise statement room, or holds a diagram or pictures. Do not add layout changes to meet a quota.
Body 2 may set visual: "photos" with an images list, or visual: "diagram"
with a diagram SVG. Omit visual for text only. Body 2 does not draw body.
Captions sit below the visual by default, or above with position: "top".
Multiple pictures use a contained grid; images are shown in full.
Photos and videos may also sit behind any layout using the background controls.
Cinematic imagery is optional and should contribute to the idea or requested tone.
Copy and type
- Prefer a 4-10 word cover and about 15-35 words on teaching slides.
- Give each slide one useful point. Use concrete actions and consequences.
- Keep the display headlines on covers. CTA headlines and standalone statements use fixed smaller sizes. Body 1 leads, paragraphs and visual captions use 18px at a 390px feed width. Consistency means repeated roles match, not that every text element has the same size. Never shrink type to fit.
- Editorial covers and CTAs centre by default; teaching copy aligns left. Keep the theme's composition and quiet grounds. Avoid decorative colour changes. Reuse the text layout when the explanation does not need a visual.
- Separate paragraphs with a blank line. Let headlines wrap naturally. Use
|only when a deliberate break improves the meaning. - Use
*italic*or**bold**sparingly. No hype or invented first-person claims. titleallows 120 characters andbody280. These are storage limits, not a guarantee the copy fits. Shorten any slide that triggers the overflow warning.- Preserve the user's voice and use no em dashes.
Diagrams
Use a diagram when it explains a mechanism better than text. At most six boxes.
Use viewBox="0 0 800 500", with no root width or height. Use currentColor for
ink, fill="none" on shapes, 2-unit strokes, and 8-unit corner radii. Use
font-family="inherit" for theme labels. Use one 48-unit size for labels and
notes; inspect actual phone-size rendering and reduce complexity if labels crowd.
Arrows use lines and polygon heads. No scripts or external references.
Output and verification
Return the requested format. For app-ready JSON, include version: 1, title,
author: "aiengineer.co", a short mark, optional theme: "ai-engineer", and a
slides array using the four layout values above. Each slide needs title.
Use parseCarouselConfig in app/carousel.ts to validate JSON. Load it through
Create from text → JSON config. Writing a deck does not authorise social posting.
Read the sequence as plain text, then inspect the actual slides. Check the cover promise, slide-two payoff, relevant examples, fair claims, phone-size text, line breaks, visual labels and one useful final action. Avoid decorative changes that hide a weak argument.