X Carousel

x-carousel: cards for an X / Twitter carousel ad

Goal: produce the PNG assets of the N cards of an X carousel ad (X Ads), at the chosen ratio, coherent with each other and aligned with the guidelines. A carousel is not N independent images: it is a series that tells something. Coherence across cards is the heart of the deliverable.

This is a specialization of new-template. Same conventions: the Template contract, assets through brand(), fonts discovered in fonts/, export default ... satisfies Template. Same model as facebook-carousel.

Carousel ad. X has no "organic carousel": a tweet only carries 1 to 4 images displayed as a mosaic (undocumented). What this skill produces are the cards of an advertising carousel (X Ads).

0. Prerequisites (blocking)

The chain project -> template folder -> guidelines must exist:

• Resolve <project> (from the arguments, otherwise ask).
• Check templates/<project>/ and brands/<project>/brand.md.
• Missing guidelines or project -> STOP: ask for /new-project <project> first. No visual without guidelines (CLAUDE.md rule).

1. Frame it (ask, don't guess)

• Name of the carousel: a kebab-case slug, default x-carousel. It is the subfolder templates/<project>/<name>/. Check that it does not exist.
• Ratio: 1:1 (1080×1080) or 1.91:1 (1200×628). The same for every card (mandatory).
• Narrative mechanic (see §3): a story, one card per product, a top N, a tutorial, before/after.
• Number of cards: 2 to 6 (X's limit).
• Content of each card: a short message + its role (hook, development, CTA).
• Read brands/<project>/brand.md: palette, type, logo variants, don'ts.
• Read brands/<project>/project.md if it exists: set the tone and the claims of the cards (don't invent figures or promises). If absent -> ask for the tone and the message rather than guessing.
• If the project already holds a .tsx, read it as a reference.

2. X constraints (to respect)

• Homogeneous ratios: mixing 1:1 and 1.91:1 in the same carousel is not allowed.
• The tweet's text and the card titles are set in X Ads, not in the image: one idea per card.

3. The spirit: arrange it so it lands

Narrative mechanics (pick ONE)

• Sequential story: hook -> problem -> solution -> CTA.
• One card = one product / one offer: each card legible on its own.
• Top N / tips: card 1 = the title, cards 2..N = one item each, the last = the CTA.
• Step-by-step tutorial: one step per card, each visual self-supporting.
• Before / after: strong contrast between the first and the last card.

Card 1 = the hook

It is the only one fully visible before the swipe: a single message, strong contrast, one element that creates curiosity. Don't explain everything here.

Coherence across cards (the heart of it)

Identical palette and type; the logo in a fixed, discreet position; constant placements; a visual through-line (a color or a progress marker); each card legible on its own.

X tone

Direct, punchy, concise. A rising CTA: soft at the start, conversion on the last card. Each card has its own link in X Ads.

4. Write the cards

Structure: one subfolder per carousel, one .tsx per card, plus a shared theme.ts.

templates/<project>/<name>/
  theme.ts        <- shared palette + layout (pure TS, NO JSX)
  card-1.tsx      <- one card = one PNG
  card-2.tsx
  card-3.tsx

• theme.ts factors out the coherence (palette, SIZE, margins). Pure TS with no JSX: discovery only loads .tsx files, so theme.ts is ignored. Do not create a frame component as a .tsx in this folder: it would be discovered as a fake card and break the build.
• Naming and order: the sort is natural, so card-2 would come before card-10. With 6 cards at most, card-1 … card-6, no padding needed.
• Colors from theme.ts, assets through brand("<project>/..."), fonts discovered in fonts/; a missing font -> the "missing font" appendix in new-template, never silently.

theme.ts (skeleton)

import type { CSSProperties } from "react";

export const SIZE = { width: 1080, height: 1080 }; // 1:1 (or 1200x628 for 1.91:1)
export const TOTAL = 4; // number of cards (index + progress)

// <Project> guideline palette (from brands/<project>/brand.md).
export const INK = "#......";
export const ACCENT = "#......";
export const PAPER = "#......";

// Frame shared by every card: same background, same safe area.
export const frame: CSSProperties = {
	width: "100%",
	height: "100%",
	display: "flex",
	flexDirection: "column",
	justifyContent: "space-between",
	padding: 90, // safe area
	backgroundColor: INK, // opaque background, identical everywhere
};

card-1.tsx (skeleton)

import type { ReactNode } from "react";
import type { Template } from "brand-artisan";
import { SIZE, frame, PAPER, ACCENT } from "./theme";

function render(): ReactNode {
	return (
		<div style={frame}>
			{/* logo in a fixed position (same corner on every card) */}
			{/* the hook: a single message, strong contrast */}
			{/* progress marker (e.g. 1/4) */}
		</div>
	);
}

export default { size: SIZE, render } satisfies Template;

(With no title, the PNG comes out under the file's name: out/<project>/<name>/card-1.png.)

5. Verify

• npm run typecheck -> green.
• npm run build -> writes out/<project>/<name>/card-*.png.
• Check each PNG: exact dimensions for the ratio, the same ratio throughout, opaque background, ≤ 5 MB (trivial with flat rendering).
• Check the visual coherence (palette, type, logo, through-line) and that each card is legible on its own.
• Preview: npm run dev then /<project>/<name>.

Success criterion: 2 to 6 cards at the same ratio (1:1 or 1.91:1), opaque, visually coherent, card 1 catchy, the last card carrying the CTA, and using only colors and type from brand.md.