Delivery Visual Coaching

Delivery Visual Coaching

Purpose: Create visual learning materials for coaching sessions — mindmaps, roadmaps, blueprints, process flows, and presentations using Excalidraw with brand-consistent styling.

When to Use

• Coaching session needs a visual to explain a concept, system, or plan
• Client needs a roadmap, blueprint, or mindmap as a deliverable
• Creating async learning materials that must stand alone without narration
• Preparing pre-session visuals to frame a coaching call

Reference Files

Before generating any visual, read these if they exist in your project:

1. design-kit/guides/excalidraw/design-principles.md — Visual design philosophy and brand color system
2. design-kit/guides/excalidraw/element-reference.md — Excalidraw JSON specs, element types, sizing standards
3. design-kit/design-tokens.md — Brand colors, fonts, and CSS variables

If these files don't exist, use the brand defaults in Phase 2 below.

Steps

Phase 1: Understand Intent

1. Ask what type of coaching visual is needed:

   • Mindmap — Branch out from a central topic, explore connections and subtopics
   • Roadmap / Blueprint — Step-by-step path from A to B, phases and milestones
   • Process / Workflow diagram — How something works, decision trees, pipelines
   • Concept explainer — Break down one concept visually so the learner understands it
   • Presentation / Slide deck — Multi-slide visual walkthrough for a session or workshop

2. Ask the coaching context:

   • 1:1 coaching session (live call walkthrough)
   • Community / group session (must be self-explanatory)
   • Async learning material (must stand alone without narration)
   • Pre-session prep (frames the discussion before a call)

3. Ask the learning goal:

   • Understanding a system (how parts connect)
   • A clear plan to follow (what to do first, second, third)
   • A mental model (new way of thinking about a concept)
   • Confidence to take action (path is clear and doable)

4. Summarize: "Got it — a [type] for [context] so the learner walks away with [goal]."

Phase 2: Brand Confirmation

5. Check for saved config at .excalidraw/brand.md in working directory
6. If found, ask whether to use saved config or start fresh
7. If not found, apply brand defaults silently (replace these with your brand colors):

primary:       "#463187"  (deep purple)    — titles, anchors, main shapes
primary_bg:    "#E0D6FF"  (soft lavender)  — fills for primary shapes
accent:        "#FF6719"  (orange)         — one emphasis point only
accent_bg:     "#FFE8DC"  (light peach)    — fills for accent shapes
text:          "#2C262E"  (charcoal)       — all text
canvas:        "#FFFFFF"  (white)          — background
stroke_light:  "#C4B8F0"  (muted lavender) — structural elements

Setup tip: Create .excalidraw/brand.md in your project root with your own hex values. The skill reads it on every run. Example format:

primary: "#YOUR_PRIMARY_COLOR"
accent: "#YOUR_ACCENT_COLOR"
text: "#YOUR_TEXT_COLOR"

8. Save brand config to .excalidraw/brand.md if it doesn't exist

Phase 3: Content & Narrative Discovery

9. Ask if user has content ready (notes, outline, bullet points) or if we build together

10. If content provided: read, extract core concept, key learning points, dependencies, action items — confirm back

11. If no content: run guided interview:

    • "What's the core concept? If the learner remembers ONE thing, what should it be?"
    • "What are the 3-5 key building blocks?"
    • "Any common misconceptions or aha moments to surface visually?"
    • "What should the learner DO after understanding this?"

12. Propose visual structure:

    • Center-out (Mindmap) — Core in middle, branches radiating out
    • Left-to-right (Journey / Roadmap) — Start here, end there
    • Top-to-bottom (Hierarchy / Funnel) — Big picture top, details below
    • Cycle (Loop / Flywheel) — Steps that repeat
    • Before/After (Transformation) — Old way vs. new way side by side

13. Propose the visual outline (nodes, sections, slides) — wait for confirmation

Phase 4: Visual-by-Visual Co-Design

14. For each section/slide, describe the visual concept BEFORE generating JSON:

    • What the user will see
    • Shapes used and why
    • Mood and color treatment

15. Ask for approval: Go ahead / Different layout / Simpler / More detailed

16. Once approved, generate:

    • Read element-reference.md for JSON specs (if available)
    • Read design-principles.md for design philosophy (if available)
    • Think illustration first — find the spatial metaphor (expand, branch, cycle, flow)
    • Apply brand colors (75% white/light, 20% primary structure, 5% accent)
    • Generate valid Excalidraw JSON with proper groupIds, boundElements, seeds

17. Save to .excalidraw/{topic}-{type}.excalidraw file

18. Ask: "How does the visual look?" — iterate until approved

19. Repeat steps 14-18 for every section/slide

Phase 5: Final Assembly & Delivery

20. Merge all sections into one .excalidraw file if multi-section
21. Ask: "Want to adjust anything before we finalize?"
22. Save final file and confirm:
    • "Saved to .excalidraw/{filename} — open at excalidraw.com via File > Open"

Phase 6: Learn & Save

23. Update .excalidraw/brand.md with any learned preferences
24. Append session to brand.md history:

    ### YYYY-MM-DD — [Visual Title]
    - Type: [mindmap/roadmap/blueprint/process/presentation]
    - Context: [1:1/community/async/prep]
    - Elements: [N]
    - Style notes: [any preferences noted]
    

Inputs

• Topic or concept to visualize (from user or from project context)
• Coaching context (1:1, community, async, pre-session)
• Content notes or outline (optional — can build together)
• Brand config at .excalidraw/brand.md (optional — uses defaults if missing)

Outputs

• .excalidraw file saved to .excalidraw/ folder in working directory
• Updated .excalidraw/brand.md with session history and learned preferences

Visual Type Quick Reference

Key Design Rules

• Illustrate, don't decorate — shapes carry meaning before text is added
• One focal point per visual section — largest, highest-contrast element
• Cards and grids are a last resort — use hub-and-spoke, paths, cycles, metaphors
• Accent color used once max per section — the ONE critical insight
• 3-second glance test — can someone understand the point at a glance?
• Text is labels, not content — 2-5 words per element, never sentences

Edge Cases

• If user asks for a type not listed, map it to the closest visual type and confirm
• If content is too complex for one visual, propose splitting into multiple linked visuals
• If brand config conflicts with readability, prioritize readability and note the override
• If no Excalidraw experience, explain: "This creates a file you open at excalidraw.com — a free whiteboard tool"