Design Ops

Design Operations

Step 0 (always first): Load brand context

Before producing any deliverable, look for a brand-context.md file in the user's project root (also check ./.claude/brand-context.md and ./docs/brand-context.md). It holds the company's ICP, positioning, messaging pillars, citable proof, voice, banned words, and compliance constraints.

• If it exists: read it in full and treat it as binding for this run. Hand its contents to every specialist agent you route work to, alongside the task brief. Its "Rules for agents reading this file" section overrides an agent's own defaults.
• If it does not exist: say so, point the user at the template (templates/brand-context.md), and offer to generate a filled draft by interviewing them or by reading their website and existing content. Then proceed with explicitly-labelled assumptions — never silently invented ones.

Non-negotiable regardless of which path applies: do not invent customer names, metrics, funding, integrations, certifications, or outcomes. Only proof recorded in brand-context.md (or supplied directly in the request) may be used as fact. Where a claim would help but no evidence exists, emit a [NEEDS INPUT: …] marker in the deliverable rather than a plausible-sounding guess.

What This Is

Design Operations brings together visual designers, brand strategists, and creative specialists to deliver high-impact creative assets across all B2B SaaS marketing channels. This skill orchestrates your design team to build cohesive brand experiences, from landing pages and sales presentations to ad creative and product UI. Whether you need a complete brand identity system, a data-driven infographic, a conversion-optimized landing page, or a polished sales deck, Design Operations routes your request to the right specialist and ensures consistent execution against brand standards.

The Team: 5 Specialist Agents

How to Use

Routing User Requests

Brand Identity & Guidelines → Brand Identity Strategist

• "Build a new brand identity system for our SaaS startup"
• "Create a comprehensive design language with color palette and typography"
• "Develop brand guidelines covering logo usage, spacing, and tone"
• "Establish design tokens for our product UI and marketing materials"

Landing Pages & Product UI → UI/Landing Page Specialist

• "Design a conversion-optimized landing page for our product launch"
• "Build a CRO framework for testing page layouts and headlines"
• "Create UI mockups for our SaaS dashboard with component library"
• "Optimize an underperforming landing page using heatmap and session data"

Sales & Executive Presentations → Presentation Designer

• "Create a sales deck for pitching our solution to enterprise prospects"
• "Build a compelling investor pitch presentation with financial modeling"
• "Design a customer success QBR presentation template with data visualization"
• "Develop board-ready executive briefing with key metrics and strategy"

Paid Media & Ads → Ad Creative Producer

• "Produce LinkedIn ad variations for our B2B awareness campaign"
• "Design YouTube pre-roll creative that captures attention in 3 seconds"
• "Build a creative testing framework for Google Ads with A/B test structure"
• "Create platform-specific ad assets (LinkedIn, Google, Facebook) with specs"

Content Visualization & Social → Content Visual Designer

• "Convert our case study into an infographic summary"
• "Design social media graphics for our content distribution"
• "Create data visualizations for our quarterly performance report"
• "Build visual assets for a product comparison article"

Execution Model

Phase 1: Brief & Strategy (24-48 hours)

• Receive creative request with business objective, target audience, channel/format, and brand requirements
• Agent reviews existing brand guidelines, competitive context, and performance benchmarks for similar work
• Develop creative strategy document outlining approach, key messages, visual direction, and success metrics
• Align on deliverables, timeline, revision process, and approval workflow

Phase 2: Design & Production (3-7 days depending on scope)

• Create wireframes/mockups or mood boards showing visual direction and layout structure
• Gather stakeholder feedback on strategic direction before investing in final production
• Produce final design assets with all platform specifications, optimization, and brand compliance
• Prepare asset management system (naming conventions, file organization, version control)

Phase 3: Testing & Optimization (ongoing)

• For paid media: Set up A/B testing framework comparing creative variables (hook, value prop, CTA, audience)
• For landing pages: Establish CRO testing roadmap with prioritized hypotheses and success metrics
• For brand work: Create usage guidelines and design system documentation for team adoption
• Track performance metrics (CTR, conversion rate, engagement, brand perception) and iterate based on learning

Phase 4: Scaling & Systems (continuous improvement)

• Maintain asset libraries organized by campaign, channel, and performance tier
• Document learnings from testing (which creative elements drive performance, which resonate with which audiences)
• Build reusable templates and components to accelerate future campaign production
• Update brand guidelines based on what's working in market

Routing by Channel

LinkedIn Campaign

• Ad Creative Producer designs sponsored image, carousel, and video ads with LinkedIn specs (1200x627px)
• Uses authentic customer environments over stock photography
• Creates 5-10 hook variations to test (problem statement, trend, social proof, value prop)
• Measures: CTR (target 1.2-1.8%), video completion rate (15-25%), cost-per-lead vs. benchmark

Google Ads Campaign

• Ad Creative Producer develops search ad copy (headlines + descriptions), display banner assets, and YouTube video
• Ensures text hierarchy and value prop clarity at small mobile scale
• Creates platform-specific dimensions: 300x250, 728x90, 1024x768 for display; 1920x1080 for YouTube
• A/B tests headline variations, value prop messaging, and CTA language

Landing Page Design

• UI/Landing Page Specialist designs conversion funnel with above-fold hook, value prop ladder, and CTA hierarchy
• Maps user journey with behavioral psychology principles (social proof, scarcity, reciprocity where ethical)
• Establishes baseline conversion rate and CRO test roadmap (headline test → form field optimization → CTA color)
• Delivers design specifications with mobile responsiveness and accessibility compliance

Sales Presentation

• Presentation Designer structures narrative arc: situation → complication → resolution
• Builds data visualizations that tell story (don't just display numbers)
• Creates slide templates with white space, visual hierarchy, and brand consistency
• Embeds presenter notes with talking points and timing guidance

Brand System

• Brand Identity Strategist develops modular system: color palette, typography scale, spacing system, icon library, photography style, tone of voice
• Creates design token specifications for engineering implementation
• Produces brand guidelines document (15-20 pages) covering logo usage, color mixing, typography pairing, imagery direction
• Establishes governance process for brand evolution and new touchpoint design

Output Standards

Design Quality Checklist

Visual Hierarchy

• Primary message clear within 3 seconds (no scrolling required for hook)
• Secondary information supports primary claim
• Tertiary information (CTAs, small text) doesn't distract from core message
• Color contrast meets WCAG AA accessibility standards

Mobile-First Optimization

• Design tested and optimized for 375px width (iPhone SE) as minimum
• Text remains legible at small scale (16px minimum for body, 20px+ for headlines)
• Touch targets are 44px minimum for interactive elements
• Loading time optimized (images compressed, lazy loading for below-fold content)

Brand Compliance

• Color palette uses approved brand colors (or documented variations for context)
• Typography uses approved font families in correct weights and sizes
• Logo usage follows brand guidelines (minimum clear space, color variations, no stretching/distortion)
• Tone and messaging align with brand voice and positioning

Platform Specifications

• All assets delivered in platform-native dimensions (no stretching or cropping)
• File formats match platform requirements (PNG/JPG for images, MP4 for video, proper color space)
• Metadata complete (alt text, descriptions, UTM parameters where applicable)
• Device preview tested across platforms (LinkedIn ads preview tool, Google Ads preview, etc.)

Performance Readiness

• All claims substantiated with research or disclaimers included
• Compliance requirements met (medical claims, competitive claims, guarantees all documented)
• No broken links or missing assets
• Analytics tracking implemented (conversion pixels, UTM parameters, event tracking)

Testing Framework

• Each creative variation tests single variable (control constant, one element changed)
• Hypothesis documented (expected outcome and why)
• Sample size calculated for statistical significance
• Success metrics defined before launch (CTR target, conversion rate target, completion rate target)

Deliverable Specifications

Brand Identity System

• Color palette (primary, secondary, extended palette) with hex values and usage guidelines
• Typography system (primary + secondary font families, scale 11-56px, weights, line heights)
• Logo specifications (lockup variations, clear space, minimum size, color/monochrome versions, don't list)
• Photography direction (3-5 example images showing approved style, composition, subject matter)
• Icon library (20+ base icons in multiple sizes and color variations)
• Pattern library (background patterns, dividers, texture applications)
• Brand voice guide (tone descriptors, word choices to embrace/avoid, example sentences)
• Design token export (CSS variables or design system JSON for implementation)

Landing Page

• Desktop mockup (1440px viewport) and mobile mockup (375px viewport)
• Wireframe showing information architecture and CTA placement
• Component library (buttons, form fields, cards, headers) with hover/active states
• Content specification (headlines, body copy, form fields, CTA text)
• CRO test roadmap (5-10 prioritized hypotheses with expected impact and test duration)
• Performance baseline (estimated conversion rate based on historical benchmarks)

Presentation

• Slide deck (10-100 slides depending on scope) with consistent styling
• Presenter notes (1-2 sentences per slide with key talking points and timing)
• Handout version (printable, usually 6 slides per page)
• Master template (background, slide layouts, color palette) for future reuse
• Data source documentation (where each metric or chart came from)

Ad Creative Assets

• 3-5 static image variations per platform with platform-specific dimensions
• 2-3 video variations (15-30 seconds) with captions and mobile/desktop versions
• Creative specifications document (dimensions, file formats, text overlay rules, compliance requirements)
• Performance comparison dashboard (CTR, CPC, completion rate by creative, by audience)
• A/B test results showing which variations won and why
• Creative library organized by performance tier (high-performing, average, needs-refresh)

Infographic/Visual Asset

• Final design file (PNG 1200-2400px wide, optimized for web)
• Alternate formats: social media square (1080x1080px), portrait (1080x1350px), Twitter (1024x512px)
• Source data documentation (research, calculations, sources cited in infographic)
• Variation library (3-5 alternate layouts or focus areas from same data)

Quality Review Process

Before finalizing any design deliverable:

1. Brand Compliance Check: Does it follow brand guidelines? Are colors, fonts, logo usage correct?
2. Accessibility Check: Does it meet WCAG AA color contrast standards? Is text legible at small scale?
3. Message Clarity: Can someone understand the core message in 3 seconds without additional context?
4. Mobile Rendering: Test actual rendering on mobile device (not just browser preview)
5. File Optimization: Are image file sizes optimized? Is video bitrate appropriate for platform?
6. Compliance Review: Are all legal/medical claims substantiated? Are required disclaimers visible?
7. Performance Baseline: Is there a historical benchmark or target for this asset type to measure success?

Success Metrics by Asset Type

Landing Pages

• Baseline conversion rate established within first 100 visitors
• Improvement rate of 5-10% per CRO test cycle (conservative estimate)
• Mobile conversion rate within 80% of desktop (not 50% or lower)
• Average session duration >30 seconds, bounce rate <40%

Ad Creative

• CTR (1.2-1.8% for B2B qualified audiences, benchmark varies by industry)
• Video completion rate (25-40% for YouTube, 15-25% for in-feed video)
• Cost-per-lead 30-40% below budget or sales-accepted lead cost threshold
• Creative efficiency (60%+ of in-rotation creatives hitting performance benchmarks)

Brand Guidelines Adoption

• 90%+ of new brand marketing assets compliant with guidelines within 30 days of launch
• Brand perception consistency survey (70%+ of audience recognizes brand identity consistently)
• Design system adoption rate (80%+ of design/marketing team using design tokens and components)

Presentation Effectiveness

• Audience engagement (if event: Q&A participation, conversation quality; if deck: email follow-up rate >20%)
• Information retention (if possible to survey: 70%+ audience recalls key messages correctly)
• Meeting outcome rate (pitch/sale close rate, feature adoption rate if internal presentation)

Platform & Channel Guide

LinkedIn Marketing

Ad Creative Producer delivers:

• Sponsored content image (1200x627px, authentic customers vs. stock photography)
• Carousel ads (1200x627px cards, max 5 cards, each with hook + benefit)
• Video ads (1200x627px, first 3 seconds without sound, 15-60 seconds typical)
• Lead Gen Forms (collects job title, company size, use case)
• Measurement: CTR 1.2-1.8%, video completion 15-25%, cost-per-lead vs. benchmark

Google Ads

Ad Creative Producer delivers:

• Search ads (headlines + descriptions, 30/90 character limits)
• Display banner assets (300x250, 728x90, 300x600, 1024x768)
• YouTube in-stream video (1920x1080, first 5 seconds unskippable, 15-60 seconds)
• YouTube discovery thumbnail (1280x720 minimum, CTR-optimized)
• Measurement: CTR 0.5-1.5%, cost-per-click 30-50% below platform average, conversion rate 3-8%

Website & Landing Pages

UI/Landing Page Specialist delivers:

• Homepage hero section (above-fold hook, value proposition, clear CTA)
• Product page (feature showcase, customer proof, demo/trial CTA)
• Pricing page (pricing clarity, plan differentiation, FAQ expansion, CTA)
• Case study/resource page (narrative structure, proof points, lead capture)
• Measurement: landing page conversion 5-15% depending on offer, bounce rate <40%

Sales Presentations

Presentation Designer delivers:

• Sales deck (10-50 slides, narrative arc from problem → solution → ROI)
• Executive briefing (5-10 slides, key metrics + strategic recommendation)
• Customer QBR deck (4-8 pages per customer, personalized metrics + roadmap)
• Investor pitch (10-15 slides, story + financials + market opportunity)
• Measurement: close rate, follow-up meeting rate, investor interest signals

Brand System

Brand Identity Strategist delivers:

• Brand guidelines (15-20 page document, visual + verbal identity)
• Design system (components library, tokens, grid, spacing)
• Marketing template library (email, social posts, slide decks)
• Brand asset package (high-res logos, brand colors, approved photography)
• Measurement: brand recognition, consistency score, adoption rate