# Cover Design

> Use when designing Xiaohongshu post thumbnails or first images, creating eye-catching cover images, improving click-through rates, or A/B testing cover designs

- Skill: `vivy-yi/cover-design` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add vivy-yi/cover-design`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/vivy-yi/cover-design/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: vivy-yi (https://skillmd.com/u/vivy-yi)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/vivy-yi/cover-design

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# Cover Design (封面设计)

## Overview

Cover design is creating compelling first images (thumbnails) that grab attention in feed, entice users to click, and set expectations for your content - the single most important factor for content discovery on Xiaohongshu.

## When to Use

**Use when**:
- Creating cover image for carousel posts
- Designing video thumbnails
- Optimizing click-through rates
- A/B testing cover designs
- Improving content visibility

**Do NOT use when**:
- Editing full photo set (use xingtu-tool)
- Designing complex graphics (use canva-tool)

## Core Pattern

**Before** (boring cover):
```
❌ Plain product photo
❌ Small or no text
❌ Low contrast
❌ Doesn't stand out in feed
❌ Unclear what content is about
```

**After** (click-worthy cover):
```
✅ Bold headline text
✅ High contrast colors
✅ Clear subject or product
✅ Intriguing or promising
✅ Sets clear expectations
```

**5 Cover Design Elements**:
1. **Hook Text** - Bold headline (3-5 words)
2. **Visual** - High-quality image or subject
3. **Colors** - High contrast, eye-catching
4. **Composition** - Clear focal point
5. **Branding** - Consistent style

## Quick Reference

| Cover Type | Text Style | Color Scheme | Best For |
|------------|------------|--------------|----------|
| **Tutorial** | "How to..." / "5 Ways" | Bright, warm | Educational |
| **Review** | Product + verdict | Clean, professional | Trust |
| **Listicle** | "7 Things..." | Colorful, fun | Curiosity |
| **Before-After** | Split comparison | Dramatic contrast | Transformation |
| **Secret/Tip** | "Nobody tells you..." | Mysterious, dark | Curiosity |

## Implementation

### Step 1: Write Hook Headline

**Effective hooks**:
- **Number**: "5个..."
- **Promise**: "让我...的方法"
- **Curiosity**: "没想到..."
- **Negative**: "别再...了"
- **Question**: "你知道吗...?"

**Examples**:
- ✅ "学生党必看: 5个平价好物"
- ✅ "坚持30天,变化惊呆"
- ✅ "这个习惯毁了皮肤"

### Step 2: Choose or Create Visual

**Visual options**:
- Product photo (clean background)
- Portrait (face to camera)
- Before/after side-by-side
- Flat lay or overhead shot
- Lifestyle action shot

**Requirements**:
- High resolution (1080x1440+)
- Good lighting (bright or dramatic)
- Clear subject (not cluttered)
- Vertical format (3:4 or 4:5)

### Step 3: Add Text Overlay

**Text principles**:
- **Size**: Large (30%+ of image height)
- **Font**: Bold, sans-serif
- **Color**: White text with black outline OR black text with white glow
- **Position**: Top or center third
- **Contrast**: High contrast against background

**Tools**:
- Xingtu (醒图) - Text templates
- Canva - Custom design
- Meitu (美图秀秀) - Quick text

### Step 4: Apply Color and Effects

**Color strategies**:
- **Warm tones**: Coral, orange, yellow (energetic)
- **Cool tones**: Blue, teal, purple (calm, professional)
- **High contrast**: Bright against dark background

**Effects** (subtle):
- Slight vignette (focus center)
- Color boost (vibrant colors)
- Brightness +10 to +15

**Avoid**:
- Heavy filters that distort reality
- Too many effects (cluttered)
- Low contrast (hard to read)

### Step 5: Test and Iterate

**A/B test variations**:
- Different headline text
- Different colors
- Different layouts
- Different images

**Measure**: Click-through rate (views/impressions)

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| **Text too small** | Use large, bold text |
| **Low contrast** | High contrast = readable |
| **Too much text** | 3-5 words max |
| **Cluttered design** | Keep simple, clear focal point |
| **Misleading cover** | Cover must match content |

## Real-World Impact

**Great covers**: 2-3x click-through rate
**Poor covers**: <100 views despite great content

**Key metric**: Cover is 80% of content success.

---

**Related Skills**:
- **REQUIRED**: graphic-content-creation (cover is first image)
- **REQUIRED**: title-writing (cover text = headline)
- xingtu-tool (add text overlays)
- canva-tool (design custom covers)