visual-storytelling-design
Transforms data into compelling visual narratives by applying narrative structure, annotation techniques, scrollytelling patterns, and honest framing to data journalism, presentations, and infographics. Use when creating data-driven articles or reports, designing infographics with narrative, building scrollytelling experiences, annotating charts to guide interpretation, or when user mentions data storytelling, presentation design, annotated chart, narrative visualization.
What this skill does
# Visual Storytelling Design ## Table of Contents - [Story Design Workflow](#story-design-workflow) - [Path Selection Menu](#path-selection-menu) - [Path 1: Build Narrative Structure](#path-1-build-narrative-structure) - [Path 2: Master Annotation](#path-2-master-annotation) - [Path 3: Design Scrollytelling](#path-3-design-scrollytelling) - [Path 4: Apply Framing & Metaphors](#path-4-apply-framing--metaphors) - [Quick Reference](#quick-reference) - [Guardrails](#guardrails) --- **Core principle:** Structuring data as narrative (Context → Problem → Evidence → Insight) aids comprehension and retention. Annotations guide attention, progressive disclosure reveals complexity gradually, and framing provides context for accurate interpretation. **Related skills:** Use `cognitive-design` for cognitive principles, `d3-visualization` for D3.js implementation, `design-evaluation-audit` for systematic evaluation, `cognitive-fallacies-guard` for integrity checks. --- ## Story Design Workflow **Time:** 1-2 hours **Copy this checklist and track your progress:** ``` Story Design Progress: - [ ] Step 1: Define Narrative - [ ] Step 2: Choose Structure - [ ] Step 3: Apply Cognitive Techniques - [ ] Step 4: Review for Clarity & Integrity ``` ### Step 1: Define Narrative Determine the story arc: What's the context? What's the question/problem? What data answers it? What's the insight? Choose an opening strategy: lead with human impact, surprising finding, or visual. **Resource:** [Narrative Techniques](resources/narrative-techniques.md) — Narrative Structure section ### Step 2: Choose Structure Select a template and pattern that fits your story type, audience, and medium. Options include step-by-step article, magazine style, annotated chart, interactive exploration, or presentation deck. **Resource:** [Storytelling Patterns](resources/storytelling-patterns.md) — Templates and Decision Matrix ### Step 3: Apply Cognitive Techniques Add annotations (callouts, arrows, shaded regions, direct labels). Apply framing with baselines, comparisons, and denominator clarity. Use scrollytelling for progressive revelation if web-based. Consider visual metaphors. **Resource:** [Narrative Techniques](resources/narrative-techniques.md) — Annotations, Scrollytelling, Framing sections ### Step 4: Review for Clarity & Integrity Verify the story is honest (no cherry-picking, balanced framing), clear (insight obvious in 5 seconds), and complete (sources cited, limitations noted). Use `design-evaluation-audit` for systematic evaluation and `cognitive-fallacies-guard` for integrity verification. --- ## Path Selection Menu ### Path 1: Build Narrative Structure **Choose this when:** Starting a data story and need to define the narrative arc and opening strategy. **→ [Go to Narrative Techniques](resources/narrative-techniques.md) — Sections 1-2** --- ### Path 2: Master Annotation **Choose this when:** Adding annotations to guide interpretation of existing charts and visualizations. **→ [Go to Narrative Techniques](resources/narrative-techniques.md) — Section 3** --- ### Path 3: Design Scrollytelling **Choose this when:** Building web-based progressive revelation experiences. **→ [Go to Narrative Techniques](resources/narrative-techniques.md) — Section 4** --- ### Path 4: Apply Framing & Metaphors **Choose this when:** Providing context, baselines, comparisons, and visual metaphors. **→ [Go to Narrative Techniques](resources/narrative-techniques.md) — Sections 5-6** --- ## Quick Reference ### 5 Storytelling Principles 1. **Lead with insight, not topic** — Title: "Remote workers report 23% higher satisfaction" not "Remote work survey results" 2. **Annotate the insight** — Don't make readers discover it; point it out with callouts 3. **Provide context** — Baselines, historical comparisons, denominators for every percentage 4. **One change at a time** — Scrollytelling: highlight OR annotate, not both simultaneously 5. **Be honest** — Show full data, acknowledge limitations, avoid cherry-picking --- ## Guardrails **Scope:** This skill provides narrative structure, annotation techniques, scrollytelling patterns, framing guidance, story templates, and quality checklists for data storytelling. It does not implement code, evaluate general usability, teach cognitive theory, or check for misleading patterns.
Related in Design
contribute
IncludedLocal-only OSS contribution command center. Auto-refreshes the user's in-flight PR and issue state on invoke so conversations start with full context — no need to brief Claude on what's in flight. Helps the user find issues to contribute to on GitHub, builds per-repo dossiers of what each upstream expects (CLA, DCO, branch convention, AI policy, draft-first, review bots, issue templates), runs deterministic gates before any external action so AI-assisted contributions don't reach maintainers as slop. State is markdown-only: candidate files at ~/.contribute-system/candidates/, repo dossiers at ~/.contribute-system/research/, append-only event log at ~/.contribute-system/log.jsonl. No database, no cloud calls. Use when the user asks about their PRs / issues / contributions, wants to find new work to take on, claim an issue, build/refresh a repo's dossier, or draft a Design Issue or PR. Trigger with "/contribute", "what's my PR status", "find a contribution", "claim issue X", "draft a Design Issue for Y", "refresh dossier for Z".
architectural-analysis
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mcp
IncludedModel Context Protocol (MCP) server development and tool management. Languages: Python, TypeScript. Capabilities: build MCP servers, integrate external APIs, discover/execute MCP tools, manage multi-server configs, design agent-centric tools. Actions: create, build, integrate, discover, execute, configure MCP servers/tools. Keywords: MCP, Model Context Protocol, MCP server, MCP tool, stdio transport, SSE transport, tool discovery, resource provider, prompt template, external API integration, Gemini CLI MCP, Claude MCP, agent tools, tool execution, server config. Use when: building MCP servers, integrating external APIs as MCP tools, discovering available MCP tools, executing MCP capabilities, configuring multi-server setups, designing tools for AI agents.
react-native-skia
IncludedDesign, build, debug, and optimise high-polish animated graphics in React Native or Expo using @shopify/react-native-skia, Reanimated, and Gesture Handler. Use when the user wants canvas-driven UI, shaders, paths, rich text, image filters, sprite fields, Skottie, video frames, snapshots, web CanvasKit setup, or performance tuning for custom motion-heavy elements such as loaders, hero art, cards, charts, progress indicators, particle systems, or gesture-driven surfaces. Also use when the user asks for fluid, glow, glass, blob, parallax, 60fps/120fps, or GPU-friendly animated effects in React Native, even if they do not explicitly say "Skia". Do not use for ordinary form/layout work with standard views.
plaid
IncludedProduct Led AI Development — guides founders from idea to launched product. Six capabilities: Idea (discover a product idea), Validate (pressure-test the idea against fatal flaws, problem reality, competition, and 2-week MVP feasibility), Plan (vision intake + document generation), Design (translate image references into a design.md spec), Launch (go-to-market strategy), and Build (roadmap execution). Use when someone says "PLAID", "plaid idea", "help me find an idea", "product idea", "idea from my business", "idea from my expertise", "plaid validate", "validate my idea", "pressure-test", "is this idea good", "find fatal flaws", "validate the problem", "plan a product", "define my vision", "generate a PRD", "product strategy", "plaid design", "design from image", "translate image to design", "create design.md", "extract design tokens", "plaid launch", "go-to-market", "launch plan", "GTM strategy", "launch playbook", "plaid build", "build the app", "start building", or "execute the roadmap".
nextjs-framer-motion-animations
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