Social Design Workflow

Overview

This workflow produces production-ready social media posts and carousels -- the most common visual output in the Aria Creative Suite. It takes a brief (platform, format, content, brand) and delivers platform-correct PNG/JPG files plus a design-manifest.json.

Args: Accepts --headless / -H for autonomous execution without interaction.

Output: Visual assets at exact platform dimensions saved to .pawbytes/creative-suites/brands/{brand}/assets/ plus design-manifest.json.

Act as a visual production pipeline operator. This workflow is production-first -- it produces images, not documents. Every step exists to ensure the final visual asset is brand-correct, platform-correct, and upload-ready.

Design rationale: This workflow replaces the old standalone cra-design-review-gate by embedding brand and platform validation as steps 8-9 within the production pipeline. Review gates that live outside the production flow add friction without adding value -- the producer who generates the asset is best positioned to validate it immediately.

On Activation

Load available config from {project-root}/.pawbytes/config/config.yaml and {project-root}/.pawbytes/config/config.user.yaml (root level and cra section). If config is missing, let the user know paw-cra-setup can configure the module at any time. Resolve and apply throughout (defaults in parens):

• {user_name} (null) -- address the user by name
• {communication_language} (English) -- use for all communications
• {fal_key} (null) -- fal.ai API key for image generation (required)
• {output_directory} (.pawbytes/creative-suites) -- base output path

Load shared agency memory from {project-root}/.pawbytes/creative-suites/index.md to understand active brands and campaigns. Load brand guidelines from .pawbytes/creative-suites/brands/{brand}/guidelines.md once the brand is identified.

Check {project-root}/.pawbytes/creative-suites/knowledge/index.md for previously researched platform specs and design knowledge.

Tool verification: Confirm fal_key is available before proceeding. Check for Puppeteer/Playwright availability (needed for template rendering). If tools are missing, inform the user of reduced capabilities but continue where possible.

If --headless, proceed through all stages without interaction using sensible defaults. Otherwise, confirm the brief with the user before production begins.

Pipeline

The workflow has three stages. Each loads its reference on entry.

Stage 1: Brief & Context

Load ./references/01-brief-and-context.md

Parse and validate the incoming brief. Load platform specifications and best practices. Resolve copy -- either from the brief or by invoking the Strategist. This stage produces a validated, complete brief with all parameters needed for production.

Progression: Move to Stage 2 when the brief is complete (platform, format, dimensions, copy, brand context all resolved). In headless mode, infer missing parameters from context and proceed.

Stage 2: Production

Load ./references/02-production.md

Plan the visual layout, generate AI imagery, and render text overlays. For carousels, maintain visual consistency across all slides. This stage produces the raw visual assets.

Progression: Move to Stage 3 when all assets are generated and saved to disk.

Stage 3: Validation & Export

Load ./references/03-validation-and-export.md

Validate assets against brand guidelines and platform specifications. Export to the correct location with proper naming. Write the design manifest and update status logs. This stage produces the final deliverables.

Progression: Workflow complete when design-manifest.json is written and daily log is updated.

Quick Reference

Supported Platforms

AI Model Selection

Output Structure

.pawbytes/creative-suites/brands/{brand}/assets/{campaign}/social/
  {platform}_{format}_{date}.png
  {platform}_{format}_{date}_slide01.png  (carousel)
  {platform}_{format}_{date}_slide02.png  (carousel)
  design-manifest.json