| name | excalidraw-visuals |
| description | Use when someone asks for a hand-drawn visual, PNG image, rendered diagram, visual explanation, or says "excalidraw image" or "excalidraw visual". This generates PNG images, not editable files. |
Prerequisites
Before using this skill, make sure you have:
- A fal.ai API key (sign up at https://fal.ai) added to
.env as FAL_KEY
- Node.js installed
- The generation script at
scripts/excalidraw-visuals/generate-visual.js
- The style reference image at
brand-assets/excalidraw-style-reference.png (optional — for prompt consistency)
Read the full visual specification before building any prompt:
style-guide.md (in this skill's folder) -- color system, font spec, shape rules, icon vocabulary, layout templates, text minimization rules
Style Prefix (LOCKED)
This exact text is prepended to EVERY prompt. Never modify it per-request.
Excalidraw-style hand-drawn diagram on a clean white background. All text uses neat, consistent architect-style handwriting -- legible, slightly rounded letters with medium stroke weight. Letter sizes are uniform within each label. Titles are bold and larger. Body labels are smaller but equally neat. This is NOT sloppy handwriting -- it looks like a designer wrote it carefully with a thick marker.
Shapes are rounded rectangles with a 2-3px dark gray (#495057) hand-drawn outline and soft pastel fills. Lines and arrows are slightly wobbly and hand-drawn, not ruler-straight. Arrowheads are simple triangles. Nothing is pixel-perfect -- everything has a natural, sketched feel with visible stroke texture.
Color palette: soft blue (#a5d8ff), warm yellow (#ffec99), soft green (#b2f2bb), coral (#ffa8a8), light purple (#d0bfff). All text is dark charcoal (#343a40). All lines and arrows are dark gray (#495057). Background is always clean white.
People are simple stick figures with round heads, no facial features. AI agents/robots have a round head with two dot eyes and a small antenna. Documents have a folded corner. Gears represent automation. All icons are simple line drawings, not detailed or cartoonish.
Layout is clean and spacious with generous whitespace. Visual hierarchy is clear -- title is largest, labels are short (max 3 words each). The overall feel is educational, friendly, and slightly more polished than basic Excalidraw -- colored fills, intentional spacing, consistent sizing, and meaningful color coding elevate it.
Do NOT include: realistic photos, gradients, drop shadows, 3D effects, corporate clip art, stock imagery, dark backgrounds, heavy borders.
Step 1: Gather Input
Get from the user:
- What concept or process to visualize
- Any specific elements, steps, or labels to include
- Aspect ratio preference (default: 16:9)
If the request is vague, ask one clarifying question about what specific angle or flow to show.
Step 2: Choose a Layout Template
Pick the best layout from the style guide:
| Template | Best For |
|---|
| Left-to-Right Flow | Processes, sequences, transformations |
| Hub and Spoke | Capabilities, features around a central concept |
| Top-to-Bottom Hierarchy | Levels, layers, progressive depth |
| Side-by-Side Comparison | Before/after, old vs new, option A vs B |
| Numbered Steps List | Frameworks, checklists, ordered instructions |
| Cycle / Loop | Feedback loops, iterative processes |
Step 3: Plan the Text (Minimize It)
Plan every piece of text that will appear in the image before writing the prompt:
- Title: Max 5 words. Prefer 3.
- Box labels: Max 3 words each. Prefer 1-2.
- Annotations: Max 4 words each.
- Total word count: Target under 30 words. Absolute max 50.
Spelling protection:
- Flag any word over 8 characters and shorten it
- Use icons instead of words where possible
- Use abbreviations (API, AI, DB, CLI)
- Remove articles and prepositions
Step 4: Build the Prompt
Construct the prompt in this exact structure:
[STYLE PREFIX]
STYLE REFERENCE: Match the visual style of the reference image exactly -- same font, same shapes, same colors, same level of polish.
Diagram concept: [TITLE -- max 5 words]
Layout: [TEMPLATE NAME] -- [brief spatial description]
Elements (left to right / top to bottom):
1. [Element name] -- [color] fill, [icon if any], label: "[EXACT TEXT]"
2. [Element name] -- [color] fill, [icon if any], label: "[EXACT TEXT]"
3. ...
Connections:
- Arrow from [1] to [2], label: "[TEXT or none]"
- Arrow from [2] to [3]
...
Title at top center, bold and large: "[EXACT TITLE TEXT]"
Rules:
- Be explicit about spatial positions ("on the left", "top center", "bottom right")
- Assign a specific color from the palette to every filled element
- Name every element and its exact label text
- Describe connections/arrows with direction
Step 5: Assign Colors by Meaning
- Flows: Blue (input) -> Yellow (process) -> Green (output)
- Comparisons: Coral (old/bad/slow) vs Green (new/good/fast)
- Hub and spoke: Blue center, mixed colors for spokes
- Hierarchies: Blue (top) -> Yellow (middle) -> Green (bottom)
- Lists/grids: Alternate colors row by row
Never leave color choice to the model. Always specify.
Step 6: Generate the Image
Always include the style reference image. This is mandatory for visual consistency.
node scripts/excalidraw-visuals/generate-visual.js "<FULL_PROMPT>" "projects/excalidraw-visuals/[YYYY-MM-DD]-[slug].png" "[ASPECT_RATIO]"
You can pass reference image URLs via --input:
node scripts/excalidraw-visuals/generate-visual.js "<FULL_PROMPT>" "projects/excalidraw-visuals/[YYYY-MM-DD]-[slug].png" "[ASPECT_RATIO]" --input "https://example.com/reference.png"
Aspect ratios: 16:9 (default), 1:1, 4:5
Note: Uses fal.ai Flux Schnell model (free tier). The style prefix in the prompt ensures consistent Excalidraw aesthetics without needing a reference image.
Step 7: Present Result
- Show the file path for preview
- One-line summary of what the visual shows
- Ask if adjustments are needed
If adjustments needed: modify only the diagram-specific portion. Never change the style prefix.
File Locations
| What | Path |
|---|
| Style guide | .claude/skills/excalidraw-visuals/style-guide.md |
| Script | scripts/excalidraw-visuals/generate-visual.js |
| Output | projects/excalidraw-visuals/ |
| API key | .env (FAL_KEY) |
Notes
- Uses fal.ai Flux Schnell model (free tier, ~5s per image)
- The style prefix is locked. Only the diagram description changes per-request.
- The style prefix in the prompt ensures consistent Excalidraw aesthetics.
- If generation fails, check
.env for FAL_KEY
- When in doubt, fewer words and more icons
- Alternative: Use
Social-Media-Agent-1.0/Videos/scripts/generate_fal.py for Python-based generation
