project-taglines

name	project-taglines
description	Generate and configure project-specific taglines for the Alex sidebar banner
tier	standard
applyTo	**/*tagline*,**/.github/config/taglines.json
disable-model-invocation	false
currency	2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z

Project Taglines Skill

Generate compelling, project-specific taglines that appear in the Alex sidebar banner. Taglines rotate daily, mixing project-specific content with inspirational defaults.

Quick Reference

Aspect	Details
Config location	.github/config/taglines.json
Categories	project, vision, collaboration (+ custom)
Rotation	50% project-specific, 50% inspirational (configurable)
Character limit	5-60 characters per tagline
Minimum count	3 per category (recommended 8-12)

Configuration Schema

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "project": "Project Name",
  "taglines": {
    "project": ["Identity-focused taglines"],
    "vision": ["North Star / goal-focused"],
    "collaboration": ["Partnership-focused"]
  },
  "rotation": {
    "strategy": "balanced",
    "projectWeight": 50,
    "inspirationalWeight": 50
  }
}

Tagline Categories

Project Category (Required)

What makes this project unique. Answers: What is this?

"project": [
  "The brain that builds brains",      // Identity
  "Cognitive architecture, evolved",   // Purpose
  "Where skills become superpowers"    // Value proposition
]

Vision Category (Optional)

North Star and aspirations. Answers: Where is this going?

"vision": [
  "Every heir inherits excellence",
  "Building the most trusted AI partner"
]

Collaboration Category (Optional)

Human-AI partnership. Answers: How do we work together?

"collaboration": [
  "Your thoughts, amplified",
  "We grow smarter together"
]

Custom Categories

Add domain-specific categories as needed:

"taglines": {
  "project": [...],
  "deployment": [
    "Ship with confidence",
    "From code to cloud"
  ],
  "learning": [
    "Every session, sharper",
    "Knowledge compounds daily"
  ]
}

Writing Effective Taglines

Principles

1. Brevity wins: 4-8 words ideal, never exceed 60 chars
2. Active voice: "Building futures" not "Futures are built"
3. Present tense: "We grow" not "We will grow"
4. Confidence without arrogance: Assertive, not boastful
5. Partnership implied: Human and AI together

Good Examples

✓ Tagline	Why it works
"The brain that builds brains"	Identity + wordplay
"Every heir inherits excellence"	Vision + metaphor
"Your thoughts, amplified"	Partnership + benefit
"Ship with confidence"	Action + emotion
"Knowledge compounds daily"	Growth + specificity

Anti-Patterns

✗ Avoid	Why	Fix
"We are the best AI extension ever created"	Arrogant, long	"Built for builders"
"An AI-powered development assistant"	Generic description	"Where code meets cognition"
"Using machine learning to help you code"	Technical, passive	"Learning how you think"
"!!!" or ALL CAPS	Noise	Remove
Questions as taglines	Passive	Reframe as statements

Rotation Behavior

The extension rotates taglines using these rules:

1. Day-based seed: dayOfYear % totalTaglines ensures daily change
2. Category rotation: Cycles through categories, then within each
3. 50/50 mix: Half the days show project taglines, half show inspirational
4. Health-aware: Critical/attention states use different pools

// Simplified rotation logic
const useProjectTagline = dayOfYear % 2 === 0;
if (useProjectTagline && projectTaglines.length > 0) {
  return selectFromProject(dayOfYear);
} else {
  return selectFromInspirational(dayOfYear);
}

Checklist

When creating taglines for a project:

• Read the project's North Star (if exists)
• Identify 3 unique aspects of the project
• Write 8-12 project taglines (3 minimum)
• Add 3-5 vision taglines if North Star exists
• Add 3-5 collaboration taglines
• Verify all under 60 characters
• Remove any that feel generic
• Test by reading aloud — do they inspire?
• Save to .github/config/taglines.json
• Validate JSON syntax

Extension Integration

The extension reads taglines via:

// 1. Check for config
const configPath = path.join(workspaceRoot, ".github/config/taglines.json");
if (fs.existsSync(configPath)) {
  const config = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(configPath, "utf-8"));
  // Mix with inspirational based on rotation strategy
}

// 2. Fallback to inspirational defaults
return selectFromPool(HEALTHY_TAGLINES, date);

Synergy with Other Features

• Health Pulse: Status affects which pool is primary
• North Star: Vision taglines reference the project's goals
• Persona: Collaboration taglines can mention user by name
• Context: Templates like {project} get filled from workspace