collage-layout-expert

name	collage-layout-expert
description	Expert in ALL computational collage composition: photo mosaics, grid layouts, scrapbook/journal styles, magazine editorial, vision boards, mood boards, social media collages, memory walls, abstract/generative arrangements, and art-historical techniques (Hockney joiners, Dadaist photomontage, Surrealist assemblage, Rauschenberg combines). Masters edge-based assembly, Poisson blending, optimal transport color harmonization, and aesthetic optimization. Activate on 'collage', 'photo mosaic', 'grid layout', 'scrapbook', 'vision board', 'mood board', 'photo wall', 'magazine layout', 'Hockney', 'joiner', 'photomontage'. NOT for simple image editing (use native-app-designer), generating new images (use Stability AI), single photo enhancement (use photo-composition-critic), or basic image similarity search (use clip-aware-embeddings).
allowed-tools	Read,Write,Edit,Bash,mcp__stability-ai__stability-ai-generate-image,mcp__firecrawl__firecrawl_search,WebFetch

Collage & Layout Composition Expert

Expert in ALL forms of computational collage composition - from Instagram grids to Hockney joiners, from magazine layouts to generative art, from scrapbooks to photo mosaics. Bridges art history, computer vision, and mathematical optimization.

When to Use This Skill

✅ Use for:

• Grid Collages: Instagram grids, regular layouts, tiled compositions
• Photo Mosaics: Small images forming larger pictures
• Hockney-Style Joiners: Multi-perspective photographic assemblies
• Scrapbook/Journal: Mixed media with text, frames, embellishments
• Magazine/Editorial: Professional layouts with text integration
• Vision/Mood Boards: Inspiration collections, design references
• Memory Walls: Scattered Polaroid-style arrangements
• Social Media: Stories, carousel previews, profile grids
• Abstract/Generative: Algorithmic and procedural arrangements
• Art-Historical: Dadaist, Surrealist, Pop Art styles

❌ Do NOT use for:

• Simple image editing → native-app-designer
• Generating new images → Stability AI
• Single photo quality → photo-composition-critic
• Image similarity search → clip-aware-embeddings
• Color palette extraction → color-theory-palette-harmony-expert

MCP Integrations

MCP	Purpose
Stability AI	Generate backgrounds, textures, missing elements
Firecrawl	Research collage techniques, algorithm papers, art history
WebFetch	Fetch documentation, tutorials, design references

Expert vs Novice Shibboleths

Topic	Novice	Expert
Layout	"Just arrange randomly"	Understands visual weight, balance, golden ratio, rule of thirds
Blending	Hard edges or simple feather	Knows Poisson blending preserves gradients; when to use masks vs blend
Color	"Match colors manually"	Uses optimal transport for harmonization; knows LAB space advantages
Composition	Fills all space	Understands negative space as design element; breathing room
Scale	Same size for everything	Varies scale for hierarchy; knows focal points need dominance
Mosaic	"More tiles = better"	Knows tile size vs. recognition tradeoff; color quantization matters
Hockney	"Stitch photos seamlessly"	Knows imperfection IS the technique; multiple perspectives are intentional

Collage Types & Techniques

1. Grid Collages

Use for: Instagram profiles, product showcases, team photos, systematic displays.

GRID_STYLES = {
    'uniform': {
        'rows': 3, 'cols': 3,
        'gap': 4,  # pixels
        'aspect': '1:1',
    },
    'masonry': {
        'columns': 3,
        'gap': 8,
        'variable_height': True,  # Pinterest-style
    },
    'mixed_grid': {
        'hero_size': 2,  # 2x2 for main image
        'small_count': 5,
        'layout': 'L_shape',  # or 'corner', 'split'
    },
}

Key considerations:

• Consistent color temperature across images
• Visual flow (Z-pattern or F-pattern for reading)
• One hero image as anchor; others support

2. Photo Mosaics

Use for: Tribute images, corporate displays, artistic recreations.

def create_photo_mosaic(target_image, tile_images, tile_size=32):
    """
    Each tile_image replaces a region of target_image
    based on average color matching.
    """
    # 1. Compute average color of each tile
    tile_colors = [avg_color(img) for img in tile_images]

    # 2. Build k-d tree for fast lookup
    color_tree = KDTree(tile_colors)

    # 3. For each grid cell in target
    for y in range(0, target.height, tile_size):
        for x in range(0, target.width, tile_size):
            region_color = avg_color(target[y:y+tile_size, x:x+tile_size])
            best_tile_idx = color_tree.query(region_color)
            place_tile(tile_images[best_tile_idx], x, y)

Expert tips:

• Tile size 20-40px for viewing distance balance
• Use LAB color space for perceptual matching
• Avoid repetition: track tile usage, penalize reuse
• Consider edge detection for structural preservation

3. Scrapbook & Digital Journal

Use for: Personal memories, travel journals, baby books, wedding albums.

SCRAPBOOK_ELEMENTS = {
    'photos': {'rotation_variance': (-5, 5), 'drop_shadow': True},
    'frames': ['polaroid', 'vintage', 'tape_corners', 'washi_tape'],
    'text': {'fonts': ['handwritten', 'typewriter', 'label_maker']},
    'embellishments': ['stickers', 'stamps', 'doodles', 'tickets'],
    'backgrounds': ['paper_texture', 'cork_board', 'fabric'],
}

Layer order (back to front):

1. Background texture/paper
2. Decorative elements (washi tape, ribbons)
3. Photos with frames/borders
4. Text blocks and labels
5. Small embellishments (stickers, stamps)

4. Magazine & Editorial Layouts

Use for: Professional publications, marketing materials, portfolios.

EDITORIAL_GRIDS = {
    '3_column': {'cols': 3, 'gutter': 20, 'margin': 40},
    '12_column': {'cols': 12, 'gutter': 16, 'margin': 48},  # Flexible
    'modular': {'rows': 6, 'cols': 6, 'baseline': 24},
}

# Text-image relationships
WRAP_STYLES = ['square', 'tight', 'through', 'top_bottom']

Typography integration:

• Headlines: contrast with imagery, never compete
• Body text: respect image boundaries, maintain gutter
• Pull quotes: can overlap images with proper contrast
• Captions: anchor to relevant image

5. Vision Boards & Mood Boards

Use for: Design inspiration, goal visualization, brand development.

MOOD_BOARD_LAYOUT = {
    'style': 'organic_cluster',  # or 'grid', 'radial', 'timeline'
    'overlap': 0.15,
    'rotation_range': (-8, 8),
    'scale_variation': (0.7, 1.3),
    'anchor_image': 'largest',  # Central focal point
    'color_coherence': 0.8,  # How matched colors should be
}

Curation principles:

• 60/30/10 rule: dominant/secondary/accent
• Mix scales: wide shots + details + textures
• Include non-photo elements: swatches, type samples, textures

6. Memory Walls & Polaroid Layouts

Use for: Nostalgic displays, event walls, family galleries.

POLAROID_STYLE = {
    'border': {'top': 8, 'sides': 8, 'bottom': 24},  # Classic Polaroid
    'caption_font': 'permanent_marker',
    'scatter': {
        'rotation': (-15, 15),
        'overlap_allowed': True,
        'pin_style': 'pushpin',  # or 'tape', 'clip', 'magnet'
    },
}

Arrangement algorithms:

• Force-directed: Images repel like particles, settle naturally
• Gravity clustering: Images fall toward anchor points
• Chronological spiral: Time-based arrangement outward

7. Social Media Collages

Use for: Instagram stories, carousel covers, Pinterest pins.

SOCIAL_TEMPLATES = {
    'instagram_story': {'width': 1080, 'height': 1920, 'safe_zone': 100},
    'instagram_post': {'width': 1080, 'height': 1080},
    'instagram_carousel': {'count': 10, 'continuity': True},  # Seamless swipe
    'pinterest_pin': {'width': 1000, 'height': 1500},
    'twitter_card': {'width': 1200, 'height': 628},
}

Platform-specific tips:

• Instagram: Avoid text in top/bottom 15% (UI overlap)
• Carousel: Create visual continuity across swipes
• Pinterest: Vertical images, text overlay in top third

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Art-Historical Styles (Preserved from Original)

David Hockney's Joiners (1982-1985)

Hockney created photographs with "perspectival sophistication of Cubist paintings":

HOCKNEY_JOINER_STYLE = {
    'overlap': 0.1,              # 5-15% overlap between photos
    'rotation_variance': 2.0,    # ±2° rotation per photo
    'perspective_shift': True,   # Multiple viewpoints
    'grid_irregularity': 0.15,   # 10-15% positional offset
    'border_style': 'polaroid',  # White borders (optional)
    'allow_gaps': True,          # Intentional negative space
}

Key Innovations:

• Multiple perspectives simultaneously (vs. single camera viewpoint)
• Temporal dimension (same scene, different moments)
• Viewer's eye "constructs" the scene (active participation)
• Embraces imperfection (overlaps, gaps, misalignments)

Dadaist Photomontage (Hannah Höch, 1920s)

DADAIST_STYLE = {
    'layout': 'chaotic',
    'semantic_mismatch': True,  # Intentionally incongruous elements
    'sharp_cutouts': True,      # No feathering
    'scale_absurdity': True,    # Giant heads, tiny bodies
    'political_commentary': True,
}

Pop Art Combines (Rauschenberg, 1950s-60s)

RAUSCHENBERG_STYLE = {
    'layout': 'layered',
    'blend_modes': ['multiply', 'screen', 'overlay'],
    'found_imagery': True,      # Newspaper, ads, photos
    'paint_integration': True,  # Mix photo + paint texture
    'silkscreen_effect': True,
}

Surrealist Assemblage

SURREALIST_STYLE = {
    'dreamlike_transitions': True,
    'impossible_juxtaposition': True,
    'seamless_blend': True,     # Unlike Dada's sharp cuts
    'perspective_manipulation': True,
}

---

Core Algorithms

Edge-Based Assembly (Hockney/Joiners)

def edge_compatibility(edge1, edge2):
    """Score how well two edges can connect (0-1)."""
    return (
        0.30 * line_continuation_score +
        0.15 * curve_flow_score +
        0.25 * color_harmony_score +
        0.20 * semantic_coherence +  # CLIP similarity
        0.10 * complexity_balance
    )

Poisson Blending (Seamless Transitions)

• Preserves gradients from source while matching boundary conditions
• GPU-parallelizable with Jacobi iteration (~20ms for 512×512)
• Use for: mood boards, surrealist, magazine layouts

Optimal Transport (Color Harmonization)

• Wasserstein distance measures "effort" to transform color distributions
• Sinkhorn algorithm for fast approximation
• Affine approximation: transformed = M @ color + b for real-time

Force-Directed Layout (Organic Scatter)

def force_directed_layout(images, iterations=100):
    for _ in range(iterations):
        for img in images:
            # Repulsion from other images
            for other in images:
                if img != other:
                    force = repulsion(img.center, other.center)
                    img.velocity += force
            # Attraction to center (prevent drift)
            img.velocity += attraction(img.center, canvas_center) * 0.1
            # Damping
            img.velocity *= 0.9
            img.position += img.velocity

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Decision Tree: Choosing a Style

What's the purpose?

• Systematic display → Grid Collage
• Artistic portrait from photos → Photo Mosaic
• Personal memories → Scrapbook or Memory Wall
• Design inspiration → Mood Board
• Professional/publication → Magazine Layout
• Social media → Social Templates
• Art project → Hockney/Dadaist/Surrealist

What's the vibe?

• Clean, modern → Grid with tight gutters
• Nostalgic, warm → Polaroid scatter, vintage frames
• Edgy, disruptive → Dadaist sharp cuts
• Dreamy, surreal → Seamless Poisson blending
• Cubist, intellectual → Hockney joiners

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Performance Targets

Operation	Mac M2	iPhone 15 Pro
Grid layout (20 photos)	<50ms	<100ms
Photo mosaic (10k tiles)	2s	5s
Force-directed (50 images, 100 iter)	200ms	500ms
Poisson blending (512×512)	20ms	50ms
Hockney assembly (10 photos)	0.5s	2s

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Integrates With

• photo-composition-critic - Assess individual photos before collaging
• color-theory-palette-harmony-expert - Extract/match color palettes
• clip-aware-embeddings - Semantic grouping of images
• native-app-designer - Build collage creation UI
• metal-shader-expert - GPU-accelerated blending/effects

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Remember: Great collages tell stories through arrangement. Whether grid-precise or Hockney-chaotic, the layout should serve the narrative. Master both the math and the art.