---
name: ian-xiaohei-illustrations
description: Generate editorial illustrations in Ian's style for Chinese articles, posts, blogs, Notion docs, workflows, structures, states, metaphors, shot lists, and image edits such as removing titles or correcting text. Default style: Xiaohei IP, pure white hand-drawn art, minimal red/orange/blue annotations, clean but slightly absurd visual language.
---

# Ian Xiaohei Editorial Illustrations

## Core Positioning

Create 16:9 landscape editorial illustrations for Chinese articles. The goal is not commercial illustration, PPT infographics, or cute cartoons. The goal is to turn one judgment, process, structure, state, or metaphor from the article into a clean, weird, memorable hand-drawn explanation image.

The default visual IP is "Xiaohei": a black solid figure with white dot eyes, thin limbs, and an expressionless face. Xiaohei must take part in the core action of the image, not sit on the side as decoration.

## What to Read First

Read the following only when needed:

- `references/style-dna.md`: style DNA, colors, typography, and constraints
- `references/xiaohei-ip.md`: Xiaohei's shape, personality, movement library, and taboos
- `references/composition-patterns.md`: structure types, metaphor invention, and anti-repetition rules
- `references/prompt-template.md`: single-image prompt template
- `references/qa-checklist.md`: generation review and iteration checklist
- `assets/examples/`: visual calibration only, not a default generation path. Do not copy the composition, objects, or annotations from these examples.

## Workflow

### 1. Understand the article

Read the user-provided article, links, Notion page, Markdown file, or screenshot. Identify:

- the core point
- where a cognitive turn happens
- which content is best visualized
- which parts should remain text only

Do not illustrate everything evenly. Prefer "cognitive anchors," such as a core judgment, two breakpoints, input/output loops, branching, before/after comparisons, one-fish-many-uses, handoff paths, common pits, or role-state changes.

### 2. Produce a shot list first

If the user only asks for analysis or visual planning, return a shot list first. For each image, specify:

- which paragraph it follows
- the image theme
- the core meaning
- the structure type
- what Xiaohei is doing
- suggested elements
- suggested Chinese annotations

Default output is 4-8 images. Very short articles may need only 1-3 images. Long articles should still avoid exceeding 9 unless necessary.

### 3. Generate a single image

If the user explicitly asks to "generate," "output," "draw," or "help me make it," do not pause to ask for confirmation. Use the built-in `image_gen` tool to generate each image separately. Do not pack multiple scenes into one image.

Each image should communicate one core structure only. The prompt should include:

- 16:9 landscape editorial illustration
- pure white background
- black hand-drawn line art
- small amounts of red/orange/blue handwritten Chinese annotations
- lots of whitespace
- Xiaohei as the main actor
- no PPT look, no commercial illustration look, no cute style, no complex architecture diagram, no top-left title

Do not simply reuse old examples. Examples are for style density and Xiaohei participation only. Unless the user explicitly asks to recreate a specific image, invent a new weird but plausible metaphor every time.

### 4. Review and iterate

After generation, check `references/qa-checklist.md`. If any of the following appear, regenerate or edit locally:

- Xiaohei is only decorative
- The canvas feels too crowded
- It looks like a workflow slide or PPT
- There are too many Chinese words or obvious typos
- A title such as "common pitfall / workflow / system architecture" appears in the top-left corner
- The drawing style is too cute, childish, or dead
- The background is not clean white

### 5. Save and deliver

If the user is working inside the workspace, save the final images under:

```text
assets/<article-slug>-illustrations/
```

Use numbered filenames:

```text
01-topic-name.png
02-topic-name.png
```

Keep the original generated files unless the user explicitly asks for replacements.

## Output Style

Before generation, keep the strategy summary short and precise. After generation, report:

- how many images were generated
- the purpose of each image
- the save path
- which images are the most stable and which are optional

Do not give a long stylistic lecture. Let the image itself carry the explanation.

