carousel-creator

Carousel Creator

Generates LinkedIn carousel content structured as 8-12 slides with a hook, value slides, and CTA. Outputs each slide as a standalone HTML file with inline brand-color styling, sized for LinkedIn carousel dimensions (1080x1350px). The HTML files can be screenshot'd to PNG for upload.

Prerequisites

• agency.config.json at repo root with agency, outreach, services, and case_studies sections
• Topic, raw content, or a brief describing what the carousel covers
• Optional: brand colors override (defaults to config or neutral palette)
• Optional: output directory for HTML files

Phase 0: Intake

1. Read agency.config.json from the project root.
2. Extract:
   • agency.name -- for branding on final slide
   • agency.founder -- for attribution
   • agency.domain -- for CTA slide link
   • outreach.tone -- voice and style for copy
   • outreach.banned_phrases -- phrases to avoid
   • services[] -- for contextual relevance
   • case_studies[] -- for data-backed slides
3. Accept parameters:
   • topic -- (required) the carousel topic or headline
   • source_content -- (optional) raw text, blog post, or notes to structure into slides
   • slide_count -- number of slides. Default: 10. Range: 8-12
   • brand_colors -- (optional) object with primary, secondary, background, text hex values. Default: dark background (#1a1a2e), white text (#ffffff), accent (#e94560)
   • font_family -- (optional) Google Font name. Default: "Inter"
   • output_dir -- directory to write HTML files. Default: ./carousel-output/
   • style -- visual style: dark | light | gradient | minimal. Default: dark
   • cta -- call-to-action for final slide. Default: "Follow for more" + agency domain

Phase 1: Content Structuring

Transform the topic or source content into a slide-by-slide structure. Each slide must carry exactly one idea.

Slide architecture:

Slide	Purpose	Content Rules
1	Hook	Bold statement, question, or surprising stat. Must stop the scroll. Max 10 words.
2	Context	Set up the problem or frame the topic. 15-25 words.
3-8	Value	One point per slide. Title (3-6 words) + body (15-30 words).
9-10	Proof	Data point, case study result, or before/after. Numbers prominent.
11	Summary	Key takeaway in one sentence. Optional: numbered recap.
12	CTA	Clear action: follow, visit, DM, book a call. Brand name + handle.

Content rules (non-negotiable):

• No slide exceeds 40 words total (title + body combined)
• Hook slide (slide 1) must work without any context
• Every value slide has a clear title that summarizes the point
• Data slides lead with the number in large format
• CTA slide includes agency name, domain, and specific next step
• No filler slides -- every slide must deliver standalone value
• If source content is provided, extract and restructure; do not summarize

Copy quality checks:

• Each slide must pass the "screenshot test" -- readable in a 2-second glance
• Titles should be parallel in structure (all imperatives, all questions, or all statements -- pick one)
• Remove all unnecessary words: no "that", "very", "really", "just", "basically"
• Prefer concrete specifics over abstract generalities

Compile the content plan:

CAROUSEL PLAN:
---
Topic: [headline]
Style: [dark/light/gradient/minimal]
Slide count: [N]
Title structure: [imperative/question/statement]
---
Slide 1 (Hook): [text]
Slide 2 (Context): [title] | [body]
Slide 3 (Value): [title] | [body]
...
Slide N (CTA): [text]

Phase 2: Visual Design System

Define the design tokens for the carousel before generating HTML:

Color palette by style:

Style	Background	Text	Accent	Secondary BG
dark	#1a1a2e	#ffffff	#e94560	#16213e
light	#ffffff	#1a1a2e	#e94560	#f5f5f5
gradient	#0f0c29 to #302b63	#ffffff	#24d2b5	#24243e
minimal	#fafafa	#2d2d2d	#0066ff	#eeeeee

Override with brand_colors if provided.

Typography scale:

• Hook slide title: 64px, font-weight 800
• Slide title: 42px, font-weight 700
• Slide body: 24px, font-weight 400, line-height 1.5
• Slide number: 18px, font-weight 600, accent color
• CTA text: 36px, font-weight 700
• Attribution: 20px, font-weight 400

Layout rules:

• Canvas size: 1080px x 1350px (4:5 LinkedIn ratio)
• Padding: 80px on all sides
• Content vertically centered
• Slide number in top-right corner (except hook and CTA slides)
• Agency logo/name in bottom-left corner (all slides except hook)
• Accent bar (4px) at bottom of each slide

Phase 3: HTML Generation

Generate one HTML file per slide. Each file is self-contained with inline CSS.

HTML template structure per slide:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <style>
    @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family={{font_family}}:wght@400;600;700;800&display=swap');
    * { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }
    body {
      width: 1080px;
      height: 1350px;
      font-family: '{{font_family}}', sans-serif;
      background: {{background_color}};
      color: {{text_color}};
      display: flex;
      flex-direction: column;
      justify-content: center;
      padding: 80px;
      position: relative;
    }
    .slide-number {
      position: absolute;
      top: 40px;
      right: 60px;
      font-size: 18px;
      font-weight: 600;
      color: {{accent_color}};
    }
    .title {
      font-size: 42px;
      font-weight: 700;
      margin-bottom: 24px;
      line-height: 1.2;
    }
    .body-text {
      font-size: 24px;
      font-weight: 400;
      line-height: 1.5;
      opacity: 0.9;
    }
    .accent-bar {
      position: absolute;
      bottom: 0;
      left: 0;
      width: 100%;
      height: 4px;
      background: {{accent_color}};
    }
    .branding {
      position: absolute;
      bottom: 40px;
      left: 80px;
      font-size: 16px;
      opacity: 0.6;
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <div class="slide-number">{{number}}/{{total}}</div>
  <div class="title">{{slide_title}}</div>
  <div class="body-text">{{slide_body}}</div>
  <div class="branding">{{agency_name}}</div>
  <div class="accent-bar"></div>
</body>
</html>

Slide-type variations:

• Hook slide: No slide number, no branding. Title at 64px, centered. Optional subtitle at 24px below.
• Value slides: Slide number visible. Title + body layout. Optional icon placeholder.
• Data slides: Large number (80px, accent color) centered, with context line below (24px).
• CTA slide: Agency name at 36px, domain below, CTA text prominent, optional "Follow for more" or "DM me" text. No slide number.

File naming: slide-01.html, slide-02.html, ..., slide-12.html

Write all files to output_dir.

Phase 4: Slide Variants

Generate two variant options for the hook slide (slide 1), since the hook determines carousel performance:

Hook variant types:

1. Question hook: Pose a provocative question the audience wants answered
2. Stat hook: Lead with a surprising number or data point
3. Contrarian hook: Challenge a common belief in the audience's space
4. List hook: "X things that..." or "X mistakes that..."

Generate the top 2 most compelling variants. Output both as separate HTML files: slide-01-a.html and slide-01-b.html.

Phase 5: Output

Return structured JSON and write HTML files:

{
  "carousel_metadata": {
    "topic": "The carousel headline",
    "slide_count": 10,
    "style": "dark",
    "brand_colors": {
      "background": "#1a1a2e",
      "text": "#ffffff",
      "accent": "#e94560"
    },
    "font": "Inter",
    "output_dir": "./carousel-output/"
  },
  "slides": [
    {
      "slide_number": 1,
      "type": "hook",
      "title": "Hook text here",
      "body": null,
      "word_count": 8,
      "file": "slide-01.html"
    },
    {
      "slide_number": 2,
      "type": "context",
      "title": "Context Title",
      "body": "Context body text here",
      "word_count": 22,
      "file": "slide-02.html"
    },
    {
      "slide_number": 3,
      "type": "value",
      "title": "Point Title",
      "body": "Supporting detail for this point",
      "word_count": 18,
      "file": "slide-03.html"
    }
  ],
  "hook_variants": [
    {"variant": "A", "type": "question", "text": "Are you making these CRO mistakes?", "file": "slide-01-a.html"},
    {"variant": "B", "type": "stat", "text": "73% of Shopify stores lose revenue here", "file": "slide-01-b.html"}
  ],
  "files_written": [
    "slide-01.html",
    "slide-01-a.html",
    "slide-01-b.html",
    "slide-02.html",
    "slide-03.html",
    "slide-04.html",
    "slide-05.html",
    "slide-06.html",
    "slide-07.html",
    "slide-08.html",
    "slide-09.html",
    "slide-10.html"
  ],
  "content_quality": {
    "max_words_per_slide": 35,
    "parallel_titles": true,
    "screenshot_test_passed": true,
    "banned_phrases_clear": true
  }
}

Phase 6: Review

Present the slide plan to the user before writing HTML files:

1. Show the full slide-by-slide content plan
2. Show both hook variants
3. Ask if any slides need adjustment
4. After approval, write the HTML files
5. Suggest next step: screenshot the HTML files to PNG, or hand off to content-repurposer for multi-channel distribution

Example Usage

Trigger phrases:

• "Create a LinkedIn carousel about [topic]"
• "Turn this blog post into carousel slides"
• "Make a 10-slide carousel on CRO tips"
• "Build carousel slides from these notes"
• "Generate a carousel for LinkedIn"

User: Create a LinkedIn carousel about 5 CRO mistakes D2C brands make on Shopify
Assistant: [reads config, structures 10 slides, generates HTML files with dark theme, presents 2 hook variants, writes files to carousel-output/]

User: Turn this blog post into a carousel [pastes content]
Assistant: [extracts key points from content, structures into 8-12 slides, generates HTML with brand colors, returns slide plan + files]