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cathrynlavery/diagram-design

Editorial diagram design for Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Factory Droid, and Pi. 44 diagram types. Self-contained HTML + SVG. No shadows. No Mermaid slop.

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**An agent skill that draws diagrams as one self-contained HTML + SVG file, in your brand. 45 diagram types. No shadows. No Mermaid slop.**

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**[Website](https://diagramdesign.dev) · [Gallery](https://cathrynlavery.github.io/diagram-design/) · [Changelog](CHANGELOG.md)**

[Install](#install) · [What it makes](#what-it-makes) · [Quickstart](#quickstart) · [Match your brand](#onboarding-make-it-look-like-your-brand) · [Import](#import-from-drawio-mermaid-or-excalidraw) · [Export](#export-to-png--svg) · [Contributing](#contributing)

<code>npx skills add cathrynlavery/diagram-design</code>

</div>

Ask your agent in plain words:

- *"Make me an architecture diagram of my app: frontend, backend, database, Redis cache."*
- *"I need a quadrant showing Q2 projects by impact vs effort."*
- *"Give me a sequence of a bearer call with token refresh on 401."*
- *"Onboard diagram-design to https://yoursite.com"* (pulls your palette and fonts so every diagram after this one matches your site)

The agent picks the type, states its plan, and writes one `.html` file you can open by double-clicking.

---

## Install

Works with any host that reads Agent Skills, including Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Cline, Windsurf and Amp:

```bash
npx skills add cathrynlavery/diagram-design
```

In Claude Code, the plugin marketplace gets you updates and the slash commands:

```text
/plugin marketplace add cathrynlavery/diagram-design
/plugin install diagram-design@diagram-design
```

Official builds come only from this repository. LittleMight, Cathryn Lavery's company, publishes the plugin directory listings; a listing under any other name is an unofficial copy. [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md) lists what the skill sends over the network.

<details>
<summary>Claude Code: turn on auto-update</summary>

After installing, run `/plugin`, open **Marketplaces**, select **diagram-design**, and choose **Enable auto-update**. Claude Code disables auto-update by default for third-party marketplaces; after this toggle, it refreshes the marketplace and installed plugin in the background after startup. Run `/reload-plugins` when prompted, or let the next session load the update.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Cursor, Cline, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Amp, Zed, Warp, Roo, Kilo and other Agent Skills hosts</summary>

The cross-agent [`skills` CLI](https://skills.sh) resolves this repository, detects `skills/diagram-design/SKILL.md`, and installs the whole skill (`references/`, `assets/`, `scripts/`) into every host root you select, including Cursor's:

```bash
npx skills add cathrynlavery/diagram-design
```

When the selected roots resolve to more than one skills directory, the CLI asks for an installation method and recommends **Symlink**: one canonical copy, linked into each root, so a later update reaches all of them at once. Pass `--copy` for independent copies per host instead. A selection that resolves to a single directory is copied, because the distinction is immaterial there. Where symlinks are unavailable (Windows without Developer Mode) the CLI falls back to copies and reports which roots it copied.

This is a standalone install, separate from the marketplaces below: it does not follow marketplace updates automatically. Pull merged updates with `npx skills update diagram-design`. It also installs the Agent Skill only, so the `/export-diagram`, `/import-mermaid`, `/profile`, and `/doctor` command surfaces stay with the native packages. On a host that has one of the marketplaces below, prefer the marketplace.

> **One-time migration:** an existing standalone `npx skills add` copy will not start following the Codex marketplace automatically. Remove that standalone copy, then use the Codex marketplace commands. Likewise, uninstall a personal Cowork copy and reinstall Diagram Design from your organization's marketplace. Future marketplace version bumps then flow through each client's native update path.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Codex</summary>

```bash
codex plugin marketplace add cathrynlavery/diagram-design
codex plugin add diagram-design@diagram-design
```

Codex refreshes configured Git marketplaces at startup. To fetch immediately, run `codex plugin marketplace upgrade diagram-design` and start a new session.

</details>

<details>
<summary>GitHub Copilot</summary>

```bash
copilot plugin marketplace add cathrynlavery/diagram-design
copilot plugin install diagram-design@diagram-design
```

Copilot installs the shared Diagram Design skill plus its doctor, export, import, and profile capabilities from the existing repository marketplace. Confirm discovery with `copilot skill list` (or `/skills` in an interactive session), then ask for a diagram in natural language. To fetch a merged update, run `copilot plugin marketplace update diagram-design`, then `copilot plugin update diagram-design@diagram-design`.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Factory Droid</summary>

```bash
droid plugin marketplace add https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design
droid plugin install diagram-design@diagram-design --scope user
```

Droid tracks Git plugins by commit rather than the manifest's display version. To fetch a merged update, run `droid plugin marketplace update diagram-design`, then `droid plugin update diagram-design@diagram-design --scope user`, and start a new session.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Claude Cowork (organization marketplace)</summary>

Organization GitHub marketplaces currently require a private or internal repository, so first mirror this public repository into one owned by your organization. In **Organization settings → Plugins**, choose **Add plugin → GitHub**, connect that mirror, and enable **Sync automatically** from the marketplace menu. Automatic sync runs when a pull request containing a plugin version bump is merged to the mirror's default branch; direct pushes do not trigger the webhook. Install Diagram Design from the resulting organization marketplace.

</details>

```bash
pi install https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design
```

Run `/reload` in an open Pi session. Pi makes the skill available for matching diagram requests; use `/skill:diagram-design` to invoke it explicitly. Pi also loads the `/export-diagram`, `/import-mermaid`, `/import-excalidraw`, `/profile`, and `/doctor` prompt templates. The unpinned Git install is intentional: Pi has no automatic package refresh, so run `pi update --extensions` to pull merged updates.

</details>

Import the Agent Skill from the repository subdirectory URL:

```text
https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/tree/main/skills/diagram-design
```

Kiro copies imported skills into `.kiro/skills/` for a workspace or `~/.kiro/skills/` globally, so re-import the URL to pick up updates. Custom agents that declare resources should include `skill://diagram-design/**/SKILL.md`.

</details>

<details>
<summary>OpenCode</summary>

Copy or symlink `skills/diagram-design/` to `.opencode/skills/diagram-design` in a project or `~/.config/opencode/skills/diagram-design` globally. OpenCode has no Diagram Design marketplace package; copied installs update only when you replace the directory from a newer checkout.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Editable install (customize the style guide in a clone)</summary>

Managed installs are convenient, but changes to `references/style-guide.md` may be replaced by package updates. Saved profiles in `~/.diagram-design/profiles/` survive updates, and projects with a `.diagram-design` marker are unaffected. Clone the repo and install the local path if you plan to customize the working style guide directly:

```bash
git clone git@github.com:cathrynlavery/diagram-design.git ~/code/diagram-design

# Pi: register the checkout as a local package
pi install ~/code/diagram-design

# Claude Code: symlink the inner skill
ln -s ~/code/diagram-design/skills/diagram-design ~/.claude/skills/diagram-design

# Other Agent Skills hosts: create only the roots you use
mkdir -p ~/.agents/skills ~/.cursor/skills ~/.cline/skills ~/.kiro/skills ~/.config/opencode/skills ~/.copilot/skills
ln -s ~/code/diagram-design/skills/diagram-design ~/.agents/skills/diagram-design
ln -s ~/code/diagram-design/skills/diagram-design ~/.cursor/skills/diagram-design
ln -s ~/code/diagram-design/skills/diagram-design ~/.cline/skills/diagram-design
ln -s ~/code/diagram-design/skills/diagram-design ~/.kiro/skills/diagram-design
ln -s ~/code/diagram-design/skills/diagram-design ~/.config/opencode/skills/diagram-design
ln -s ~/code/diagram-design/skills/diagram-design ~/.copilot/skills/diagram-design
```

The shared skill lives at `skills/diagram-design/`. Pi discovers it through the repo's standard `skills/` package directory; Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Factory Droid, Cursor, and other Agent Skills-compatible tools use the same files.

</details>

---

## How it compares

| | Mermaid / PlantUML | draw.io / Excalidraw | Diagram Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| You make it by | Writing text | Dragging shapes by hand | Describing it to your agent |
| Layout | Automatic | Manual | Placed by the agent on a 4px grid, with CI checks for overlaps and clipping |
| Look | The renderer's theme | Whatever you draw | One opinionated editorial style, matched to your brand |
| Output | Text that renders on GitHub | An editable `.drawio` or `.excalidraw` file | One HTML file with inline SVG, exportable to SVG or PNG |
| Change it later | Edit the text | Edit the canvas | Ask the agent again, or edit the SVG |
| Existing diagrams | | | Redraws Mermaid, draw.io and Excalidraw files |

The downsides are real. Output quality depends on the model you run it with, and the same prompt can lay out differently twice. The result is not an editable source format: there is no text to diff in a pull request and no canvas to drag a box on. For docs that live in Git and change every sprint, Mermaid is still the better fit. Diagram Design is for the diagram you are going to publish.

---

## Why I built it

I wanted diagrams I actually liked for my blog posts on [littlemight.com](https://littlemight.com). Every time I needed one, whether an architecture sketch, a flowchart, or a pyramid of what matters most, I'd ask Claude and get back a generic rounded-box thing that looked nothing like the rest of the site. I'd either fight with Figma for 30 minutes or skip the diagram.

The model already understood the content. What it was missing was taste, so I wrote the taste down: one accent color for the one or two things that matter, 1px hairlines, no shadows, every coordinate on a 4px grid.

> *The highest-quality move is usually deletion.* Every node earns its place. The accent color is reserved for the 1 or 2 things the reader should look at first. Target density: 4/10.

---

## What it makes

45 diagram types, each in three static variants: minimal light, minimal dark, and full-editorial. Open any of them directly in a browser. There is no build step, JavaScript, or external image dependency.

<table>
<tr>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/architecture.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/architecture.webp" alt="Architecture"></a> Architecture Components + connections</td>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/it-state.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/it-state.webp" alt="IT current-state"></a> IT current-state Legacy landscape + modernization</td>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/flowchart.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/flowchart.webp" alt="Flowchart"></a> Flowchart Decision logic</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/sequence.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/sequence.webp" alt="Sequence"></a> Sequence Messages over time</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/state.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/state.webp" alt="State machine"></a> State machine States + transitions</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/er.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/er.webp" alt="ER"></a> ER / data model Entities + fields</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/timeline.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/timeline.webp" alt="Timeline"></a> Timeline Events on an axis</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/swimlane.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/swimlane.webp" alt="Swimlane"></a> Swimlane Cross-functional flow</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/quadrant.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/quadrant.webp" alt="Quadrant"></a> Quadrant Two-axis positioning</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/radar.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/radar.webp" alt="Radar chart"></a> Radar / spider Multi-axis comparison</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/loop.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/loop.webp" alt="Loop"></a> Loop / flywheel Reinforcing cycle + shared hub</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/nested.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/nested.webp" alt="Nested"></a> Nested Hierarchy by containment</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/tree.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/tree.webp" alt="Tree"></a> Tree Parent → children</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/org-chart.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/org-chart.webp" alt="Org chart"></a> Org chart Ownership + routing</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/layers.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/layers.webp" alt="Layer stack"></a> Layer stack Stacked abstractions</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/venn.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/venn.webp" alt="Venn"></a> Venn Set overlap</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/pyramid.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/pyramid.webp" alt="Pyramid"></a> Pyramid / funnel Ranked hierarchy or drop-off</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/bar.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/bar.webp" alt="Bar chart"></a> Bar chart Categorical comparison</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/treemap.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/treemap.webp" alt="Treemap"></a> Treemap Part-of-whole by area</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/line.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/line.webp" alt="Line chart"></a> Line chart Trends over time</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/gantt.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/gantt.webp" alt="Gantt"></a> Gantt Tasks + phases on a timeline</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/scatter.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/scatter.webp" alt="Scatter plot"></a> Scatter plot Distribution + correlation</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/high-level.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/high-level.webp" alt="High-Level"></a> High-Level End-to-end stack on a cluster</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/process.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/process.webp" alt="Process"></a> Process Multi-actor sequential workflow</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/medallion.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/medallion.webp" alt="Medallion"></a> Medallion Multi-tier data storage</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/data-flow.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/data-flow.webp" alt="Data flow"></a> Data flow Role-scoped pipeline steps</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/dp-integration.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/dp-integration.webp" alt="DP integration"></a> DP integration Sources → core → consumers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/dp-security-matrix.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/dp-security-matrix.webp" alt="DP security matrix"></a> DP security matrix Per-role access permissions</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/sankey.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/sankey.webp" alt="Sankey"></a> Sankey Quantities that split + merge</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/fishbone.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/fishbone.webp" alt="Fishbone"></a> Fishbone Grouped causes → one effect</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/wardley.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/wardley.webp" alt="Wardley map"></a> Wardley map Value chain × evolution</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/kanban.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/kanban.webp" alt="Kanban"></a> Kanban Work in progress by state</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/journey.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/journey.webp" alt="User journey"></a> User journey Stages, actions + sentiment</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/deployment.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/deployment.webp" alt="Deployment"></a> Deployment Zones, hosts + artifacts</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/dependency.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/dependency.webp" alt="Dependency graph"></a> Dependency graph Fan-in, ranks + cycles</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/uml-class.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/uml-class.webp" alt="UML class"></a> UML class Classes, operations + typed relations</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/story-map.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/story-map.webp" alt="Story map"></a> Story map Backbone × release slices</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/db-schema.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/db-schema.webp" alt="Database schema"></a> Database schema Physical tables + column FKs</td>
 <td align="center"><a href="docs/screenshots/polar.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/polar.webp" alt="Polar chart"></a> Polar chart Cyclic magnitude · linear radius</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/waterfall.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/waterfall.webp" alt="Waterfall"></a> Waterfall Running total + signed bridges</td>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/architecture-delta.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/architecture-delta.webp" alt="Architecture delta"></a> Architecture delta Before · Changes · After topology</td>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/exploded.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/exploded.webp" alt="Exploded axonometric"></a> Exploded axonometric Parts pulled apart on one axis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/axonometric-plan.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/axonometric-plan.webp" alt="Axonometric plan"></a> Axonometric plan Rooms and buildings on one plate</td>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/heatmap.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/heatmap.webp" alt="Heatmap"></a> Heatmap Value per row × column cell</td>
 <td align="center" width="33%"><a href="docs/screenshots/service-blueprint.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/thumbs/service-blueprint.webp" alt="Service blueprint"></a> Service blueprint Frontstage and backstage on a shared stage grid</td>
</tr>
</table>

Several types have named variants that share their reference: Line covers slopegraph, ridgeline, streamgraph and bump; Scatter covers bubble and beeswarm; Treemap covers marimekko.

Architecture can nest administrative bands and traffic boxes in one snapshot when the hierarchy itself is the claim: dashed rx=4 bands for billing and permissions, solid rx=8 boxes for networks, and managed services outside every subnet. See the [containment example](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-architecture-containment.html) and [type-architecture.md](skills/diagram-design/references/type-architecture.md).

Architecture delta compares synchronized topologies through a Before · Changes · After ledger of added, removed, changed, moved, and rewired objects. See its [reference](skills/diagram-design/references/type-architecture-delta.md) and [order-fulfilment example](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-architecture-delta.html). Attribute-only comparisons remain tables; a single snapshot uses Architecture.

Exploded axonometric draws one object in 2:1 dimetric projection with its parts lifted apart at equal gaps: a [phone teardown](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-exploded-phone.html), an [unboxing](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-exploded-unboxing.html), an [app stack](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-exploded.html), an [AI agent stack](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-exploded-ai-stack.html), or a [mechanical keyboard](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-exploded-keyboard.html). Every coordinate comes from one projection function, and the [animated phone](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-exploded-phone-animated.html) opens assembled and explodes once. See its [reference](skills/diagram-design/references/type-exploded.md).

Axonometric plan uses the same projection for one floor or one site: walls cut at desk height so every room reads from a single view, or buildings on a campus tagged by build phase. See the [office floor](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-axonometric-plan.html), the [campus](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-axonometric-plan-campus.html), the [coffee shop](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-axonometric-plan-coffee-shop.html), the [fulfillment floor](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-axonometric-plan-warehouse.html), the [phased campus animation](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-axonometric-plan-campus-animated.html), and the [reference](skills/diagram-design/references/type-axonometric-plan.md).

**Browse the live gallery:** [cathrynlavery.github.io/diagram-design](https://cathrynlavery.github.io/diagram-design/), or open [`skills/diagram-design/assets/index.html`](skills/diagram-design/assets/index.html) locally to flip through every diagram with light / dark / full-editorial tabs. Each type has one number, 01 to 44; its variants and worked examples carry the same number with a letter. The searchable diagram navigation starts open; click the preview to collapse it and use **Diagrams** to reopen it. The active diagram name and variant controls stay visible.

---

## Onboarding: make it look like *your* brand

The whole point is editorial diagrams in **your** colors and typography, not a generic template.

Out of the box, diagrams render in a **jet-black + tangerine** palette (white-smoke paper, jet-black ink, a darkened tangerine accent that clears 4.5:1 contrast as text, blue-slate muted, silver hairlines). Good enough to screenshot straight away. Sixty seconds of onboarding is better: the skill pulls your brand from your website and applies it across every diagram.

### The flow

```
You:     "onboard diagram-design to https://yoursite.com"
Agent:   → fetches the homepage
         → extracts the dominant palette + font stack
         → maps detected values to semantic roles:
             paper, ink, muted, accent, link
         → shows a proposed diff
         → writes your tokens to references/style-guide.md
You:     "yes, apply it"
```

Every new diagram now uses your colors. Your website's paper color becomes the diagram background. Your CTA color becomes the focal accent. Your body font stack becomes the node label family.

Brand matching also emits a fidelity receipt: sampled URLs, exact color roles, font families and weights, font source URLs, and any fallback. Public site fonts are used directly and verified after rendering rather than silently replaced with generic system fonts.

### What gets extracted

| Detected from your site | Becomes |
|---|---|
| `<body>` background | `paper` token |
| Primary text color | `ink` token |
| Secondary / caption text | `muted` token |
| Cards or containers | `paper-2` token |
| Most-used brand color (CTA, link, heading) | `accent` token |
| `<h1>` font family | `title` font |
| `<body>` font family | `node-name` font |
| `<code>` / `<pre>` font | `sublabel` font |

### Contrast checks happen automatically

Before writing tokens, the skill verifies WCAG AA contrast on `ink` over `paper`. If your site has a color that fails contrast at diagram sizes (9 to 12px), it proposes an adjusted value and explains why. The default skin is held to the same contract in CI: text roles clear 4.5:1 and essential marks clear 3:1 on both light and dark paper.

### Accessible by default

Every diagram template gives the inline SVG an accessible name and description: `role="img"`, a resolving `aria-labelledby`, and first-child `<title>` / `<desc>` slots. IDs are prefixed per diagram and variant, so multiple SVG exports can be safely inlined on one page without duplicate accessible-name IDs. Decorative specimen icons are hidden from assistive technology instead.

### Offline fonts

By default a diagram loads Instrument Serif, Geist and Geist Mono from Google Fonts, the only network request it makes. Ask for **system fonts** (or set the font source to `system` in your style guide) and the file makes no network requests at all: the stacks fall back to the platform's own serif, sans and monospace faces. See [Font source](skills/diagram-design/references/style-guide.md#font-source).

### Manual override

Prefer to set tokens by hand? Open [`skills/diagram-design/references/style-guide.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/style-guide.md) and edit the table. Everything downstream reads from there: every diagram, the annotation primitive, and the gallery all use semantic role names (`accent`, not a hex value).

### First-run gate

The skill won't silently ship default-skinned diagrams into a branded project. On first use in a new project, it checks if `style-guide.md` has been customized. If not, it pauses and asks:

> *"This is your first diagram in this project. The style guide is still at the default. Want to run onboarding, paste tokens manually, or proceed with default?"*

See [`skills/diagram-design/references/onboarding.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/onboarding.md) for the full spec.

### Working with multiple clients

Onboard a brand once, save the result as a named profile, then add a `.diagram-design` marker containing `profile: <slug>` to each client project. Marker projects read `~/.diagram-design/profiles/<slug>.md` directly, so parallel workspaces can use different brands without overwriting a shared installed `style-guide.md`.

The profile library is shared across Claude Code, Codex, Factory Droid, and Pi. Use `/diagram-design:profile` in Claude Code, `/profile` in Factory Droid or Pi, or ask in natural language in any host. See [`profiles.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/profiles.md) for the storage, marker, and recovery contract.

---

## Quickstart

```bash
# From a cloned checkout, open the gallery to see every diagram
open skills/diagram-design/assets/index.html       # macOS
xdg-open skills/diagram-design/assets/index.html  # Linux
```

Then ask your agent for a diagram, like the prompts at the top of this page. A sequence with token refresh uses the ALT combined-fragment grammar in `type-sequence.md`; see [`example-sequence-oauth.html`](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-sequence-oauth.html).

Operator recipes for editable installs, first diagrams, brand setup, import, export, validation, Windows junctions, and reusable prompts live in [`docs/cookbook.md`](docs/cookbook.md).

You can also start from a template directly:

```bash
cp skills/diagram-design/assets/template.html my-diagram.html        # minimal light
cp skills/diagram-design/assets/template-full.html my-diagram.html   # editorial with summary cards
cp skills/diagram-design/assets/template-motion.html my-diagram.html # optional accessible motion
```

### Semantic patterns and optional motion

When behavior matters, the skill chooses a semantic pattern first and a visual type second. The nine routed patterns cover fan-in queues and bottlenecks, repeated stage slots, unstructured-input transformation, paired policy traces, secure paved roads, governance catalogs, compensating security layers, traceable block decomposition, and lifecycle phase maps. Each pattern defines its triggers, primitives, budget, anti-patterns, static fallback, and nearest visual type in [`semantic-patterns.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/semantic-patterns.md).

Motion is optional and does not create another visual type. [`animation.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/animation.md) defines `none`, `reveal`, `step`, and `loop` modes with a complete static first frame, deterministic timing, and controls when interaction is available. Reduced-motion output shows the complete static frame and hides/disables playback controls. Motion HTML uses the exact reviewed controller from `template-motion.html`; arbitrary or modified inline scripts, remote assets, CSS imports, and executable HTML attributes are rejected. The default is `none`: ordinary output remains static and script-free. [`example-policy-trace-animated.html`](skills/diagram-design/assets/example-policy-trace-animated.html) is the self-contained interactive example.

---

## Import from draw.io, Mermaid, or Excalidraw

Already have diagrams in draw.io / diagrams.net, Mermaid, or Excalidraw? Point the skill at the source and it **redraws** them: same content, this design system, at whatever size the destination needs.

[![Redrawn from a .drawio file](docs/screenshots/thumbs/import-drawio.webp)](docs/screenshots/import-drawio.png)

*A 12-node draw.io file redrawn at `balanced` detail for a blog post. The source's six pastel fills became one accent; its hand-dragged coordinates became a 4px grid.*

```
/diagram-design:import-drawio platform.drawio
/diagram-design:import-drawio platform.drawio --size=slide-16x9 --detail=simplified --audience=executive
/diagram-design:import-drawio platform.drawio --detail=faithful --format=png --page=all
/diagram-design:import-mermaid README.md --diagram=all
/diagram-design:import-mermaid architecture.mmd --size=slide-16x9 --detail=simplified
/diagram-design:import-excalidraw whiteboard.excalidraw --size=slide-16x9 --detail=simplified
```

Or just ask: *"redraw this drawio file for my deck"*, *"make this Mermaid block editorial"*, *"make this whiteboard sketch presentable"*, or *"この Mermaid をスライド用にきれいにして"*.

Reads the common containers draw.io writes (`.drawio`, `.drawio.xml`, `.drawio.png` with an embedded diagram, and `.drawio.svg`), including compressed payloads that look like base64 garbage in an editor.
For Mermaid, it accepts `.mmd`, `.mermaid`, and one or more fenced `mermaid` blocks in Markdown. UTF-8 files may include a byte-order mark.
For Excalidraw, it accepts `.excalidraw` and `.excalidraw.json` scene files (not `.excalidraw.png`/`.excalidraw.svg` exports). It parses text only: no rendering, JavaScript, browser, network, or followed click targets.

### The four dials

The point isn't conversion, it's **fitting the output to where it's going**. Same source file, three different diagrams:

| Dial | Options | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| **Format** | `html` · `svg` · `png` · `html+png` | The deliverable. SVG for Figma, PNG for slides, HTML for the web. |
| **Size** | `doc-inline` · `doc-wide` · `slide-16x9` · `slide-4x3` · `social-og` · `social-square` · `print-a4-landscape` · `print-a3-landscape` · `print-letter-landscape` · `fit` | The `viewBox` **and the type ramp**: a projected slide gets 16px node names, not 12px. |
| **Detail** | `faithful` (≤24 nodes, zoned) · `balanced` (≤12) · `simplified` (≤7) | How much of the source survives, via a fixed degrade ladder: decorations, then duplicates, then leaf clusters, then infrastructure. |
| **Audience** | `engineer` · `mixed` · `executive` | The *wording*, not the count. `Auth Service / JWT · RS256 · :8443` → `Auth Service / token check` → `Sign-in`. |

Every import ends with a **fidelity ledger** listing what got merged, collapsed, or dropped. You know the source; you'd notice anyway.

```
Detail: balanced · 12 source nodes → 8 drawn
Collapsed: "Token valid?" decision → edge label on Gateway → Auth
Dropped:   1 sticky note ("legacy path, to be retired"), unconnected in source
Kept in full: the request path (Web/Mobile → Gateway → Orders → Postgres)
```

What never carries over: source or renderer coordinates, source palette, source fonts, draw.io's diagonal connector spaghetti, Mermaid's automatic layout, or Excalidraw's hand-drawn geometry. What always does: components, relationships, grouping, and direction. See [`references/import-drawio.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/import-drawio.md), [`references/import-mermaid.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/import-mermaid.md), [`references/import-excalidraw.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/import-excalidraw.md), and [`references/output-spec.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/output-spec.md).

---

## Export to PNG / SVG

Diagrams ship as self-contained HTML, but you can export the diagram itself for Figma, slides, or social cards. SVG export also carries CDATA-wrapped diagram CSS, including selectors bound to the original SVG root. Use the slash command for your agent:

**Pi:**

```
/export-diagram path/to/diagram.html
/export-diagram path/to/diagram.html --svg-only
/export-diagram path/to/diagram.html --png-only --scale=3
/export-diagram path/to/diagram.html --registry
```

**Claude Code:**

```
/diagram-design:export-diagram path/to/diagram.html
/diagram-design:export-diagram path/to/diagram.html --svg-only
/diagram-design:export-diagram path/to/diagram.html --png-only --scale=3
/diagram-design:export-diagram path/to/diagram.html --registry
```

Or just ask in natural language:

```
"Export this diagram as SVG and PNG."
"Save my-diagram.html as PNG."
```

- **SVG** extracts the `<svg>` node and injects Google Fonts so it renders standalone in browsers, Figma, and Illustrator. Pass `--system-fonts` to skip the font import for offline use.
- **PNG** rasterizes the diagram via Playwright at 2× by default. One-time setup: `pip install playwright && playwright install chromium`.

Both formats are diagram-only: editorial cards and headers from `-full` variants aren't included. For a screenshot of the full editorial layout, use your browser's print-to-PDF or full-page screenshot. See [`skills/diagram-design/references/export.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/export.md) for the full procedure.

- **`--registry`**: for diagrams using the [traceable block decomposition](skills/diagram-design/references/semantic-patterns.md) pattern, also emits `<basename>.registry.json`, a structured projection of every block's `data-block-*` metadata. Combine with either raster format or run alone. See [`skills/diagram-design/references/export-registry.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/export-registry.md).

For motion-enabled HTML, export the explicit final state: open `?motion=static`, wait for `document.fonts.ready`, and confirm the motion root has `data-frame="static"` before capture. Use `?motion=step&step=N` only when a named intermediate frame was requested.

---

## Architecture

Progressive disclosure. `SKILL.md` routes behavior first when needed, then layout. Semantic, type, and animation references load only when relevant.

```
diagram-design/
├── .agents/plugins/marketplace.json # Codex marketplace catalog
├── .claude-plugin/ # Claude marketplace + plugin manifest
├── .codex-plugin/ # Codex plugin manifest
├── .factory-plugin/ # Factory Droid marketplace + plugin manifest
├── commands/
│ ├── export-diagram.md # plugin export command
│ ├── import-drawio.md # plugin draw.io import command
│ ├── import-mermaid.md # plugin Mermaid import command
│ ├── import-excalidraw.md # plugin Excalidraw import command
│ ├── profile.md # plugin client-profile command
│ └── doctor.md # plugin environment diagnostics command
├── prompts/
│ ├── export-diagram.md # Pi `/export-diagram` prompt template
│ ├── import-mermaid.md # Pi Mermaid import prompt template
│ ├── import-excalidraw.md # Pi Excalidraw import prompt template
│ ├── profile.md # Pi `/profile` prompt template
│ └── doctor.md # Pi `/doctor` diagnostics prompt template
├── skills/
│ └── diagram-design/
│ ├── SKILL.md # philosophy, selection guide, checklist
│ ├── references/ # loaded only when a type or primitive is chosen
│ │ ├── style-guide.md # single source of truth for colors + fonts
│ │ ├── semantic-patterns.md # behavior patterns independent of layout
│ │ ├── animation.md # optional motion + accessibility contract
│ │ ├── onboarding.md # the URL-to-tokens flow
│ │ ├── profiles.md # named client profiles + project markers
│ │ ├── doctor.md # environment diagnostics
│ │ ├── import-drawio.md # draw.io redraw procedure
│ │ ├── import-mermaid.md # Mermaid redraw procedure
│ │ ├── import-excalidraw.md # Excalidraw redraw procedure
│ │ ├── output-spec.md # format × size × detail level
│ │ ├── export.md # SVG / PNG export + sizing
│ │ ├── export-registry.md # block-metadata JSON sidecar export
│ │ ├── primitives-core.md # exact markup for nodes, arrows, labels
│ │ ├── layout-budget.md # 4px grid + per-type budgets
│ │ ├── primitive-annotation.md
│ │ ├── primitive-icons.md
│ │ ├── primitive-sketchy.md
│ │ ├── primitive-terminal.md
│ │ ├── type-architecture.md
│ │ ├── type-architecture-delta.md
│ │ ├── type-axonometric-plan.md
│ │ ├── type-bar.md
│ │ ├── type-data-flow.md
│ │ ├── type-db-schema.md
│ │ ├── type-dependency.md
│ │ ├── type-deployment.md
│ │ ├── type-dp-integration.md
│ │ ├── type-dp-security-matrix.md
│ │ ├── type-er.md
│ │ ├── type-exploded.md
│ │ ├── type-fishbone.md
│ │ ├── type-flowchart.md
│ │ ├── type-gantt.md
│ │ ├── type-heatmap.md
│ │ ├── type-high-level.md
│ │ ├── type-it-state.md
│ │ ├── type-journey.md
│ │ ├── type-kanban.md
│ │ ├── type-layers.md
│ │ ├── type-line.md
│ │ ├── type-loop.md
│ │ ├── type-medallion.md
│ │ ├── type-nested.md
│ │ ├── type-org-chart.md
│ │ ├── type-polar.md
│ │ ├── type-process.md
│ │ ├── type-pyramid.md
│ │ ├── type-quadrant.md
│ │ ├── type-radar.md
│ │ ├── type-sankey.md
│ │ ├── type-scatter.md
│ │ ├── type-sequence.md
│ │ ├── type-state.md
│ │ ├── type-story-map.md
│ │ ├── type-swimlane.md
│ │ ├── type-timeline.md
│ │ ├── type-tree.md
│ │ ├── type-treemap.md
│ │ ├── type-uml-class.md
│ │ ├── type-venn.md
│ │ ├── type-wardley.md
│ │ └── type-waterfall.md
│ ├── scripts/
│ │ ├── drawio_extract.py # draw.io → structured IR
│ │ ├── mermaid_extract.py # Mermaid → structured IR
│ │ ├── excalidraw_extract.py # Excalidraw → structured IR
│ │ ├── export_svg.py # standalone SVG export
│ │ └── self_check.py # packaged output self-check (runs installed)
│ └── assets/
│ ├── index.html # live gallery, tabbed
│ ├── icons.html # icon library browser
│ ├── template*.html # scaffolds for new diagrams
│ ├── example-<type>.html # 3 variants per type
│ ├── example-loop-terminal.html
│ ├── example-quadrant-consultant.html
│ ├── example-import-drawio.html
│ ├── example-import-mermaid.html
│ ├── example-import-excalidraw.html
│ ├── example-policy-trace-animated.html
│ └── example-sequence-oauth*.html
├── scripts/ # CI gates and build helpers (see CONTRIBUTING.md)
│ ├── lint-skin.py # palette, fonts, a11y, single-file safety
│ ├── lint-render.py # Chromium rendered-layout checker
│ ├── verify-docs-sync.py # routing, gallery, README and count sync
│ ├── verify-geometry.py # label, connector and port geometry
│ ├── render-canonical-screenshots.py # deterministic per-type PNG catalog renderer
│ ├── build-readme-thumbs.py # regenerates docs/screenshots/thumbs/
│ └── fixtures/ # draw.io, Mermaid and Excalidraw test inputs
├── docs/cookbook.md # operator recipes for editable installs and common tasks
├── docs/adr/ # short records of settled design decisions
├── docs/superpowers/ # design specs and implementation plans (plans/, specs/)
├── docs/hero/ # README demo GIFs (dark, light) and social preview image
├── docs/screenshots/ # full-resolution images + source-digest manifest.json
├── docs/screenshots/thumbs/ # generated WebP previews the README renders
├── CHANGELOG.md # release history
└── CONTRIBUTING.md # validation gates and how each one works
```

This keeps the agent's working context tight: routine diagrams load one type reference; behavior-rich diagrams add the routed semantic reference; animation adds its contract only when selected.

### What loads when

At startup, the agent sees only the skill name and description. When a request matches, it loads `SKILL.md`; semantic, type, and animation references are pulled in only when relevant.

| You ask for… | Agent loads |
|---|---|
| "Make me a flowchart" | `SKILL.md` + `references/type-flowchart.md` |
| "Build an architecture diagram" | `SKILL.md` + `references/type-architecture.md` |
| "Show nested admin vs traffic scopes" | `SKILL.md` + `references/type-architecture.md` |
| "Show what was added, removed, changed, moved, or rewired in this migration" | `SKILL.md` + `references/type-architecture-delta.md` |
| "Show what's inside this device, exploded" | `SKILL.md` + `references/type-exploded.md` |
| "Draw our office floor plan" | `SKILL.md` + `references/type-axonometric-plan.md` |
| "Compare why these two policy requests differ" | `SKILL.md` + `references/semantic-patterns.md` + `references/type-flowchart.md` |
| "Animate that policy trace" | Prior selection + `references/animation.md` |
| "Onboard this skill to my site" | `SKILL.md` + `references/onboarding.md` + `references/style-guide.md` |
| "Use my saved Acme client profile" | `SKILL.md` + `references/profiles.md` + `~/.diagram-design/profiles/acme.md` |
| "Add an editorial callout to this diagram" | `SKILL.md` + `references/primitive-annotation.md` |
| "Give me a hand-drawn version" | `SKILL.md` + `references/primitive-sketchy.md` |
| "Give me a terminal / CLI-window version" | `SKILL.md` + `references/primitive-terminal.md` |
| "Redraw this .drawio file for my deck" | `SKILL.md` + `references/import-drawio.md` + `references/output-spec.md` + the chosen type's reference |
| "Redraw this Mermaid block for my deck" | `SKILL.md` + `references/import-mermaid.md` + `references/output-spec.md` + the chosen type's reference |
| "Redraw this Excalidraw sketch for my deck" | `SKILL.md` + `references/import-excalidraw.md` + `references/output-spec.md` + the chosen type's reference |
| Routine static diagram-making (any visual type) | `SKILL.md` + that one type's reference, plus `references/primitives-core.md` or `references/layout-budget.md` only when it needs exact markup or a per-type budget row |

No matter how many types exist, the agent only reads the one you need. Add a new type tomorrow and nothing else changes.

---

## It's working if…

- A routine request ("make me a flowchart") loads `SKILL.md`, exactly one type reference, and at most the two core references (`primitives-core.md`, `layout-budget.md`), and nothing else.
- Before drawing, the agent states the chosen type, pattern, size, and planned cuts, then renders.
- The output is one `.html` file that opens double-clicked, offline, with no network requests beyond Google Fonts, and none at all with system fonts.
- Screen readers announce the diagram's title and description; `prefers-reduced-motion` shows the complete static frame.
- `python3 skills/diagram-design/scripts/self_check.py <file>` prints `OK` on the generated file (add `--offline` to also fail on the Google Fonts link).
- After brand onboarding, new diagrams use your site's paper, ink, accent, and fonts, with a fidelity receipt naming each.

If any of these fail, that's a bug worth filing.

## The design system (in one paragraph)

One accent color, 1 or 2 focal elements per diagram. Three font families: Instrument Serif (title + italic callouts), Geist sans (node names), Geist Mono (technical sublabels). 1px hairline borders, no shadows, max border-radius 10px. Every coordinate, width, and gap is divisible by 4. That rule is non-negotiable; it's what keeps the diagrams from feeling AI-generated. Mono is for technical content (ports, URLs, field types), not a blanket "dev" aesthetic. Accent-tinted focal nodes draw the eye to the 1 or 2 things that matter. Full spec in [`SKILL.md`](skills/diagram-design/SKILL.md#5-design-system).

---

## Primitives

- **Annotation callout**: italic Instrument Serif + dashed Bézier leader, for editorial asides that sit in the margins. See [`skills/diagram-design/references/primitive-annotation.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/primitive-annotation.md).
- **Sketchy filter**: SVG turbulence + displacement map for a hand-drawn variant. Good for essays, not for technical docs. See [`skills/diagram-design/references/primitive-sketchy.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/primitive-sketchy.md).
- **Icon set**: 87 monochrome IT/cloud icons (laptop, phone, user, server, database, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GitHub, Postgres…) for richer architecture and sequence diagrams. Stroked icons from [Tabler Icons](https://tabler.io/icons) (MIT); brand silhouettes from [Simple Icons](https://simpleicons.org) (CC0). Each icon uses `currentColor` so it inherits the editorial skin or your onboarded brand. See [`skills/diagram-design/references/primitive-icons.md`](skills/diagram-design/references/primitive-icons.md); browse the [gallery](skills/diagram-design/assets/icons.html). Regenerate with `python scripts/build-icons.py`.

---

## When *not* to use this skill

- **Diagrams that live in Git and change every sprint** → Mermaid. It diffs, and GitHub renders it.
- **Quick unicode diagrams** for tweets or terminal output → wiretext-style skill.
- **Lists of anything** → a table or bullets.
- **Before/after comparisons** → a table.
- **One-shape "diagrams"** (a single box with a label) → just write the sentence.

Before drawing, ask: *would a reader learn more from this than from a well-written paragraph?* If no, don't draw.

---

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome: new diagram types, import grammar support, examples, docs, and tooling. [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) covers the validation gates (skin lint, render lint, geometry and data-encoding verifiers, docs sync), how each one works, and the CI setup. Every pull request runs them on Linux, Windows, and macOS. See [CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md](CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) for community standards and [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) for release history.

---

## About

Made by **Cathryn Lavery**. I write about AI, entrepreneurship, and designing nice-looking things at [littlemight.com](https://littlemight.com), blog + newsletter.

Other things I've made:

- [ShipRank](https://shiprank.dev): a public leaderboard for lines shipped.
- [The Non-Technical Technical Dictionary](https://nontechnical.dev): tech and AI terms explained in plain English, one analogy at a time.
- [BestSelf.co](https://bestself.co): the SELF Journal and other paper tools for getting things done. Started on Kickstarter in 2015, sold to private equity in 2022, bought back 14 months later ([the story](https://www.littlemight.com/100-days-lessons-from-buying-my-business-back-from-private-equity/)).

If this is useful, **star the repo** and come [say hi on X](https://x.com/cathrynlavery).

Repository info

Default branch: main
Latest version: —
Created: 2026-04-17
Last activity: 2026-10-14
License: MIT
Open issues: 46
Watchers: 144

Topics

agent-skills claude-code codex data-visualization diagrams drawio mermaid svg

Contributors

cathrynlavery

127 contributions

github-actions[bot]

89 contributions

parveen0029

16 contributions

rudycelekli

12 contributions

mvanhorn

12 contributions