43-carousel-brief-global

# Carousel Brief (Global)

A carousel is not a stack of images — it is a sequence, and every slide has to pull the reader to the next one. Slide 1 decides whether anyone swipes. The final slide must carry a clear CTA. Never invent the content: if something is missing, ask the user first.

## Information gathering

Read `.agents/product-marketing-context-global.md`, the brand guideline, and the source content if available. If the user has not supplied content, ask up to 4 questions:

1. **Topic and source content?** Is this carousel adapted from an existing piece, or written from scratch?
2. **Objective and funnel stage?** Education, proof, offer, tips, story, or comparison — TOFU, MOFU, or BOFU?
3. **Channel and slide count?** Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn — how many slides (5-7 recommended)?
4. **Copy and tone?** Is the per-slide copy written already, and should the tone be conversational, professional, bold, or story-led?

## Principles

1. **Slide 1 matters most** — put 40% of the effort into the hook. It decides swipe versus scroll-past.
2. **Approve the copy before opening a design tool.** Never work in the other order.
3. **One idea per slide.** A carousel is not a slide deck — do not pack in text.
4. **5-7 slides is the sweet spot.** Beyond 9, drop-off is heavy. If the content needs more than 7, split it into a two-part series.
5. **Always close with a CTA.** A carousel without a CTA wastes the whole effort.
6. **Text limits:** headline max 8 words, subtext max 15 words, body max 25 words per slide.

## Workflow

### 1. Set the narrative arc

A strong carousel has an explicit arc before content is distributed across slides:

```
Hook -> Problem -> Insight -> Solution -> Proof -> CTA
```

Fix the arc first, then split the content. With existing source material: slide 1 is the strongest hook (pain point, question, or surprising number), the middle slides carry proof and explanation, and the last slide carries a clear action.

### 2. Write the copy slide by slide

Each slide gets a headline (max 8 words), body (max 25 words), and visual direction. Copy is approved before any layout work begins.

### 3. Brief visual direction per slide

Never leave the designer guessing. Background colors come from the brand guideline: the hook and CTA slides use a dark or saturated ground ([primary color], or a gradient from [primary color] to [secondary color]) for contrast, while body slides use a light ground for breathing room.

### 4. Render an HTML preview to approve the concept

Before handing production to the designer, render one HTML preview file:

- Canvas: 1080x1080 per slide (1:1); 900x900 is fine for a lighter preview.
- Fonts: [heading font] / [body font] from the brand guideline (web fonts where available).
- Navigation: previous/next controls plus a "1 / N" counter in the lower right.
- Hook and CTA slides: dark ground, light type. Body slides: light ground, accent-colored eyebrow, bold headline.

The HTML preview approves the concept — it is not a production file. Once approved, the designer builds the real asset in Canva, Figma, or Adobe Express.

## Output structure

File name: `carousel-brief-[name]-[YYYYMMDD].md`

```markdown
# Carousel Brief — [Name]

## Overview
| Item | Detail |
|------|--------|
| Purpose | |
| Channel | |
| Funnel stage | TOFU / MOFU / BOFU |
| Slide count | |
| Dimensions | 1080x1080 (Feed) / 1080x1350 (Portrait) / 1200x1500 (LinkedIn document) |
| Tone | |
| Deadline | |
| Max revision rounds | |

## Brand direction (applies to the whole carousel)
- Dominant ground: [white / primary color / gradient primary to secondary / mixed]
- Heading font: [heading font] Bold — color [...]
- Body font: [body font] Regular — color [...]
- Accent: [secondary color] — used for highlights, figures, and CTA
- Logo: at minimum on slide 1 and the final slide (or every slide if the brand guideline requires it), positioned per the guideline

## Slide 1 — HOOK (decides the swipe)
| Element | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Headline | [strong hook — pain, curiosity, or a surprising number; max 8 words] |
| Subtext | [one supporting line — max 15 words] |
| Visual | [full-color ground / bold typography / emotive image] |
| Micro-CTA | "Swipe" — or drop it if the hook is strong enough |
| Ground | [dark or saturated — [primary color] — maximum contrast] |

## Slide 2 — PROBLEM / SETUP
| Element | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Headline | |
| Body | |
| Visual | [icon / illustration / minimal text layout] |
| Ground | [light — breathing room after slide 1] |

## Slide 3 — INSIGHT / TURNING POINT
| Element | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Headline | |
| Body | |
| Visual | [large figure / quote / simple diagram] |
| Accent | [highlight the figure in [secondary color]] |

## Slide 4 — SOLUTION / VALUE
| Element | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Headline | |
| Body | |
| Visual | |

## Slide 5 — PROOF (if available)
| Element | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Headline | |
| Body | [testimonial / result figure / short case study] |
| Visual | [screenshot / quote card / before-after] |

## Slide N-1 — PRE-CTA / RECAP
| Element | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Headline | [summarize the value in one line] |
| Body | [restate the reason to act] |

## Final slide — CTA
| Element | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Headline | [clear CTA — verb plus a specific benefit] |
| Subtext | [what happens next] |
| CTA button | [text plus link, or "comment [keyword]"] |
| Logo + contact | [full logo, website, handle, or email per campaign] |
| Ground | [dark ground matching slide 1 — closes the visual loop] |

## Do not
- Use colors outside the brand palette
- Overload the frame with text — keep overlay text light and legible
- Substitute fonts other than [heading font] / [body font]
- Put more than one idea on a slide
```

## Channel notes

| Channel | Format | Notes |
|---------|--------|-------|
| Instagram / Facebook | 1080x1080 (1:1) or 1080x1350 (4:5) | 2-10 cards; 4:5 occupi