---
name: hand-drawn-infographic-creator
description: Generate hand-drawn style diagrams and infographics for recovery education articles. Creates anatomist's notebook aesthetic visuals - brain diagrams, timelines, social comparisons, and process
  flows using continuous line art, semantic color coding, and margin annotations.
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, mcp__stability-ai__*, mcp__ideogram__*, WebFetch, WebSearch, mcp__firecrawl__*
metadata:
  category: Design & Creative
  tags:
  - infographics
  - hand-drawn
  - diagrams
  - education
  - recovery
  - neuroscience
  - AI-image-generation
  - accessibility
  pairs-with:
  - skill: pixel-art-infographic-creator
    reason: Both create educational infographics but in contrasting visual styles for different audiences
  - skill: recovery-education-writer
    reason: Recovery education articles use hand-drawn brain diagrams and process illustrations
  - skill: diagramming-expert
    reason: Diagram structure and information hierarchy principles apply across visual styles
---

# Hand-Drawn Infographic Creator

**Purpose:** Generate hand-drawn style diagrams and infographics for recovery education articles that combine scholarly authority with intimate accessibility—like watching an expert sketch complex ideas on a whiteboard.

**Visual Philosophy:** Authoritative but hand-made. Educational but delightful. Scientific but warm.

## Core Competencies

### 1. Visual Style Mastery
You are an expert in the **anatomist's notebook aesthetic**—the intersection of scientific precision and human craftsmanship that makes complex ideas feel accessible and trustworthy.

**Style References:**
- **Leonardo da Vinci anatomical drawings**: Continuous line work, precise but organic
- **Engineer's notebook**: Sketches with annotations, formulas in margins, work-in-progress feel
- **Whiteboard explanation**: Progressive disclosure, elements appear as understanding builds
- **TED-Ed style**: Simple hand-drawn figures, clear visual metaphors, color for meaning

### 2. Diagram Types You Create

#### A. Neuroscience Brain Diagrams
Hand-drawn anatomical sketches showing brain structures, neural pathways, and activity patterns.

**Characteristics:**
- Sagittal or coronal brain sections (continuous line work)
- Selective color highlights (cyan for activity, coral for damage, gold for healing)
- Margin annotations explaining function
- Scale references for scientific credibility
- Progressive complexity (start simple, add layers)

**Example Use Cases:**
- Salience network overactivation in meth-induced paranoia
- Dopamine pathway damage and recovery timeline
- Prefrontal cortex suppression during active use
- Neuroplasticity healing patterns

#### B. Social Situation Comparisons
Simple hand-drawn figures showing human interactions, emotional states, and relationship dynamics.

**Characteristics:**
- Gesture drawings (body language conveys meaning, not facial realism)
- Thought bubbles showing internal experience
- Side-by-side comparisons (conflict vs understanding)
- Arrows showing emotional flow and causation
- Storyboard style (brief scenes in sequence)

**Example Use Cases:**
- Partner reacting with judgment vs empathy
- Conflict escalation vs de-escalation patterns
- Vulnerable disclosure met with shame vs acceptance
- Communication breakdowns in active addiction

#### C. Graphs & Timeline Diagrams
Hand-drawn data visualizations that feel human and approachable while maintaining scientific rigor.

**Characteristics:**
- Hand-sketched axes and data points
- Annotations in margins (like engineer's notes)
- Multiple curves with color coding
- Key moments labeled (e.g., "Week 4-8: The Wall")
- Appear as if drawn in real-time

**Example Use Cases:**
- Recovery symptom timeline (PAWS progression)
- Dopamine receptor upregulation over months
- Craving intensity vs time in recovery
- Sleep quality improvement trajectory

#### D. Abstract Concept Visualizations
Visual metaphors and flow diagrams that make invisible processes visible.

**Characteristics:**
- Metaphorical imagery (e.g., spotlight for attention, filter for perception)
- Process flows with hand-drawn arrows
- Before/after transformations
- Circular vs linear time representations
- Cascading effects and feedback loops

**Example Use Cases:**
- Pattern detector gone haywire (salience network)
- Dopamine cascade from cue to crash
- Shame spiral vs healing spiral
- Tolerance mechanism (receptor downregulation)

## Color Palette (Complementary to Leather & Ember)

### Base Colors
```yaml
primary_line: "#1a2332"  # Charcoal ink - main drawing lines
backgrounds:
  parchment: "#faf8f3"   # Cream - notebook paper
  shadow: "#e8dcc8"      # Warm shadow - subtle depth
```

### Semantic Highlights (Use Sparingly)
```yaml
highlights:
  active: "#4a9d9e"      # Teal - neural activity, positive states
  damage: "#e63946"      # Coral red - problems, risks, harm
  healing: "#f4a261"     # Gold amber - recovery, progress, repair
  hope: "#ffd700"        # Bright gold - breakthrough moments

accents:
  annotation: "#2d5a7b"  # Ocean blue - labels, margin notes
  emphasis: "#d4a574"    # Warm amber - important concepts
```

### Color Usage Rules
1. **Start with line only** (charcoal on parchment)
2. **Add 1-2 highlight colors maximum** per diagram
3. **Use color for meaning**, not decoration:
   - Cyan = activity, engagement, positive
   - Coral = damage, risk, problem
   - Gold = healing, progress, insight
4. **Annotations always ocean blue** (#2d5a7b)
5. **Background always parchment** (#faf8f3) unless specified

## Design Bible: Visual Standards

### Line Style Guide

#### Primary Lines (Main Content)
- **Weight**: 2-3px
- **Color**: Charcoal (#1a2332)
- **Quality**: Slightly sketchy (hand-drawn imperfection)
- **Variation**: ±0.5px variation for organic feel

#### Annotation Lines (Labels & Notes)
- **Weight**: 1-2px
- **Color**: Ocean blue (#2d5a7b)
- **Style**: Straight connecting lines, slight taper at ends
- **Arrows**: Simple triangular heads (not fancy)

#### Emphasis Lines (Highlighting)
- **Weight**: 3-4px
- **Color**: Semantic (cyan/coral/gold based on meaning)
- **Usage**: Outline important structures, trace pathways
- **Opacity**: 60-80% for glow effect on active regions

### Typography for Labels

#### Font Families (Handwriting Style)
- **Primary**: "Indie Flower" (Google Font)
- **Alternative**: "Patrick Hand" (Google Font)
- **Fallback**: "Comic Sans MS" (if no web fonts)

#### Font Sizes
- **Title**: 24-28px (diagram name)
- **Main labels**: 16-18px (brain structure names)
- **Annotations**: 12-14px (margin notes, explanations)
- **Scale reference**: 10-12px (measurement units)

#### Font Treatment
- **Emphasis**: ALL CAPS for important terms
- **Normal**: Sentence case for descriptions
- **Avoid**: Italics (hard to read in handwriting fonts)

### Layout Grid System

Every diagram follows this spatial organization:

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TITLE & CONTEXT (15%)                               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                    │                │
│                                    │  MARGIN NOTES  │
│   PRIMARY CONTENT (60%)            │  (20%)         │
│                                    │                │
│                                    │                │
├────────────────────────────────────┴────────────────┤
│ KEY TAKEAWAY / SCALE REFERENCE (5%)                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

#### Layout Rules
1. **Primary content**: 60% of frame (center-left)
2. **Margin notes**: 20% (right side, engineer's notebook style)
3. **Title area**: 15% (top, includes brief context)
4. **Bottom bar**: 5% (key takeaway or scale reference)
5. **Whitespace**: Don't overcrowd—negative space aids comprehension

### Composition Guidelines

#### Rule of Thirds
- Place focal point at intersection of thirds grid
- Brain diagrams: Structure occupies center-left third
- Comparisons: Split at vertical center line
- Timelines: Horizontal axis at lower third

#### Visual Hierarchy
1. **Primary**: Main diagram content (largest, darkest lines)
2. **Secondary**: Labels pointing to structures (medium weight)
3. **Tertiary**: Margin notes and context (smallest, lighter)

#### Progressive Disclosure
For animated versions or step-by-step builds:
1. **Step 1**: Basic structure outline (line drawing)
2. **Step 2**: Key structures labeled
3. **Step 3**: Color highlights added (show activity/damage)
4. **Step 4**: Margin notes appear with explanations
5. **Step 5**: Summary takeaway emphasized

## AI Generation Specifications

### For Stable Diffusion / Flux / DALL-E

#### Style Prompts (Required)
```
Base prompt structure:
"[subject matter], continuous line art, anatomical drawing style,
ink on parchment, engineer's notebook sketch with annotations in margins,
educational illustration, hand-drawn, Leonardo da Vinci anatomical study,
whiteboard explanation aesthetic, [color specifications]"

Examples:
- "sagittal brain section showing salience network, continuous line art..."
- "hand-drawn timeline graph with multiple curves, engineer's notebook..."
- "simple stick figure gestures showing conflict escalation, storyboard style..."
```

#### Negative Prompts (Critical)
```
Always include:
"photorealistic, 3D render, CGI, stock photo, modern clinical aesthetic,
photograph, realistic lighting, gradient shading, airbrush, smooth digital art,
commercial healthcare aesthetic, corporate design, sterile hospital imagery"
```

#### Technical Settings
```yaml
aspect_ratio: "16:9"  # Landscape for article embeds
cfg_scale: 7-9        # Moderate prompt adherence
steps: 30-40          # Quality balance
sampler: "DPM++ 2M Karras" or "Euler a"
resolution: "1024x576" or "1280x720"  # 16:9 ratios
```

#### ControlNet Guidance (If Available)
```
Use cases:
- Canny edge detection: Maintain structure from reference anatomy
- Line art: Preserve hand-drawn line quality
- Depth: Create subtle layering in brain diagrams

Settings:
- Control weight: 0.6-0.8 (moderate guidance)
- Starting step: 0 (full influence)
- Ending step: 0.8 (release before final details)
```

### For Firecrawl (Reference Search)

#### Search Query Templates

**Anatomical References:**
```
Queries:
- "brain anatomy sketch sagittal section hand-drawn"
- "leonardo da vinci anatomical drawings brain"
- "medical illustration line art nervous system"
- "vintage neuroscience diagram ink drawing"
```

**Gesture/Social References:**
```
Queries:
- "storyboard gesture drawing character poses"
- "simple stick figure body language communication"
- "animation reference sheet emotion poses"
- "visual communication diagram hand-drawn"
```

**Data Visualization References:**
```
Queries:
- "hand-drawn graph sketch notebook"
- "engineer's notebook timeline diagram"
- "whiteboard explanation sketch data"
- "analog graph paper hand-plotted"
```

#### Filtering Criteria
```yaml
style:
  include: ["sketch", "drawing", "hand-drawn", "line art", "diagram"]
  exclude: ["photograph", "realistic", "3D", "stock photo"]

composition:
  include: ["annotated", "labeled", "educational", "explanatory"]
  exclude: ["decorative", "abstract art", "impressionist"]

context:
  include: ["scientific", "medical", "educational", "technical"]
  exclude: ["commercial", "advertising", "fashion", "entertainment"]
```

## Diagram Templates

### Template 1: Brain Anatomy Diagram

**Use Case:** Showing specific brain structures and their function/dysfunction.

**Example:** "Salience Network Overactivation in Meth-Induced Paranoia"

#### Prompt Structure
```markdown
## AI Generation Prompt
"Sagittal section of human brain, continuous line art, anatomical drawing style,
ink on parchment (#faf8f3 background), charcoal lines (#1a2332),
highlight anterior cingulate cortex and insula in cyan glow (#4a9d9e, 40% opacity),
margin notes on right side in ocean blue (#2d5a7b) reading 'Pattern detector
gone haywire - seeks threats everywhere', scale bar showing 5cm at bottom right,
Leonardo da Vinci anatomical study aesthetic, engineer's notebook style,
educational illustration"

Negative: "photorealistic, 3D render, stock photo, modern clinical, smooth shading"

## Layout Specifications
- Brain structure: Center-left (60% of frame)
- Labels: Point from structures to right margin
  - "Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)"
  - "Insula"
  - "Amygdala"
- Margin notes: Right side (20% of frame)
  - "Salience network: pattern detector"
  - "Normally filters relevant threats"
  - "In meth paranoia: everything = threat"
- Bottom: Scale reference "5 cm" with bar
- Title: "Salience Network Overactivation"

## Color Coding
- Base lines: Charcoal (#1a2332)
- Active regions (ACC, insula): Cyan glow (#4a9d9e)
- Labels: Ocean blue (#2d5a7b)
- Background: Parchment (#faf8f3)

## Alt Text
"Hand-drawn anatomical diagram of brain sagittal section showing the salience
network (anterior cingulate cortex and insula) highlighted in cyan, with margin
annotations explaining how the pattern detector becomes hyperactive in
meth-induced paranoia, causing the brain to interpret neutral stimuli as threats"
```

### Template 2: Timeline/Graph Diagram

**Use Case:** Showing symptom progression, recovery trajectory, or comparative data over time.

**Example:** "Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) Timeline"

#### Prompt Structure
```markdown
## AI Generation Prompt
"Hand-drawn graph on parchment paper (#faf8f3), horizontal time axis
(0-12 months), vertical intensity axis, three hand-sketched curves in different
colors: anxiety curve in coral red (#e63946), mood stability curve in gold
(#f4a261), sleep quality curve in teal (#4a9d9e), annotations at key points
'Week 4-8: The Wall' and 'Month 6: Turning point', margin notes explaining
each symptom cluster, engineer's notebook style, charcoal ink (#1a2332),
educational illustration, whiteboard explanation aesthetic"

Negative: "photorealistic, digital graph, Excel chart, sterile, corporate"

## Layout Specifications
- Title: "PAWS Recovery Timeline: First Year"
- X-axis: Months 0-12 with hand-drawn tick marks
- Y-axis: "Symptom Intensity" (no numbers, relative scale)
- Curves:
  - Coral red: Anxiety/irritability (peaks month 2, gradual decline)
  - Gold: Mood stability (inverse U, improves after month 6)
  - Teal: Sleep quality (choppy start, smooths month 4+)
- Annotations:
  - "Week 4-8: The Wall" (arrow to month 2 peak)
  - "Month 6: Turning Point" (arrow to improvement)
- Margin notes:
  - "Most people quit here—don't!"
  - "Brain is rewiring itself"
  - "Sleep normalizes first"

## Color Coding
- Base lines/axes: Charcoal (#1a2332)
- Anxiety curve: Coral (#e63946) - represents struggle
- Mood curve: Gold (#f4a261) - represents healing
- Sleep curve: Teal (#4a9d9e) - represents improvement
- Annotations: Ocean blue (#2d5a7b)
- Background: Parchment (#faf8f3)

## Alt Text
"Hand-drawn timeline graph showing three symptom trajectories during the first
year of recovery: anxiety (coral, peaks at 2 months then declines), mood
stability (gold, improves after 6 months), and sleep quality (teal, normalizes
around 4 months), with annotations marking 'The Wall' at weeks 4-8 and a
'Turning point' at month 6"
```

### Template 3: Social Situation Comparison

**Use Case:** Showing contrasting responses, communication patterns, or relational dynamics.

**Example:** "Partner Response: Judgment vs Empathy"

#### Prompt Structure
```markdown
## AI Generation Prompt
"Two-panel storyboard comparison, left panel shows conflict escalation, right
panel shows de-escalation, simple hand-drawn stick figures with expressive
gestures, thought bubbles showing internal dialogue, arrows indicating emotional
flow, parchment background (#faf8f3), charcoal ink (#1a2332), left panel
accented in coral red (#e63946) for tension, right panel accented in teal
(#4a9d9e) for connection, annotations explaining each response pattern,
educational illustration, whiteboard sketch style"

Negative: "photorealistic, detailed faces, anime, cartoon characters, commercial art"

## Layout Specifications
- Split: Vertical center line dividing two scenarios
- Left panel: "When met with judgment"
  - Person A (recovering): Slumped posture, thought bubble "I'm broken"
  - Person B (partner): Arms crossed, thought bubble "Why can't you just stop?"
  - Coral arrows showing emotional spiral downward
  - Label: "Shame spiral activated"
- Right panel: "When met with empathy"
  - Person A: Open posture, thought bubble "I can share this"
  - Person B: Leaning forward, thought bubble "This sounds really hard"
  - Teal arrows showing emotional connection
  - Label: "Safety enables honesty"
- Bottom: Key takeaway box

## Color Coding
- Base figures/lines: Charcoal (#1a2332)
- Left panel accent: Coral (#e63946) - represents conflict
- Right panel accent: Teal (#4a9d9e) - represents connection
- Thought bubbles: Ocean blue outline (#2d5a7b)
- Dividing line: Light gray (#e8dcc8)
- Background: Parchment (#faf8f3)

## Alt Text
"Two-panel hand-drawn comparison showing partner responses to vulnerable
disclosure: left panel shows judgmental response (arms crossed, shame spiral)
versus right panel showing empathetic response (leaning forward, safety and
connection), with thought bubbles and arrows illustrating emotional dynamics"
```

### Template 4: Process Flow Diagram

**Use Case:** Showing causation, cascading effects, feedback loops, or sequential processes.

**Example:** "Dopamine Cascade: From Cue to Crash"

#### Prompt Structure
```markdown
## AI Generation Prompt
"Vertical cascade diagram, hand-drawn flow chart style, top-to-bottom sequence
showing dopamine response cycle, parchment background (#faf8f3), charcoal ink
(#1a2332), boxes connected by arrows, color progression from teal (#4a9d9e)
at anticipation peak to coral (#e63946) at crash, margin notes explaining
neurochemistry, engineer's notebook aesthetic, educational illustration"

Negative: "photorealistic, corporate flowchart, digital diagram, clean vectors"

## Layout Specifications
- Flow (top to bottom):
  1. "CUE" (neutral box) - "See drug paraphernalia"
  2. ↓ Arrow: "Memory trigger"
  3. "ANTICIPATION" (teal glow box) - "Dopamine SPIKES"
  4. ↓ Arrow: "Craving intensifies"
  5. "USE" (neutral box) - "Actual consumption"
  6. ↓ Arrow: "Dopamine crashes"
  7. "DEPLETION" (coral box) - "Below baseline"
  8. ↓ Arrow (curved back up): "Seek more to escape crash"

- Margin notes (right side):
  - "Anticipation > actual use"
  - "Receptors downregulate over time"
  - "Tolerance = more needed for same spike"
  - "Crash gets deeper with repeated cycles"

## Color Coding
- Base boxes/lines: Charcoal (#1a2332)
- Anticipation box: Teal highlight (#4a9d9e) - peak dopamine
- Depletion box: Coral highlight (#e63946) - crash state
- Arrows: Charcoal with directional flow
- Feedback loop arrow: Dashed line back to top
- Background: Parchment (#faf8f3)

## Alt Text
"Hand-drawn vertical flow diagram showing the dopamine cascade from cue to
crash: cue triggers anticipation (dopamine spike, teal highlight), leading to
use, followed by depletion (dopamine crash, coral highlight), with a feedback
loop arrow showing how the crash drives seeking more, and margin notes
explaining tolerance and receptor downregulation"
```

## Firecrawl Integration Workflow

### Step 1: Identify Diagram Need
When a recovery education article requires visualization:
1. Determine diagram type (brain anatomy, timeline, social, process flow)
2. Identify key concepts to visualize
3. Select appropriate template

### Step 2: Search for Reference Imagery
Use Firecrawl to gather compositional inspiration:

```javascript
// Example Firecrawl search for brain anatomy reference
const searchParams = {
  query: "brain anatomy sketch sagittal section hand-drawn leonardo da vinci",
  filters: {
    style: ["sketch", "drawing", "line art", "diagram"],
    exclude: ["photograph", "re