name: Social Media Designer
slug: social-media-designer
description: Create platform-optimized social media graphics
category: design
complexity: simple
version: "1.0.0"
author: "ID8Labs"
triggers:
- "social media design"
- "social graphics"
- "instagram post"
- "social content"
- "design for social"
tags:
- social-media
- design
- marketing
- content

Social Media Designer

A social media design expert that creates platform-optimized graphics for maximum engagement. This skill combines platform best practices, visual design principles, and content strategy to produce scroll-stopping social media content that drives results.

From Instagram posts to Twitter headers to LinkedIn carousels, this skill ensures your social content looks professional, on-brand, and optimized for each platform's unique requirements.

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Instagram Content Suite

1. Define content type
2. Feed post (single or carousel)
3. Story
4. Reel cover
5. Highlight cover

6. Profile picture

7. Design feed post

8. Dimensions: 1080x1080px (square) or 1080x1350px (portrait)
9. Visual hierarchy for quick scanning
10. Brand colors and fonts
11. On-brand photography or graphics

12. Text overlay (readable on mobile)

13. Create story template

14. Dimensions: 1080x1920px
15. Safe zones (avoid top/bottom 250px)
16. Interactive elements (polls, questions, sliders)
17. Swipe-up or link sticker area

18. Consistent brand frame

19. Build content series

20. Template for consistency
21. Color-coded by category
22. Reusable elements
23. Variation within system

Workflow 2: LinkedIn Professional Graphics

1. Choose format
2. Single image post: 1200x627px
3. Carousel: 1080x1080px per slide
4. Article header: 1200x627px
5. Company page cover: 1128x191px

6. Profile banner: 1584x396px

7. Design for platform

8. Professional, polished aesthetic
9. Data-driven content
10. Industry-relevant imagery
11. Thought leadership focus

12. Clear value proposition

13. Create carousel

14. Compelling cover slide
15. One idea per slide
16. Consistent template
17. Strong conclusion/CTA

18. Page numbers or progress indicator

19. Optimize for feed

20. Hook in first 2 lines
21. Visual supports text
22. Professional photography
23. Avoid overly promotional

Workflow 3: Twitter/X Visual Content

1. Design tweet images
2. Dimensions: 1200x675px (16:9)
3. High contrast for timeline
4. Bold, simple message
5. Works as thumbnail

6. Text readable at small size

7. Create header image

8. Dimensions: 1500x500px
9. Brand expression
10. Seasonal or campaign updates
11. Visual interest, not busy

12. Works with profile picture

13. Design thread graphics

14. Consistent style across thread
15. Numbered or sequential
16. Eye-catching colors
17. Quote graphics
18. Data visualizations

Workflow 4: Multi-Platform Campaign

1. Design master concept
2. Core message/visual
3. Adaptable composition
4. Flexible color system

5. Reusable elements

6. Adapt for each platform

7. Resize for specs
8. Adjust safe zones
9. Platform-appropriate tone

10. Optimize text size

11. Create platform variants

12. Instagram: 1080x1080px
13. Facebook: 1200x630px
14. Twitter: 1200x675px
15. LinkedIn: 1200x627px
16. Pinterest: 1000x1500px

17. TikTok: 1080x1920px

18. Maintain consistency

19. Same core message
20. Recognizable brand elements
21. Adapted, not duplicated
22. Platform-native feel

Quick Reference

Platform Specifications

Instagram

Best Practices:
- Bright, vibrant colors perform better
- Faces increase engagement
- Minimal text (not text-heavy platform)
- Consistent aesthetic/grid
- Stories: Top 25% and bottom 35% are safe zones

Facebook

Best Practices:
- Less polished than Instagram
- Longer captions work
- Community-focused content
- Video performs best
- Profile picture: 170x170px display

Twitter/X

Best Practices:
- High contrast for timeline visibility
- Keep text large and bold
- Works at thumbnail size
- Header: Mind profile pic overlap
- Timeline is fast-scrolling

LinkedIn

Best Practices:
- Professional aesthetic
- Data and insights perform well
- Carousels get high engagement
- Text-heavy is acceptable
- Industry-relevant content

Pinterest

Best Practices:
- Vertical formats perform best
- Bright, eye-catching
- Text overlays work well
- How-to and tutorials excel
- Lifestyle imagery

TikTok

Best Practices:
- Thumbnail matters
- Fast-paced content
- Authentic, not polished
- Trending audio/effects
- Hook in first 3 seconds

YouTube

Best Practices:
- Thumbnail: Bold text, faces, contrast
- Test safe zones for mobile
- Consistent branding
- Eye-catching colors

Design Principles for Social

Mobile-First
- Most views on mobile
- Large text (minimum 40pt headlines)
- High contrast
- Thumb-friendly interaction zones

Scroll-Stopping
- First impression in 0.5 seconds
- Bold colors and contrast
- Faces and people
- Pattern interruption
- Curiosity gap

Brand Consistency
- Recognizable color palette
- Consistent fonts
- Recurring visual elements
- Template system
- Cohesive feed aesthetic

Platform-Native
- Match platform culture
- Use platform features
- Appropriate tone
- Don't just repost everywhere

Value-First
- Educational, entertaining, or inspiring
- Clear benefit to viewer
- Not overly promotional
- Shareable content

Content Categories

Educational
- How-to graphics
- Tips and tricks
- Stat graphics
- Infographics
- Explainer posts

Inspirational
- Quote graphics
- Motivational content
- Success stories
- Before/after
- Testimonials

Entertainment
- Memes (on-brand)
- Relatable content
- Behind-the-scenes
- Fun facts
- Interactive (polls, quizzes)

Promotional
- Product launches
- Sale announcements
- Event promotion
- Case studies
- Demo videos

Community
- User-generated content
- Team spotlights
- Customer features
- Q&A
- Challenges/contests

Typography for Social Media

Headline Sizes
- Instagram feed: 60-80pt
- Instagram story: 80-120pt
- LinkedIn: 48-72pt
- Twitter: 72-96pt

Font Choices
- Bold, high-contrast fonts
- Sans-serif for readability
- Avoid thin weights
- Limit to 2 fonts
- Consistent hierarchy

Text Amount
- Instagram feed: Minimal (image speaks)
- Instagram story: Short, scannable
- LinkedIn: Can be text-heavy
- Twitter: Concise, punchy
- Pinterest: Descriptive headlines

Color Strategy

High-Contrast Palettes
- Stand out in crowded feeds
- Improve mobile readability
- Create visual hierarchy
- Aid accessibility

Brand Colors
- Primary color prominently
- Accent for highlights
- Consistent background treatment
- Recognize at glance

Platform Considerations
- Instagram: Bright, saturated
- LinkedIn: Professional, muted
- Twitter: Bold, attention-grabbing
- Pinterest: Soft, aspirational

Best Practices

• Optimize for mobile: 80%+ view on phones
• Safe zones: Mind platform UI overlap
• Readable text: High contrast, large size
• Brand consistency: Recognizable at glance
• Platform-specific: Don't just duplicate
• Test before posting: View at actual size
• A/B test: Try variations, learn what works
• Accessible: Alt text, captions, contrast
• File size: Compress without quality loss
• Templates: Speed up production
• Stay current: Platforms change specs
• Engage quickly: Hook in first 2 seconds

Deliverables Format

SOCIAL MEDIA DESIGN PACKAGE
Campaign: [Name]
Duration: [Dates]
Platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter

DESIGN CONCEPT
Theme: [Description]
Message: [Core message]
Style: [Modern/Minimal/Bold/etc.]

ASSET LIST

1. Instagram Feed Post
   Dimensions: 1080x1080px
   Format: PNG/JPG
   Design:
   - Background: [Brand gradient]
   - Headline: "[Text]" - [Font] Bold 72pt
   - Subtext: "[Text]" - [Font] Regular 32pt
   - Logo: Bottom right corner
   - CTA: "[Text]" - Button style

   Midjourney prompt (if applicable):
   "[Detailed prompt for background imagery]"

2. Instagram Story
   Dimensions: 1080x1920px
   Format: PNG with transparency
   Design:
   - Safe zones respected
   - Link sticker area: 250px from bottom
   - Progress indicator: Top
   - Swipe-up affordance
   - Interactive element: Poll at 40% height

3. LinkedIn Carousel (5 slides)
   Dimensions: 1080x1080px each
   Format: PDF (all slides)

   Slide 1 (Cover):
   - Hook headline
   - Eye-catching visual
   - "Swipe for [benefit]"

   Slides 2-4 (Content):
   - One idea per slide
   - Supporting visual
   - Consistent template

   Slide 5 (CTA):
   - Summary
   - Call to action
   - Contact info

4. Twitter Image
   Dimensions: 1200x675px
   Format: PNG
   Design:
   - Bold statement
   - High contrast
   - Minimal text
   - Works as thumbnail

FILES DELIVERED
- IG-feed-post-v1.png
- IG-story-template.png
- LinkedIn-carousel-slides.pdf
- LinkedIn-carousel-slide-1.png (individual)
- [... individual slides ...]
- Twitter-image.png
- Social-media-templates.fig (Figma source)

BRAND ELEMENTS USED
Colors:
- Primary: #HEX
- Secondary: #HEX
- Accent: #HEX

Fonts:
- Headline: [Font] Bold
- Body: [Font] Regular

Logo: [Version used]

USAGE GUIDELINES
Instagram:
- Post between 11am-1pm or 7pm-9pm
- Use hashtags: #tag1 #tag2 #tag3
- Tag relevant accounts
- Encourage saves and shares

LinkedIn:
- Post Tuesday-Thursday 9am-12pm
- Tag company page
- Write compelling caption (100-200 words)
- Engage with comments

Twitter:
- Include link to blog post
- Use 2-3 hashtags max
- Tag mentions
- Pin for 24 hours

METRICS TO TRACK
- Reach
- Engagement rate
- Saves (Instagram)
- Shares (LinkedIn)
- Click-through rate

Templates to Create

Content Pillars (recurring series)
- Monday Motivation (quote)
- Tip Tuesday (educational)
- Wisdom Wednesday (insight)
- Throwback Thursday (timeline)
- Feature Friday (customer/product)

Post Types
- Announcement template
- Testimonial template
- Stat graphic template
- Quote graphic template
- How-to template
- Behind-the-scenes template

Tools Integration

• Use Midjourney for custom imagery and backgrounds
• Use color-palette-generator for brand-aligned colors
• Use typography-advisor for font pairings
• Use infographic-designer for data posts
• Use mockup-generator for product showcases

Common Requests

Product launch: Multi-platform announcement graphics with product imagery
Quote post: Minimal design with typography focus
Stat graphic: Data visualization for LinkedIn/Instagram
Story series: 3-5 connected stories with swipe progression
Carousel: Educational 5-10 slide deck for LinkedIn
Profile refresh: New headers, profile pics across platforms