v1.1.0 to v1.1.0

---

name: nous-branding

style blending neo-classical statuary, cyberpunk/industrial grunge, and retro anime

illustration. Covers official brand color palette, typography (Inter/IBM Plex Sans,

JetBrains Mono, heavy distressed display faces), the Nous Girl mascot, texture system,

and image prompt construction. Ships reference images for palette, mascot, and brand

license: MIT

metadata:

---

# Nous Branding

Generate images and brand-consistent visual content inspired by **Nous Research** ("The AI accelerator company").

## Reference Images

This skill ships reference images in `assets/` that can be used as visual anchors for img2img, style transfer, image variation, or prompt construction:

| File | Description | Usage |

|------|-------------|-------|

| `assets/palette-typography-reference.png` | Brand identity system card showing the 6-color palette swatches with hex codes, typography specimen (Inter, IBM Plex Sans, JetBrains Mono, heavy display), and classified-dossier layout | Upload as reference for color palette and typography style |

| `assets/nous-girl-official.webp` | Official high-resolution (2669×2709) Nous Girl mascot from nousresearch.com. High-contrast black-and-white retro manga portrait. Three-quarter profile facing left, white headband (primary badge variant). 51% dark / 47% light, pure b&w with no gray. | Primary mascot reference — the single most authentic brand image |

| `assets/nous-girl-official-badge.png` | Official badge portrait from the brand booklet (5760×7454). Shows the Nous Girl in her canonical form: white headband, three-quarter profile, neutral attentive expression, stark black/white manga style. | Use when the badge/primary variant is needed |

| `assets/nous-girl-sketch-sheet.png` | Official character sheet from the brand booklet showing all 4 canonical poses: primary badge, headphone ¾ profile, headphone profile left, and headphone small profile. | Use for pose reference and character consistency |

| `assets/nous-girl-philosophy.png` | Brand philosophy page from the booklet showing the Nous Girl alongside the "decentralization of good design" mission statement. | Use for brand context and philosophy reference |

| `assets/nous-girl-style-reference.png` | Generated reference portrait with "NOUS" on headphones, electric blue accents, and color swatch label | Color-application reference and prompt examples |

| `assets/brand-collage-reference.png` | Cyber-classical brand collage with Theia marble statue, glowing electric blue eye with targeting reticle, system architecture diagram, CRT noise overlay | Multi-panel brand layout and HUD aesthetic reference |

---

## Brand Identity Overview

Nous Research's visual identity is a **three-way fusion**:

| Influence | Expression |

|-----------|-----------|

| **Classical / Greek myth** | Statuary of Theia (Titaness of Sight), marble textures, mythological naming |

| **Cyberpunk / Industrial** | Grunge textures, CRT scan lines, photocopy noise, distressed type, dark palette |

| **Retro Anime / Manga** | The "Nous Girl" mascot, cel-shaded illustration, large expressive eyes, 1970s-80s manga aesthetic |

| **Tech / Brutalist** | Heavy display typography, system diagrams, blueprint-style layouts, monospace code labels |

**Tagline:** "The AI accelerator company"

**Key phrases:** "Advance human rights and freedoms", "Open source language models", "Unrestricted availability and use"

**Vibe:** Intellectual but gritty — a cutting-edge research lab operating in the shadows

---

## Color Palette

### Hero Palette (from reference image analysis)

| Color | Hex | RGB | Usage |

|-------|-----|-----|-------|

| Electric Blue | `#3847FF` | (56, 71, 255) | Primary accent, mascot hair highlights, interactive elements, key brand color |

| Soft Lavender | `#BDA6FF` | (189, 166, 255) | Secondary accent, gradient blends, soft highlights |

| Burnt Orange | `#D6825A` | (214, 130, 90) | Geometric overlay lines, text accents, HUD elements |

| Deep Teal | `#2E706B` | (46, 112, 107) | Secondary backgrounds, zine section fills |

| Off-White | `#E6E6E6` | (230, 230, 230) | Text on dark backgrounds, paper backgrounds |

| Near Black | `#00000E` | (0, 0, 14) | Primary background, heavy text, dark framing |

### Extended Palette

| Color | Hex | Usage |

|-------|-----|-------|

| Deep Navy | `#003681` | Secondary brand color, headers |

| Medium Blue | `#0051c3` | Interactive elements, links |

| Coral Red | `#fc574a` | Alerts, emphasis accents |

| Gold | `#E6C666` | Constellation lines, geometric overlays |

| Charcoal | `#1d1d1d` | Dark UI backgrounds |

### Palette Principles

- **High contrast is the rule** — deep near-black backgrounds against bright electric blue accents

- **Electric blue (#3847FF) is the signature color** — use it for the most important accent elements

- **Grunge textures over solid colors** — never use flat, clean color blocks; always overlay with grain, noise, or scan lines

- **Color is reserved for hero/feature content** — the brand booklet is >95% grayscale

- **Gold/orange geometric lines** (`#D6825A`, `#E6C666`) for HUD-style overlays and constellation motifs

---

## Logo & Mascot

### The Nous Girl (primary mascot)

The single most recognizable brand element. Based on the official brand booklet (pages 8-9).

| Element | Description |

|---------|-------------|

| **Style** | Retro 1970s-80s manga/anime cel-shaded, high-contrast pure black/white |

| **Head-to-body** | Head proportionally large (manga proportions) |

| **Pose** | Three-quarter profile, looking upward and to the left |

| **Features** | One large detailed eye with long spiky lashes, small delicate nose, lips slightly parted |

| **Hair** | Distinctive voluminous bob, solid black with sharp jagged edges against white background, straight bangs covering forehead |

| **Headphones** | The white cushioned arch visible across the crown IS the headphone band — the ear cups are partially obscured by the hair in the badge portrait. **White over-ear headphones** in all canonical poses. Black headphones are incorrect. |

| **Alternate** | 3 alternate poses showing different angles of the same headphone variant |

| **Expression** | Neutral, calm, attentive — a quiet stillness. Not sad, not melancholic, not crying. The brand booklet describes her as "neutral, perhaps slightly surprised or attentive." |

| **Shirt** | White structured collared shirt |

| **Technique** | Pure black ink on white paper — no gray, no shading, no digital gradients |

| **Facial markings** | None — clean, clear skin, no tattoo, no tear, no scar |

### Official Pose Variants

| Pose | Angle | Primary Use |

|------|-------|-------------|

| **Primary Badge** | Three-quarter profile, looking upward-left | Main logo lockup, merchandise, official branding |

| **Headphone — ¾ Profile** | Three-quarter facing right | Hermes/Theia ecosystem, tech contexts |

| **Headphone — Profile Left** | Full profile facing left | Social media, alternate applications |

| **Headphone — Small Profile** | Smaller profile facing left | Secondary placement, watermarks |

### Usage Rules

- The mascot is **not a substitute for the logo** — use the Nous Research wordmark/symbol for official brand representation

- **White over-ear headphones** in all poses — the ear cups are partially obscured by the voluminous hair in the badge portrait, but the white cushioned arch across the crown confirms headphones in every variant

- Black headphones are incorrect

- **No facial markings** — clean skin, no tattoo, no scar, no tear

- Pure black-and-white high-contrast is the default; electric blue accents are for hero/feature content only

---

## Typography

From the Hermes-Theia brand system sheet (visible in `assets/palette-typography-reference.png`):

| Role | Font | Treatment |

|------|------|-----------|

| **Display / Headline** | Heavy sans-serif (Druk Condensed / Impact style) | Massive, uppercase, with distressed/grunge texture |

| **Body / Supporting** | Inter or IBM Plex Sans | Clean sans-serif, uppercase with loose tracking |

| **Code / Technical** | JetBrains Mono | Small, compact, monospace — for version numbers, technical labels |

---

## Texture System

The brand defines five key textures that should be applied to all visuals. Reference examples available in `assets/palette-typography-reference.png`:

| Texture | Description | Application |

|---------|-------------|-------------|

| **Risograph Grain** | Coarse, halftone-style dot grain | Background fills, image overlays |

| **Photocopy Noise** | Speckled noise, static | Shadow areas, dark regions |

| **CRT / Scan Lines** | Horizontal scan lines | Technical/screen elements |

| **Paper Fiber** | Subtle paper texture | Backgrounds, zine sections |

| **Ink Smudge** | Irregular ink spread/bleed | Edges of type, borders |

**Key rule:** These textures should feel **raw, analog, and imperfect** — the opposite of polished corporate design.

---

## Art Style

### Core Attributes

| Attribute | Description |

|-----------|-------------|

| **Primary aesthetic** | "Cyber-classical" — classical sculpture meets cyberpunk |

| **Medium** | Digital mixed media: renders + photomontage + hand-drawn illustration |

| **Technique** | Photomontage (classical statues with digital overlays), blueprint technical drawings, cel-shaded anime |

| **Shading** | High-contrast chiaroscuro — deep shadows against bright highlights |

| **Texture** | Always textured — never clean or flat |

| **Lighting** | Dramatic spot lighting, light beams from eyes, neon edge highlights |

| **Composition** | Multi-panel grid layouts (system sheets); dramatic offset subjects (hero images) |

### What the Style is NOT

- NOT flat vector illustration

- NOT corporate minimalist

- NOT purely photographic

- NOT bright, saturated, or cheerful

- NOT glossy/skeuomorphic

---

## Style Lanes

Choose the lane that matches your output's purpose. Each lane encodes a distinct composition grammar, palette discipline, and print technology.

| Lane | Palette | Best For |

|------|---------|----------|

| **Xerox Poster** | Pale cyan paper, black/dark teal ink, optional red accent | Release announcements, stark social images |

| **Manual / Letterpress Cover** | Aged tan paper, dark teal-black ink, red rule | Specs, manuals, technical announcements |

| **Industrial Duotone** | Cobalt blue, acid yellow, black | Product shots, system graphics, infrastructure |

| **Minimal Stipple Field** | Cream paper, navy stipple, turquoise border | Quiet editorial covers, abstract banners |

| **Blue Registration Character** | Deep blue, orange registration marks | Agent identity, symbolic personas |

| **Legacy PNW / Celestial** | Electric blue, purple, amber, off-white | Classic luminous Hermes/PNW requests |

### Lane 1 — Xerox Poster

For stark announcements and punchy social images. High-contrast xerox-style poster on colored paper stock.

Prompt cues: high-contrast xerox poster, pale cyan paper stock, black/dark teal ink, dense horizontal scanlines, harsh bitmap thresholding, bold block `NOUS` wordmark near top, centered anonymous subject, worn border/crop marks.

```text

High-contrast xerox-style poster release announcement on pale cyan paper. [Subject description]. Black ink with dense horizontal scanlines, rough halftone breakup. Bold block `NOUS` wordmark near top. Centered poster composition with worn border and crop marks. --ar 16:9

```

### Lane 2 — Manual / Letterpress Cover

For specs, manuals, and technical documentation covers. Distressed letterpress on aged stock.

Prompt cues: distressed letterpress technical manual cover, aged tan paper stock, thick dark teal-black border, compact all-caps condensed typography, red horizontal rule accent, scuffed ink, worn paper corners, `NOUS` as leading stamped brand word.

```text

Distressed letterpress technical manual cover for [project]. Aged tan paper stock, thick dark teal-black border, compact all-caps condensed typography, red horizontal rule accent, scuffed ink and worn paper corners. `NOUS` as leading stamped brand word. --ar 4:5

```

### Lane 3 — Industrial Duotone Grid

For product shots, system graphics, and infrastructure visuals. Edge-to-edge duotone with repeated artifacts.

Prompt cues: edge-to-edge industrial duotone print, repeated rounded branded artifacts, saturated cobalt blue and acid yellow, blown-out ink highlights, dense halftone dots, small embedded `NOUS` marks.

```text

Edge-to-edge industrial duotone print for [product/release]. Repeated branded components in cobalt blue and acid yellow against black. Dense halftone dots, blown-out ink highlights, small embedded `NOUS` marks on artifacts. --ar 16:9

```

### Lane 4 — Minimal Stipple Field

For quiet, refined, abstract graphics with generous negative space.

Prompt cues: abstract risograph/screenprint poster, cream paper base, navy stipple field fading downward, thin turquoise double border, small centered `NOUS` capsule mark, lots of negative space.

```text

Abstract risograph poster on cream paper. Navy stipple field fading downward, thin turquoise double border, small centered `NOUS` capsule mark. Generous negative space. Restrained, editorial. --ar 4:5

```

### Lane 5 — Blue Registration Character

For agent identity and symbolic character posters. Moody blue screenprint with technical registration marks.

Prompt cues: moody blue screenprint poster, anonymous illustrated character, electric-blue posterized lighting, dark cyan-black field, orange registration marks, thin frame lines, scratches, analog grain.

```text

Moody blue screenprint poster for [project/agent]. Anonymous character subject with electric-blue posterized lighting against dark cyan-black field. Orange registration marks, thin frame lines, scratches, analog grain. --ar 4:5

```

### Legacy Lane — PNW / Celestial

For classic Nous/Hermes luminous imagery. Used when the request explicitly asks for the misty, glowing, portal-driven aesthetic.

Prompt cues: dark navy background, misty atmospheric depth, portal/orb/beam light source, electric blue and purple accents, sacred geometry, lone figure.

```text

Dark atmospheric scene with [subject description]. Misty PNW atmosphere, luminous portal/orb light source, electric blue accent, soft bloom, geometric framing. Match the classic luminous Hermes visual style. --ar 16:9

```

---

## Reference Catalog

Each asset in `assets/` maps to specific style lanes. Use this table to find the right reference image for your generation:

| Asset | Lanes | Best Used For |

|-------|-------|---------------|

| `assets/nous-girl-official-badge.png` | All lanes (mascot subject) | Primary Nous Girl reference — badge portrait, white headphones, 3/4 profile |

| `assets/nous-girl-sketch-sheet.png` | All lanes (mascot subject) | Character pose reference — all 4 canonical poses |

| `assets/nous-girl-philosophy.png` | Legacy PNW / Celestial | Brand philosophy visual context |

| `assets/nous-girl-official.webp` | All lanes (mascot subject) | Web-resolution mascot from nousresearch.com |

| `assets/palette-typography-reference.png` | All lanes (palette/style) | Color palette and typography specimen reference — use with any lane |

| `assets/brand-collage-reference.png` | Legacy PNW / Celestial, Blue Registration | Cyber-classical HUD collage reference |

| `assets/nous-girl-style-reference.png` | All lanes (headphone variant) | Stylized mascot with headphones and electric blue accents |

**Rule of thumb:** Load the reference image that matches your lane's visual grammar. For Xerox Poster lanes, the palette-typography card is more useful than the mascot badge. For character-focused outputs, the sketch sheet is the primary reference.

---

## Image Prompt Templates

### Method 1: Full Brand Portrait

```

A cyber-classical brand identity illustration in the style of Nous Research / Project Theia.

[SUBJECT DESCRIPTION]. High-contrast dramatic lighting with deep near-black background (#00000E).

Electric blue (#3847FF) primary accent. Soft lavender (#BDA6FF) and burnt orange (#D6825A)

secondary accents. Deep teal (#2E706B) shadow tones. Overlaid with risograph grain texture,

photocopy noise, and subtle CRT scan lines. Retro anime cel-shading combined with neo-classical

sculptural forms. Geometric HUD overlay lines in burnt orange. Bold, distressed display typography.

Raw, analog, imperfect finish. No corporate polish.

Palette: #00000E bg, #3847FF accent, #BDA6FF secondary, #D6825A warm, #E6E6E6 text.

```

### Method 2: Nous Girl Mascot

```

High-contrast retro manga anime portrait, 1970s-80s cel-shaded style.

A young woman with large anime eyes, shoulder-length dark hair with blunt

straight-across bangs. White over-ear headphones. Three-quarter profile facing left.

Melancholic introspective expression. Bold heavy outlines. Pure black and white with

no grayscale. [Optional: Electric blue #3847FF hair highlights for color version].

```

### Method 3: Brand System Sheet / Collage

```

Multi-panel brand identity system sheet in Nous Research / Project Theia style.

Grid layout. [Describe panels]. Color palette: #3847FF electric blue, #BDA6FF lavender,

#D6825A burnt orange, #2E706B deep teal, #E6E6E6 off-white, #00000E near-black.

Texture swatches: risograph grain, photocopy noise, CRT scan lines, paper fiber, ink smudge.

Typography: heavy distressed display for titles, Inter/IBM Plex Sans for labels,

JetBrains Mono for technical data. Grunge textures throughout. Dark near-black background.

```

### Method 4: Reference-Image-Driven Generation (Recommended)

**This is the preferred method for generating brand-consistent images.** Use the `scripts/generate-with-ref.py` script which reads your Hermes config, determines the active image provider, and hits the API directly with the reference image as contextual input — bypassing the built-in `image_generate` tool which only supports text prompts.

```

python3 scripts/generate-with-ref.py \

--prompt "Your prompt describing the desired image" \

--reference assets/nous-girl-official-badge.png \

--aspect landscape \

--quality medium

```

**Features:**

- `--prompt` (required) — image description

- `--reference` (required) — path to a reference image (use `assets/` images from this skill)

- `--aspect` — `landscape` (1536×1024), `portrait` (1024×1536), or `square` (1024×1024)

- `--quality` — `low`, `medium` (default), or `high`

- `--output` — custom output path

- `--dry-run` — preview without executing

**How it works:**

1. Reads `~/.hermes/config.yaml` to find your active image generation provider

2. For **OpenAI**: uses `/v1/images/edits` with multipart upload — the only endpoint that accepts image input with gpt-image-2

3. Automatically crops the reference to square (1024×1024) as required by the edits endpoint

4. Saves output to `~/.hermes/cache/images/`

5. Returns JSON with `image`, `model`, `aspect_ratio`, and `provider`

**Why this matters:** Text-only generation loses the precise manga style, character proportions, and contrast balance of the Nous Girl. Uploading the official badge preserves the specific 1970s–80s cel-shaded ink style.

**Prompting for reference workflows:**

State what to **preserve** from the reference, then what to **add**:

- "Keep the character's white over-ear headphones, white collared shirt, solid black hair with blunt bangs, neutral expression"

- "Maintain the same high-contrast black ink on white manga style"

- Then add the scene details, text, lighting, etc.

### Prompt Formula

```

[STYLE: cyber-classical / Nous Research]

+ [SUBJECT DESCRIPTION]

+ [PALETTE: #00000E bg, #3847FF accent, #BDA6FF, #D6825A]

+ [TEXTURES: risograph grain, photocopy noise, CRT scan lines, paper fiber, ink smudge]

+ [LIGHTING: high-contrast chiaroscuro, dramatic spot, neon edge highlights]

+ [MOOD: intellectual, gritty, underground, calm/attentive]

+ [TYPOGRAPHY: heavy distressed display, Inter/IBM Plex Sans labels, JetBrains Mono code]

```

---

## Post-Processing

Raw AI-generated images are too clean for the Nous aesthetic. **Post-processing is mandatory** after every generation. The `scripts/postprocess.py` script applies analog-print degradation effects locally using Pillow + numpy — no API calls needed.

### Quick Start

```bash

python3 scripts/postprocess.py input.png output.png --mode imprint --intensity 0.7

```

### Modes

| Mode | Effects | When |

|------|---------|------|

| `imprint` | All 14 effects: warm grade, CRT scanlines, film grain, Bayer dither, vignette, chromatic aberration, screen print texture, paper fiber, ink bleed, palette compression, xerox threshold, registration offset, plate wobble, print scuffs | **Default for v9/v10/v11 targets** — maximum analog print character |

| `nous` | Base 9 effects (warm grade → ink bleed) — no xerox/registration/wobble/scuffs | Legacy luminous PNW/celestial requests |

| `standard` | Base 6 effects (warm grade → chromatic aberration) only | When you want just a light texture touch |

### Intensity Calibration

| Intensity | Best for |

|-----------|----------|

| `0.45–0.55` | Fine manga linework, Future Halftone, Portal Minimal — keep detail visible |

| `0.55–0.65` | Blueprint Scene, general use — avoid crushing midtones |

| `0.65–0.8` | Xerox Poster, Acid Signal, heavy print effect — when the raw output is too clean |

| `0.8+` | Aggressive degradation — typography may become hard to read |

### Integration

Run post-processing as the final step after any generation method (text-only, img2img, multi-pass, or any provider):

```bash

# After any generation method:

python3 scripts/postprocess.py output-raw.png output-final.png --mode imprint --intensity 0.7

# For legacy luminous targets:

python3 scripts/postprocess.py output-raw.png output-final.png --mode nous --intensity 0.5

```

**The raw generated image is never the final deliverable.**

---

## API Workflow Notes

| API | Approach |

|-----|----------|

| **DALL-E 3** | Text-only. Use Method 1–3 prompts with hex values. |

| **OpenAI Variations / Edit** | Upload `assets/*.png` as image input. Prompt describes differences. |

| **Midjourney** | `--sref <asset-url>` with `--iw 1.5–2.0`. Include palette hex values in prompt. |

| **ComfyUI** | IPAdapter or Reference-Only ControlNet from assets. Denoise 0.6–0.7. Post-process with grain overlay. |

| **Replicate / SD img2img** | Upload reference. Prompt strength 0.7–0.8. CFG 7. |

---

## What Is NOT On-Brand

Avoid these common anti-patterns:

| Anti-Pattern | Why It's Wrong |

|-------------|----------------|

| **Sad/melancholic expression** | Model defaults to sad for manga characters unless explicitly told "not sad, not crying" |

| **Dark/black headphones** | Nous Girl wears **white** over-ear headphones in all canonical poses |

| **Facial markings (teardrop, tattoos, scars)** | The character has clean, clear skin — no markings whatsoever |

| **Wrong ethnicity (Asian instead of French)** | Model defaults to Asian features for anime style; explicitly state "French Caucasian" |

| **Busy/cluttered compositions** | The brand is restrained — dark background, 1-2 accent colors, 2-3 text elements max |

| **Smooth digital illustration** | The brand is **never** clean — every image needs grain, noise, or analog texture |

| **Cartoon/anime with glossy rendering** | The manga style is stark black ink on white paper — no soft shading, no gradients |

| **Corporate/sterile tech aesthetic** | The finish should feel like an underground research lab, not a SaaS landing page |

| **Over-detailed backgrounds** | Let the subject breathe. Negative space is a feature. |

For a complete list of known failure modes and mitigations, see [`references/pitfalls.md`](references/pitfalls.md).

---

## Brand Compliance Checklist

- [ ] Background is near-black (#00000E) or very dark

- [ ] Electric blue (#3847FF) is used as primary accent

- [ ] At least one grunge texture visibly applied (grain, noise, scan lines, paper, ink)

- [ ] High contrast — dramatic light/dark difference

- [ ] Palette is restricted to the specified colors

- [ ] If mascot appears: white headphones, manga style, neutral attentive expression, three-quarter profile

- [ ] If text appears: heavy distressed display for titles, clean sans for labels, monospace for code

- [ ] No flat/clean/corporate polish — finish is raw and tactile

- [ ] Overall impression: intellectual, gritty, underground research lab