v1.1.0 to v1.1.0

---

name: nous-branding

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

compatibility: Compatible with any agent capable of image generation or brand analysis.

Reference-image workflows (img2img, style transfer, variations) require an API endpoint

supporting image inputs — use the assets/ images as input.

metadata:

tags: nous-research, theia, hermes, brand, illustration, mascot, image-generation,

style-guide, cyber-classical

sources: https://nousresearch.com, {"Reference image"=>"assets/palette-typography-reference.png"},

{"Reference image"=>"assets/nous-girl-official.webp (official mascot, 2669×2709)"},

{"Reference image"=>"assets/nous-girl-style-reference.png"}, {"Reference image"=>"assets/brand-collage-reference.png"},

https://nousresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/NOUS-BRAND-BOOKLET-firstedition_1.pdf

version: 1.1.0

---

# Nous Branding

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

## When not to use

- **Non-Nous design work** — this skill encodes one specific brand system; do

not apply its palette, textures, mascot, or compliance rules to unrelated

brands or generic design requests.

- **Official brand representation** — the Nous Girl mascot is not a substitute

for the logo; use the Nous Research wordmark/symbol for official brand use.

## 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

---

## Loading Guide

Load references on demand — do not load everything at once.

| File | Load when |

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

| [references/style-lanes.md](references/style-lanes.md) | Choosing a style lane or writing a lane-specific prompt — full lane grammar, prompt cues, example prompts, and the asset-to-lane Reference Catalog |

| [references/visual-system.md](references/visual-system.md) | Constructing or reviewing an image against the visual system — hero + extended palettes, Nous Girl spec and pose variants, typography, texture system, art style |

| [references/post-processing.md](references/post-processing.md) | Delivering any generated image — mandatory post-process modes (`imprint`/`nous`/`standard`) and intensity calibration for `scripts/postprocess.py` |

| [`references/pitfalls.md`](references/pitfalls.md) | Output doesn't match expectations — known failure modes and mitigations |

---

## 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 raw generated image is never the final deliverable.

```bash

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

```

Run it as the final step after any generation method (text-only, img2img, multi-pass, or any provider). For mode selection (`imprint` / `nous` / `standard`) and intensity calibration per output type, load [references/post-processing.md](references/post-processing.md).

---

## 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

Full color tables, the complete Nous Girl mascot specification with pose variants, typography roles, texture definitions, and art-style attributes live in [references/visual-system.md](references/visual-system.md); lane-specific prompt construction lives in [references/style-lanes.md](references/style-lanes.md).

## Available Scripts

| Script | Purpose | Invocation |

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

| `scripts/generate-with-ref.py` | Reference-image-driven generation: reads the active image provider from `~/.hermes/config.yaml`, uploads the reference via the provider's image-input endpoint (square-cropped), and saves the result as JSON with output path. Run it for any Method 4 generation where brand fidelity matters — it preserves the manga style that text-only prompts lose. Use `--dry-run` first to preview provider and parameters. | `python3 scripts/generate-with-ref.py --prompt "..." --reference assets/nous-girl-official-badge.png --aspect landscape --quality medium` |

| `scripts/postprocess.py` | Mandatory analog post-processing: applies grain/noise/scan-line modes (`standard`, `risograph`, `nous`, `imprint`) at a calibrated intensity. Run it as the final step on every generated image — raw AI output is never the deliverable. Load `references/post-processing.md` to pick mode and intensity. | `python3 scripts/postprocess.py input.png output.png --mode imprint --intensity 0.7` |

## Prerequisites

- Python 3 for both scripts; `postprocess.py` additionally needs an imaging backend (Pillow) available.

- For `generate-with-ref.py`: a configured Hermes image-generation provider in `~/.hermes/config.yaml` (or an explicit `--provider`) whose API accepts image inputs — text-only endpoints cannot do reference-driven generation.

- The bundled reference images in `assets/`, which serve as img2img anchors; pass one via `--reference`.

- An agent or client capable of image generation when working outside the scripts (per `compatibility`).

## Limitations

- This skill encodes one specific brand system — the palette, mascot rules, textures, and compliance checklist here are not general design guidance and must not be applied to other brands (see When not to use).

- The Nous Girl is not a logo substitute; official brand representation requires the wordmark/symbol, not generated mascot art.

- Generated imagery approximates the style even with references: always run the Brand Compliance Checklist before delivering, and consult `references/pitfalls.md` when output drifts (sad expressions, dark headphones, glossy rendering).

- Model/provider behavior changes over time — flag-specific details like endpoint names may drift from what the scripts assume; verify against your configured provider.