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Character-led · Editorial
Xiaohei Editorial
A character-led article illustration system adapted from Ian's open-source Xiaohei workflow. It turns a judgment, process, state, or metaphor into one sparse hand-drawn scene in which Xiaohei performs the idea instead of merely decorating it.
Core palette
Character-ledVisual traits
- Minimal linework
- Recurring character
- Visual metaphors
- High whitespace
Output defaults
- 16:9 article canvas
- One concept per image
- Editable visual briefs
Creative direction
Draw the cognitive action, not the topic.
Xiaohei works because the character is a functional part of the argument. The Skill finds one cognitive anchor, invents a slightly absurd low-tech physical metaphor, and gives Xiaohei the action that makes the relationship understandable. White space and restrained annotation keep the result closer to editorial explanation than cartoon storytelling.
Read the illustration style guideComposition grammar
Workflow
Inputs on the left, Xiaohei or an odd machine in the middle, output on the right, with restrained orange movement.
Every image must
- one core action
- large quiet area
- clear structure without naming the structure type
- fresh metaphor
Never drift into
- commercial illustration
- PPT infographic
- formal flowchart
- course slide
Palette behavior
Black: main line art, character, structure, primary labels Red: warnings, problems, emotional point, result Orange: primary flow, path, arrows, movement Blue: secondary note, system state, AI feedback
Example set
One character, three different cognitive jobs.
The character remains recognizable while the object, action, and spatial problem are reinvented for each passage. Repeating an old composition would miss the point of the Skill.
Character-ledTurn a claim into a task
Give Xiaohei a concrete job that embodies the article's opening claim, so the reader sees the premise before reading an explanation.
Character-ledMake the process physically awkward
Convert friction, sorting, compounding, or handoff into a strange but legible mechanism that Xiaohei must operate.
Character-ledEnd on a changed state
Show what becomes possible after the system moves, using one resolved gesture rather than a decorative conclusion.
How it reads an article
It treats every argument like a small machine.
A passage about trust may become a bridge built one proof at a time; a passage about overload may become a well that keeps swallowing information. The subject changes, but the method remains stable: isolate one mental operation, make it physical, and let the recurring black figure test, carry, sort, connect, or resist it.
Best fit
Use it for knowledge writing, AI workflows, creator essays, methods, and opinion pieces whose strongest ideas can be expressed through actions or physical relationships.
Use another Skill when
Avoid it for photorealistic stories, premium brand campaigns, dense data visualization, strict diagrams, or content that depends on long labels and exact typography.
Why is Xiaohei effective for knowledge and methodology articles?
Its recurring character gives a multi-image set continuity, while each scene is rebuilt around a different cognitive action. The combination of a stable protagonist, one physical metaphor, sparse annotation, and generous white space makes abstract writing easier to enter without flattening it into a slide or generic cartoon.
Under the surface
More than a prompt.
Each Zyncli template carries a complete set of reusable creative decisions.
- 01
Article planning
Rules for choosing the passages that benefit most from an illustration.
- 02
Visual DNA
Composition, palette, subjects, line, texture, typography, and negative rules.
- 03
Prompt compiler
A structured translation from each visual brief into a model-ready instruction.
- 04
Quality checks
A template-specific rubric applied before the illustration reaches your gallery.
Continue exploring
Other visual languages.
Ready to use Xiaohei Editorial?