---
name: mrpave-graphic-design
description: Create brand-consistent graphic design assets for Mr. Pave — social posts, flyers, presentations, infographics, illustrations, icons, email headers, print collateral, and any visual marketing piece. Applies the full Mr. Pave graphic design system: Candlelight yellow #FFDE17, Asphalt black #000000, Salt white #FFFFFF plus a defined gray scale; flat design style; line iconography; yellow highlight technique; brand illustrations. Use this skill ANY TIME the user asks for a graphic, visual, poster, social post, icon, illustration, infographic, flyer, banner, or any designed asset for Mr. Pave — even if they just say "make something visual" or "design this." Also trigger when the user uploads brand reference images and asks to apply them, or references the Mr. Pave color palette, icon style, or illustration style.
---

# Mr. Pave Graphic Design Skill

A complete graphic design system for Mr. Pave visual assets — social, print, digital, and presentation.
Built on the official Mr. Pave brand palette, flat design principles, line iconography, and yellow-highlight typography.

---

## When to use this skill

- Social media graphics (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn — feed, story, cover)
- Flyers, one-pagers, brochures, print collateral
- Presentation slides and deck assets
- Infographics and data visualizations
- Icons and UI iconography
- Illustrations and spot graphics
- Email headers and banners
- Any asset where the question is "does this look like Mr. Pave?"

For web pages and HTML layouts, also apply this skill alongside `mrpave-design`.
For internal app screens (dark UI), use `mrpave-design-app` instead.

---

## Workflow

1. **Identify the asset type and format.** Social post (size?), print (dimensions?), icon set, illustration, or data graphic?
2. **Confirm background context.** Dark (Asphalt) background, light (Salt/white), or yellow (Candlelight)?
3. **Apply the full brand system** from this file — palette, typography, flat style rules, icon rules, illustration rules.
4. **Build the asset.** SVG for icons and illustrations (scalable, editable). HTML/CSS for web graphics and interactive pieces. PNG/JPG only when raster is explicitly needed.
5. **Apply the yellow highlight technique** on key words when the design calls for emphasis (see Typography section).
6. **QA against the checklist** before handing off.

---

## Brand color palette

### Primary colors (dominant — use most)

| Name | Hex | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| **Candlelight** | `#FFDE17` | Brand yellow — buttons, highlights, accents, key icon fills, CTA |
| **Asphalt** | `#000000` | Headlines, dark backgrounds, icon strokes, strong contrast |
| **Salt** | `#FFFFFF` | White space, light backgrounds, text on dark |

> Black, white, and yellow are the three main colors. Every design should feel rooted in this trio before reaching for grays or secondary colors.

### Secondary colors (supporting — use sparingly)

| Name | Hex | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| **Gray** | `#808285` | Supporting text, secondary icons, captions |
| **Silver** | `#BCBEC0` | Dividers, disabled states, background tints |
| **Off** | `#D1D3D4` | Lightest gray — subtle backgrounds, table rows, card fills |

### Gradient rule

Gradients are **permitted** as long as they stay within the brand palette:
- Yellow → Off-white tint (`#FFDE17` → `#FFF8CC`)
- Asphalt → Dark gray (`#000000` → `#333333`)
- Gray scale gradients (`#808285` → `#D1D3D4`)
- **Never** use out-of-palette colors (blues, purples, greens) in gradients
- Gradients should feel like light or material, not decorative chrome

### Color rules that never break

- NEVER put white text on Candlelight yellow — contrast fails WCAG. Always use Asphalt (`#000000`) text on yellow.
- NEVER put yellow text on white — low contrast. Use black text with yellow highlight instead (see Typography).
- Yellow highlight under black font is the correct way to emphasize on light backgrounds.
- On dark (Asphalt) backgrounds: white text for body, yellow for accents and key words.

---

## Typography

### Font family

- **Primary:** `Open Sans` (Google Fonts) — all weights 400–800
- **Load:** `https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;500;600;700;800&display=swap`
- **Fallback stack:** `"Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif`

### Header sizing and spacing

Headers use tight line-height to create a bold, compact typographic block — words feel close together, not airy.

| Element | Size | Weight | Line-height | Letter-spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display / Hero H1 | clamp(40px, 6vw, 72px) | 800 | **1.0** | -0.03em |
| Section H2 | clamp(28px, 4vw, 48px) | 800 | **1.05** | -0.02em |
| Card H3 | 22–28px | 700 | **1.08** | -0.01em |
| Body | 16px | 400 | 1.6 | 0 |
| Caption / label | 12–13px | 600 | 1.4 | 0.04em uppercase |
| Eyebrow | 11–12px | 700 | 1.2 | 0.06em uppercase |

> **Header line-height rule:** Keep headers at line-height 1.0–1.1. Lines should sit close — almost touching. This is the Mr. Pave typographic signature. Do not use 1.2+ on display text.

### Yellow highlight technique

Used to emphasize key words in headlines. Two valid applications:

**On dark (Asphalt) background:**
```
White headline text, key word(s) wrapped in a solid Candlelight (#FFDE17) rectangle.
The highlighted word renders in black (#000000) text inside the yellow box.
```

**On light (Salt/white) background:**
```
Black headline text, key word(s) wrapped in a solid Candlelight (#FFDE17) rectangle.
The highlighted word renders in black (#000000) text inside the yellow box.
```

**CSS implementation:**
```css
.highlight {
  background: #FFDE17;
  color: #000000;
  padding: 0 6px 2px;
  display: inline;
  line-height: inherit;
  font-weight: inherit;
}
```

**Rules:**
- Only yellow background with black text — never reversed
- Use on 1–2 words maximum per headline; overuse kills the effect
- The highlight box should hug the text tightly (small horizontal padding only)
- Works best on action words: "redefine", "restore", "trusted", "faster"
- Never highlight entire sentences — single strong words only

---

## Flat design rules

All Mr. Pave graphics use **flat design**. This means:

### What flat design means here

- **No drop shadows** on graphic elements (shadows are permitted only in UI/web contexts for depth, not in print/social graphics)
- **No 3D effects or bevels** on shapes
- **Solid fills or brand-palette gradients only** — no textures, no noise, no photo overlays blended into shapes
- **Geometric, clean shapes** — rectangles, circles, simple paths
- **Bold, high-contrast** color blocking — large areas of Asphalt, Salt, or Candlelight

### What IS permitted in flat design

- Solid color fills from the brand palette
- Brand-palette gradients (see gradient rule above)
- Overlapping flat shapes to create depth through layering
- Duotone photo treatment: photo converted to 2-color using Asphalt + Candlelight (no other colors)
- Simple geometric patterns built from brand shapes

### Data visualization style (flat)

Charts and infographics follow the flat style:
- Bar charts: solid fills in Candlelight, Asphalt, Gray, Silver — no 3D bars
- Donut/pie charts: Candlelight as primary segment, Asphalt as secondary, gray scale for others
- Area charts: flat filled areas in gray scale + yellow accent line
- Tables: alternating row fills in Off (`#D1D3D4`) and Salt (`#FFFFFF`); header rows in Asphalt with white text OR Candlelight with black text
- Always label data directly — avoid small legends when possible

---

## Iconography

All icons in Mr. Pave materials use **line/outline design style**.

### Icon style rules

- **Stroke only** — no solid fills on the icon body (exception: small accent dots or circles can be filled in Candlelight or Asphalt)
- **Stroke weight:** 1.5–2px at display size; scale stroke proportionally
- **Corner style:** slightly rounded ends (`stroke-linecap: round`, `stroke-linejoin: round`)
- **Color:** icons render in Candlelight yellow on dark backgrounds; in Asphalt black on light backgrounds; in Gray for secondary/inactive states
- **Grid:** design icons on a 24×24px or 32×32px grid for consistency
- **No gradients inside icons** — line icons are always single-color strokes

### Icon accent elements (permitted)

Small filled shapes can accent a line icon:
- A filled Candlelight circle as a "dot" endpoint on a connector line
- A filled Asphalt circle behind a yellow line icon for contrast
- A small solid yellow shape (triangle, circle) combined with an outline form

### Icon categories for Mr. Pave

Common icons used across Mr. Pave materials:
- **Services:** road/pavement, pothole, roller, asphalt patch, concrete block, stripe/line, house (residential)
- **Operations:** location pin, clock/timer, crew/person, clipboard, calendar, truck, hard hat
- **Communication:** phone, email, chat bubble, check mark
- **Data:** bar chart, trend line, pie/donut, table grid
- **Brand accents:** lightning bolt (speed/urgency), circuit/connectivity (Patch Finder tech), plus/cross (add/repair)

---

## Illustrations

All illustrations follow the **flat design + brand color** system.

### Illustration style rules

- **Flat, 2D figures** — no shading, no gradients on human figures (exception: very subtle brand-palette gradient on background shapes)
- **Brand colors only:** Candlelight yellow, Asphalt black, Salt white, with Gray and Silver as supporting fills
- **Line weight for outlines:** consistent 1.5–2px black stroke on figure outlines
- **Clothing and accents** on human figures: yellow (#FFDE17) as the primary accent color (hard hats, vests, shirts, shoes)
- **Backgrounds:** flat geometric shapes in Asphalt or gray tones — never photographic
- **Style:** clean, slightly rounded, modern flat illustration (not cartoon, not realistic)

### Illustration subject matter

Appropriate subjects for Mr. Pave:
- Crew workers in yellow hard hats and vests on job sites
- Office/operations workers at desks or with tablets (scheduling, coordination)
- Construction equipment: rollers, trucks, pavers (flat geometric style)
- Calendar and scheduling scenes
- Before/after asphalt repair (abstract flat graphic, not photo)
- City/road infrastructure as simple geometric shapes

### What to avoid in illustrations

- Photorealistic rendering
- Colors outside the brand palette (blues, purples, greens, reds)
- Complex shading or lighting effects
- Cartoonish proportions (keep figures professional, not playful)

---

## Voice & tone (same as mrpave-design)

- **Direct, plain-spoken.** No hype words. Lead with the answer.
- **Customer-centric.** "Your project," "your timeline" — not "our team" first.
- **Quietly confident.** Let work and credentials speak — don't oversell.
- **Tagline:** *Your Project, Our Faithful Commitment.* Use in closers and footers.

---

## Company facts (use verbatim)

```
Brand name:       Mr. Pave
Tagline:          Your Project, Our Faithful Commitment.
Phone:            (833) 384-7080
Email:            info@mrpave.com
Headquarters:     3127 Carroll Ave., Lynchburg, VA 24501
Locations:        Lynchburg VA · Northern VA (Reston) · Virginia Beach VA
Awards:           2025 Top Contractor Award
Certifications:   Certified minority-owned business
Warranty:         Standard 1-year workmanship warranty
Tracking:         Patch Finder Tracking System
Domain:           https://www.mrpave.com
Logo (white):     https://www.mrpave.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mr-pave-logo-white-small.png
Favicon:          https://www.mrpave.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/mr-pave-favicon.png
```

---

## Service taxonomy

Commercial:
- Restoration & Patch Work — https://www.mrpave.com/asphalt-restoration-patch-work/
- Utility & Construction Road Repair — https://www.mrpave.com/utility-construction-road-repair/
- Parking Lot Maintenance — https://www.mrpave.com/parking-lot-maintenance/
- Road Repair & Maintenance — https://www.mrpave.com/road-repair-maintenance/
- Line Striping & Sealcoating — https://www.mrpave.com/line-striping-sealcoating/
- Concrete Repair & Maintenance — https://www.mrpave.com/concrete-repair-maintenance/
- Right-of-Way Clearing — https://www.mrpave.com/right-of-way-clearing-services/

Residential:
- Asphalt Driveways — https://www.mrpave.com/asphalt-driveways/
- Concrete Drives, Walks & Patios — https://www.mrpave.com/concrete-drives-walks-and-patios/
- Driveway Repair — https://www.mrpave.com/driveway-repair/

---

## CTAs

| Goal | Label | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Lead gen | **Get a Free Assessment →** | `https://www.mrpave.com/contact/#estimate` |
| Phone-first | **Call (833) 384-7080** | `tel:8333847080` |
| Services | **Learn About Our Services** | `https://www.mrpave.com/services/` |
| Commercial | **Talk to a Project Manager** | `https://www.mrpave.com/contact/` |

**Button rule:** Yellow background, black (`#000000`) text, weight 700. Never white text on yellow.

---

## Social / graphic output sizes

| Format | Size |
|---|---|
| Instagram feed | 1080×1080px |
| Instagram story / Reels | 1080×1920px |
| Facebook/LinkedIn share | 1200×630px |
| Banner ad wide | 1456×180px |
| Banner ad square | 400×400px |
| Email header | 600×200px |
| Presentation slide | 1920×1080px (16:9) |

Output preference: **SVG** for icons, illustrations, and web graphics. **HTML** for interactive or animated pieces.

---

## Quality checklist

Before delivering any graphic asset:

- [ ] Color palette is strictly Candlelight #FFDE17 / Asphalt #000000 / Salt #FFFFFF + gray scale
- [ ] No out-of-palette colors used (no blues, purples, reds unless functional — e.g. error states in UI)
- [ ] Gradients (if used) stay within brand palette tones only
- [ ] **Headers** use line-height 1.0–1.1 — lines sit close, not airy
- [ ] **Flat design only** — no drop shadows, no 3D effects, no textures on graphic elements
- [ ] **Icons** are line/outline style — stroke only, no solid fills on icon body
- [ ] **Illustrations** use brand colors only, flat figures, yellow accents on crew
- [ ] **Yellow highlight** (if used) — yellow box, black text only; 1–2 words max
- [ ] Text on yellow: always black. Text on Asphalt: white or yellow accents only
- [ ] Tagline appears at least once in marketing pieces (footer or closer)
- [ ] Company facts match verbatim (phone, email, address)
- [ ] Output format is SVG or HTML (not raster) unless user requested image file