08.09

Simplifieds

What it is

A Simplified is real product UI with the noise removed. The design system is real. The components are real. The content is minimal or representative so the viewer reads the structure, not the data. A Simplified answers one question: what does this do?

Simplifieds exist in three forms. Static: a cropped, editorially adjusted view, scaled for legibility at marketing size. Interactive: a working mini demo with limited scope, letting the viewer experience the product before they are inside it. GIF or video: an interactive Simplified exported along a fixed demo path, for contexts where interactivity is not possible (email, social, certain embeds). All three tell a story. Static tells a compressed one; interactive and GIF let it breathe.

A product area typically requires several Simplifieds to cover its surface adequately. Each Simplified covers one specific job within that area. Hub might need one Simplified to show how a project is organized, another to show how client communication works, and another to show how Vai tracks and coordinates. They are not interchangeable.

Simplifieds at Visualist

Visualist is organized around three pillars (Relationships, Projects, Growth) with three layers running across all of them (Studio, Vai, taste memory). Each product area within these pillars has a job. Simplifieds make those jobs immediately visible.

Product areas and their Simplified stories
Hub
The project management space and client portal in one. Simplifieds here show how a project is organized, how client communication lives alongside the work, how Vai tracks status and surfaces what needs attention.
Studio
The creative editor. Simplifieds here show how a moodboard is assembled, how a lookbook is structured, how Magic features (Render, Fixer, Generation) extend what the professional can produce.
Concierge
The client-facing communication assistant. Simplifieds here show the intake flow, how client feedback is gathered, how the professional's brief is refined without direct back-and-forth.
CRM
The relationship and pipeline layer. Simplifieds here show how leads move through stages, how client history is held, how the full relationship arc is visible in one place.
Messages
Email in context. Simplifieds here show client threads alongside project context, how Vai holds the history of a client conversation so nothing is lost.
Vai
The intelligence layer. Vai appears inside other product area Simplifieds rather than as a standalone Simplified. It surfaces as the Vai pill, inline suggestions, and action proposals within Hub, CRM, and Messages views.
Character
Real UI only. No manufactured components. No invented UI states. Every element in a Simplified must exist in the actual product. If the product has not been built yet, the Simplified waits or is built in code using the real design system at placeholder fidelity.
Background. Cotton (#FBFBFA) or Parchment (#F3F1EE). Simplifieds do not appear on photo backgrounds. The product surface must read cleanly against the ground.
Cropped with intention. The frame shows enough to answer "what does this do" and no more. Navigation chrome, unrelated panels, and idle UI elements are cropped out. The viewer's eye goes directly to the job the Simplified is showing.
Vai appears through the actual UI. The Vai pill, inline suggestions, action proposals, and the Concierge interface are how Vai is shown in a Simplified. No editorial markers, no Wolfe dots added outside the product. If the UI doesn't show Vai, the Simplified doesn't either.
Scale for legibility. The crop and scale are adjusted so the viewer can read the structure without zooming in. Type must be legible. Component labels must be readable. If the content is too dense at the intended display size, reduce the scope rather than reduce the size.
Interactive form. Interactive Simplifieds use the real product components and behaviors. Interactions are limited to the scope of the story being told. No full product walkthroughs. One job, demonstrated.
GIF and video export. An interactive Simplified can be exported as a GIF or video along a fixed demo path. Used where interactivity is not possible: email, social distribution, trade show screens. The same content rules apply. The same one-job rule applies. The export follows the interaction exactly as scoped — no additional editing or post-production.
Content rules
No real client data. All names, project titles, communication threads, and financial figures are fictional. Content must be representative — realistic enough to read as real work — but not drawn from any actual client relationship.
Minimal content, not empty content. Placeholder-level content (a single project, one client thread, three lead cards) is correct. Empty states are not: they make the product look unused and fail to show what the job is. One well-chosen example is the right density.
Professional Reasoning only. Vai's intelligence shown in Simplifieds must reflect what is live: how the professional works, their decision patterns, workflow, coordination. Do not show aesthetic taste memory, visual preference profiles, or any Aesthetic Reasoning capability until it ships.
Realistic names and content. Project names, client names, and communication content should feel like real boutique creative work. Not "Project A" or "Client 1." Something like "Kensington Residence," "Spring Collection," or "Harrington Wedding."
Status and data should be plausible. Pipeline stages, task counts, and timeline dates should reflect realistic work volumes for a boutique studio. Not 847 leads. Not 0 tasks. One active project with four tasks in progress reads correctly.
Where it appears
Surface
Notes
Marketing site
Hero and feature sections where a specific product area needs to be communicated. Static or interactive. One Simplified per section. The job being shown must match the surrounding copy.
Social
Posts where the content is about what the product does rather than what the brand feels like. Static only. One product area per post.
Campaign
Campaign assets where a specific product capability is the subject. The Simplified is the evidence. The copy is the claim.
Onboarding
Feature introduction and orientation moments inside the product. Shows new users what a section does before they engage with it. Static only.
Interactive (marketing site)
Confirmed context for interactive Simplifieds. Other contexts to be determined.
Never
Alongside a Translation or Recording in the same frame. In help documentation or support contexts (use Recordings instead). With real client data or real professional data. As a substitute for a Translation in editorial or campaign contexts where a spark is needed rather than comprehension.
Do / Don't
Do
  • Show one specific job per Simplified
  • Use real product components and real UI states
  • Use minimal, representative, fictional content
  • Crop to what answers "what does this do" and nothing more
  • Show Vai through the actual product UI only
  • Organize the library by product area with descriptive filenames
  • Scale for legibility at the intended display size
Don't
  • Use real client names, project data, or financial figures
  • Show Aesthetic Reasoning or visual taste memory — not yet live
  • Show the full product interface with all navigation visible
  • Use empty states — one representative example is the correct density
  • Mix product areas in a single Simplified
  • Use in help documentation or support contexts
  • Use a Simplified where a Translation would create a stronger spark
Right / Wrong

Run every Simplified through these tests before submitting for approval. All must pass.

The one-job test

Can you state what this Simplified shows in a single sentence? "This shows how a project is organized in Hub." "This shows how Concierge handles client intake." If the sentence requires "and," the scope is too wide. Split it into two Simplifieds.

The glance test

Does the viewer understand what this product area does in under three seconds, without reading the content? If they need to read the text inside the UI to understand the job, the crop or density is wrong. The structure must communicate before the content does.

The real UI test

Does every component in this Simplified exist in the actual product? If any element has been invented or approximated, it is not a Simplified. It is a Translation or a mockup. Fix it or recategorize it.

The content test

Is all content fictional? Is it representative — realistic enough to read as real boutique creative work — but not drawn from any actual client or project? No real names, no real data, no real financial figures. If real data is present, the Simplified cannot be used externally.

The Vai test

If Vai appears in this Simplified, is it shown through the actual product UI? No editorial markers added outside the product. No aesthetic taste memory or visual preference profiles shown. Only Professional Reasoning capabilities that are confirmed live.

The register test

Is this the right asset type for the context? If the goal is to create a spark or emotional response, use a Translation. If the goal is to show the product working step by step, use a Recording. A Simplified is for comprehension: the viewer should leave knowing what a product area does.

Generation brief

Simplifieds are built from real product UI. The source is always the product itself: a screenshot taken, cropped, and adjusted, or the live product embedded as an interactive component. The brief defines the product area, the specific job to show, and the content to use. The sequence matters: job, then crop, then content.

Brief structure
1. The product area
Which area of the product is this Simplified showing? Hub, Studio, Concierge, CRM, Messages, or another. Be specific: not "the product" — the product area.
2. The job
What specific job within that area is this showing? State it as a single sentence. "How a project is organized in Hub." "How Concierge handles client intake." If the sentence requires "and," the scope is too wide.
3. The form
Static, interactive, or GIF/video export. Static: a screenshot, cropped and adjusted. Interactive: the live product embedded with limited scope. GIF/video: an interactive Simplified exported along a fixed demo path for non-interactive contexts. Interactive and GIF/video forms require product team involvement to scope and implement correctly.
4. The content
What fictional content will populate the Simplified? Name the project, client, and any visible data points. Content should reflect boutique creative work at a realistic scale. One project, a small number of tasks or threads, plausible status and timeline data.
5. Fixed parameters
Background: Cotton (#FBFBFA) or Parchment (#F3F1EE). No real client data. No Aesthetic Reasoning capabilities. Vai through actual product UI only. All content fictional and representative.
Check the library before building. If an approved Simplified already covers the product area and job you need, use it. New Simplifieds are for genuine gaps.
All new Simplifieds require Founder review before entering the library. Do not use a Simplified in any external context until it has been reviewed and approved.
Filename convention. simplified-[sequence]-[slug], for example: simplified-001-hub-project-organization or simplified-002-concierge-client-intake
The library

All approved Simplifieds, organized by product area. Check here before building new work.

Each entry notes the product area, the job being shown, and the form (static or interactive).

No approved Simplifieds yet. Add entries as assets are reviewed and approved.