Mike Convex Thumbnail

When to Use

• Creating YouTube thumbnail options for a Convex or developer video.
• Reworking the Convex static hosting "NO DASHBOARDS" thumbnail.
• Making a thumbnail that must include Mike's recognizable head-and-shoulders portrait.
• Replacing an incorrect generated mark with the real Convex logo or symbol.

When Not to Use

• Generic thumbnail advice with no image generation requested.
• Non-Convex videos unless Mike explicitly wants the same personal thumbnail style.
• Deterministic compositing in code, unless Mike explicitly asks for a manual layout. The manual collage route looked bad for this style.

Core Workflow

1. Inspect the available local references before prompting the image model:
   • Run

     scripts/check-local-assets.ps1

     from this skill if the paths may have moved.
   • Use

     view_image

     on at least one Mike headshot and the Convex symbol before calling the image model.
2. If the user provided a script, Notion page, or video brief, extract the main hook first. Keep the thumbnail concept simple enough to read at feed size.
3. Use the image model for the thumbnail. Do not build the main image by manually pasting cutouts and cards together unless the user asks for that.
4. Keep text short. Prefer one strong phrase such as

   NO DASHBOARDS

   ,

   HOST ON CONVEX

   ,

   STATIC APP LIVE

   , or

   SKIP HOSTING

   .
5. Prompt for Mike as a large recognizable head-and-shoulders portrait, not a full-body figure.
6. Prompt the Convex logo as a brand reference. If a generated logo is wrong, explicitly say to replace any cube or hexagon mark with the official Convex swirl symbol.
7. Return 3 to 5 visually distinct options when brainstorming. If Mike points at one option, iterate that option instead of restarting the set.

Local Paths

G:\My Drive\Personal\Photos of Me\convex\Backgrounds Removed

C:\Users\mikec\Assets\Images\symbol-color (1).png

C:\Users\mikec\Assets\Images\logo-color.png

C:\Users\mikec\Assets\Images\wordmark-white.png

C:\Users\mikec\Assets\Images\symbol-white.png

C:\Users\mikec\AppData\Local\Temp\codex-clipboard-2e3ea2e2-5464-460f-86f3-f4c4bcd6f731.png

references/static-hosting-thumbnail.md

Preferred Mike References

WIN_20250626_10_41_38_Pro.png

WIN_20250626_10_39_35_Pro.png

WIN_20250701_07_35_49_Pro.png

WIN_20250701_07_36_01_Pro.png

WIN_20250701_07_34_53_Pro.png

Prompt Patterns

Bad

Make a thumbnail about Convex hosting with Mike and some dashboard stuff.

Good

Use case: ads-marketing
Asset type: YouTube thumbnail edit, 16:9 landscape
Primary request: Create a polished version of the provided thumbnail image.
Keep Mike on the left, big "NO DASHBOARDS" text, blurred generic dashboard
panels with red X marks in the middle, and a glowing live hosting card on the
right.
Input image roles: Use the provided thumbnail as composition/style reference.
Use the visible Mike photo as identity reference. Use the visible Convex
colored swirl symbol as the exact brand/logo reference.
Required change: Replace any cube or hexagon mark on the right-side card with
the official Convex colored swirl symbol. The card can say "convex.site" and
"Live".
Constraints: Head and shoulders only. Preserve Mike's recognizable face and
black Convex cap. Keep the text exactly "NO DASHBOARDS". No real third-party
logos. No watermark.
Avoid: fake logo, misspelled text, extra words, cluttered UI, distorted face,
extra fingers, cheap collage look.

Static Hosting Recipe

references/static-hosting-thumbnail.md

convex.site

Checklist

• Loaded or inspected a Mike headshot from the local photo folder.
• Loaded or inspected the real Convex symbol or wordmark.
• Used the image model for the main thumbnail draft.
• Kept the visible text short and exact.
• Preserved Mike's recognizable head-and-shoulders identity.
• Avoided real third-party hosting provider logos unless Mike explicitly asked for them.
• Replaced any generated cube/hexagon logo with the real Convex swirl.