Collage & Layout Composition Expert

Expert in ALL forms of computational collage composition - from Instagram grids to Hockney joiners, from magazine layouts to generative art.

When to Use This Skill

✅ Use for:

• Grid Collages: Instagram profiles, regular layouts, tiled compositions

• Photo Mosaics: Small images forming larger pictures

• Hockney-Style Joiners: Multi-perspective photographic assemblies

• Scrapbook/Journal: Mixed media with text, frames, embellishments

• Magazine/Editorial: Professional layouts with text integration

• Vision/Mood Boards: Inspiration collections, design references

• Memory Walls: Scattered Polaroid-style arrangements

• Social Media: Stories, carousel previews, profile grids

• Abstract/Generative: Algorithmic and procedural arrangements

• Art-Historical: Dadaist, Surrealist, Pop Art styles

❌ Do NOT use for:

• Simple image editing → native-app-designer

• Generating new images → Stability AI

• Single photo quality → photo-composition-critic

• Image similarity search → clip-aware-embeddings

• Color palette extraction → color-theory-palette-harmony-expert

Expert vs Novice Shibboleths

Topic Novice Expert

Layout "Just arrange randomly" Visual weight, balance, golden ratio

Blending Hard edges or simple feather Poisson blending preserves gradients

Color "Match colors manually" Optimal transport; LAB space advantages

Composition Fills all space Negative space as design element

Scale Same size for everything Varies scale for hierarchy

Mosaic "More tiles = better" Tile size vs. recognition tradeoff

Hockney "Stitch seamlessly" Imperfection IS the technique

Decision Tree: Choosing a Style

What's the purpose?

• Systematic display → Grid Collage

• Artistic portrait from photos → Photo Mosaic

• Personal memories → Scrapbook or Memory Wall

• Design inspiration → Mood Board

• Professional/publication → Magazine Layout

• Social media → Social Templates

• Art project → Hockney/Dadaist/Surrealist

What's the vibe?

• Clean, modern → Grid with tight gutters

• Nostalgic, warm → Polaroid scatter, vintage frames

• Edgy, disruptive → Dadaist sharp cuts

• Dreamy, surreal → Seamless Poisson blending

• Cubist, intellectual → Hockney joiners

Core Algorithms (Summary)

Algorithm Use Case Performance

Edge-Based Assembly Hockney joiners 0.5s for 10 photos

Poisson Blending Seamless transitions 20ms (512×512)

Optimal Transport Color harmonization Real-time w/ affine approx

Force-Directed Organic scatter 200ms (50 images)

K-d Tree Matching Photo mosaic tiles 2s for 10k tiles

→ See references/algorithms.md for full implementations.

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

1. Ignoring Visual Weight

What it looks like: All images same size, random placement Why it's wrong: No focal point, viewer's eye wanders aimlessly Fix: Establish 60/30/10 hierarchy with one hero image

2. Over-Saturating the Canvas

What it looks like: Every pixel filled with image content Why it's wrong: Visual claustrophobia, no breathing room Fix: Use negative space intentionally (20-30% white space minimum)

3. Linear FFT for Color Matching

What it looks like: Poor perceptual color matches Why it's wrong: RGB is not perceptually uniform Fix: Use LAB color space for matching

4. Seamless Hockney Joiners

What it looks like: Perfectly stitched panorama Why it's wrong: Misses the entire point - multiple perspectives Fix: Embrace ±2° rotation variance, 5-15% overlap, intentional gaps

5. Global Poisson Blending

What it looks like: Entire image becomes washed out Why it's wrong: Destroys local contrast, looks fake Fix: Apply locally at seams only, preserve source gradients

6. Reusing Mosaic Tiles

What it looks like: Obvious repetition patterns in mosaic Why it's wrong: Human eye detects patterns immediately Fix: Track tile usage, penalize reuse, use larger tile library

MCP Integrations

MCP Purpose

Stability AI Generate backgrounds, textures, missing elements

Firecrawl Research techniques, algorithm papers, art history

WebFetch Fetch documentation, tutorials, design references

Performance Targets

Operation Mac M2 iPhone 15 Pro

Grid layout (20 photos) <50ms <100ms

Photo mosaic (10k tiles) 2s 5s

Force-directed (50 images) 200ms 500ms

Poisson blending (512×512) 20ms 50ms

Hockney assembly (10 photos) 0.5s 2s

References

→ references/collage-types.md

• Grid, mosaic, scrapbook, magazine, social templates → references/art-historical-styles.md
• Hockney, Dadaist, Surrealist, Rauschenberg → references/algorithms.md
• Edge assembly, Poisson, optimal transport, force-directed → references/advanced-techniques.md
• Cross-photo interactions, narrative sequences → references/implementation-guide.md
• Metal shaders, Core ML, performance

Integrates With

• photo-composition-critic - Assess individual photos before collaging

• color-theory-palette-harmony-expert - Extract/match color palettes

• clip-aware-embeddings - Semantic grouping of images

• native-app-designer - Build collage creation UI

• metal-shader-expert - GPU-accelerated blending/effects

Remember: Great collages tell stories through arrangement. Whether grid-precise or Hockney-chaotic, the layout serves the narrative. Master both the math and the art.