# PayWise — Prompt Improvement Guide

A correction layer for the `PayWise_AI_Prompt_Guide.html` template library.  
Read **after** the Prompt Guide, **before** writing any slide prompts.  
These rules override the Prompt Guide's defaults wherever they conflict.

---

## 1. Slide Count Rules — Never Stretch a Simple Message

The Prompt Guide offers 4-slide templates, but not every message needs 4 slides.
**Pick the shortest format that communicates the message clearly.**

| Format | Slides | When to use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| **2-slide** | Hook + CTA | Simple announcement, single benefit, quick reminder | Island Finance launch, new feature badge |
| **3-slide** | Hook + Info + CTA | One key message with one supporting detail | Cash-Out explanation, one-app consolidation |
| **4-slide** | Hook + Info + Conversion + CTA | Multi-angle narrative, before/after transformation, or testimonial set | Payment Lines comparison, Real People series |

**Rule of thumb:** If you can explain the value in one sentence, use 2 slides. If you need a step-by-step, use 3. If you need to contrast a pain with a transformation, use 4.

**Previous mistake corrected:** The Island Finance announcement was stretched to 4 slides when 2 would do (Hook announcing the feature + CTA encouraging action). The CBTT trust messaging and step-by-step instructions bloated it unnecessarily.

---

## 2. CBTT Frequency Cap — Max 2 Mentions Per Month

"Licensed by the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago" carries trust weight but loses it with repetition.

| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Max per month** | 2 mentions across ALL carousels in a month |
| **Eligible slides** | Conversion slides and trust/authority Info slides only |
| **Never use on** | Hook slides, CTA slides, or slides where the message is about convenience/speed (not trust) |
| **Alternatives** | Use "Regulated & secure" or "Your money is ring-fenced and tracked" instead of the full CBTT line |

**How to track:** Before writing any month's carousels, decide which 2 slides will carry the CBTT badge. All other trust signals use the shorter alternatives.

---

## 3. Facial Expression Neutrality — No Exaggerated Faces

**Problem:** Prompts that say "surprised/happy expression" or "puzzled/questioning expression" cause AI models to generate exaggerated, unnatural faces.

**Rule:** Never direct a specific emotion in the prompt. Instead, describe what the person is **doing**, not what they're **feeling**.

| Instead of this | Write this |
|---|---|
| "She has a surprised/happy expression, looking down at the phone" | "She is looking at her phone, natural expression, morning light on her face" |
| "He has a puzzled expression, as if wondering..." | "He is looking at his phone, ordinary moment on a street in Trinidad" |
| "They are both smiling — the lost sale is now a won sale" | "They are completing a transaction at the counter, natural interaction" |

**Allowed exceptions:**
- Slide 1 → Slide 4 contrast in a 4-slide carousel (e.g., "she is relaxed, evening light" vs "she is finishing a task on her phone")
- Only use feeling words when the contrast between the first and last slide is the actual narrative device

---

## 4. Phone-First → Type-First — Make Typography the Hero

**Problem:** The Prompt Guide's Templates A, A2, B, and E all default to a phone mockup as the primary visual. This makes every slide look similar and the phone dominates the composition.

**Rule:** For every carousel, decide: is the phone necessary, or can bold typography carry the message?

**When phone IS the message:** Payment confirmation screens, QR code scanning, app UI demos. Phone stays as hero.

**When type IS the message:** Simple announcements (Island Finance launch), benefit summaries (one-app consolidation), comparison slides (payment line vs app), testimonials. Replace the phone with:

### Type-First Layout Patterns

**Pattern 1 — Stacked Hierarchy**
```
Background: Brand gradient (blue or green)
Layout: Clean, minimal
Text:
  [Tiny label, tracked uppercase, #69CE57]
  [LARGE LINE 1 — Poppins Black 900, white]
  [LARGE LINE 2 — Poppins Bold 700, white, slightly smaller]
  [Key word inside rounded #69CE57 pill]
  [Supporting line — Poppins Regular, white 70%]
```

**Pattern 2 — Split Weight Contrast**
```
Background: Dark navy (#0d1a2e)
Layout: One word takes the left half as a huge watermark (200pt+)
Text:
  Left side: One-word watermark in white at 8% opacity, Poppins Black
  Right side: Headline stacked, Poppins Bold
  Bottom: Green pill with key phrase
```

**Pattern 3 — Word + Ring Composition**
```
Background: Solid brand color or photo with vignette
Layout: Central text with rings as the only decoration
Text:
  [Oversized single word — the emotional core of the message]
  [Smaller secondary line]
  [Green CTA pill]
Rings: 2-3 thick rings (20px+ stroke) arranged compositively, not hidden
```

**Note:** The Prompt Guide's Template A2 (Blue Gradient + 3D Icons) and Template D (Dark Navy) already support phone-free layouts — prefer these when type-first fits the message.

---

## 5. Ring System Correction — Make Rings Intentional

**Problem:** The Prompt Guide says "thin ring outlines" and "very subtle" at 8–12% opacity. The generated rings are too thin and feel accidental.

**New rules:**

| Element | Old instruction | New instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Donut ring stroke | "thin ring outlines" | **Minimum 20px stroke width** — thick, chunky, intentional |
| Ring opacity | 8–20% | **15–25%** — visible as a design element, not a ghost |
| Filled circles | Rarely used | **Primary decorative element** — solid filled circles at 8–12% opacity, use as often as rings |
| Number of rings | 2 per slide | **2-4 per slide** — layered, overlapping, compositional |
| Placement | Corners only | **Any frame edge** — can overlap center if behind text at 8% opacity |

**Ring thickness formula for prompts:**
> "A large thick donut ring outline (minimum 20px stroke width) in [#69CE57 / #1B92CE] at [15-20]% opacity, positioned [corner]. One solid filled circle in [color] at [8-12]% opacity, overlapping from the opposite [corner]."

---

## 6. Typography Hierarchy Rules — No Flat Headlines

**Problem:** Prompts generate headlines as single-weight, single-line text. They look flat.

**New minimum for EVERY slide headline:**

- **At least 2 weight levels** within the headline area (e.g., first line Poppins Black 900, second line Poppins Bold 700)
- **One key phrase** inside a rounded green (#69CE57) pill with white Poppins Bold text
- **Headline stacked** in 2-3 lines, never a single line
- **Size contrast**: primary line should be visually dominant (at least 1.5x the secondary line)

**Good example:**
> "**Pay your loan** (Poppins Black 900, large)
> in **30 seconds** (Poppins Bold 700, slightly smaller, key words in green pill)
> No payment lines. No branch visit." (Poppins Regular 400, supporting)

**Bad example (what we were getting):**
> "Pay your loan in 30 seconds. No payment lines. No branch visit." (one weight, one size, flat)

**How to write it in a prompt:**
```
Headline (stacked, 2-3 lines):
  Line 1: "Your Island Finance loan" in Poppins Black, extra large, white
  Line 2: "just got easier" in Poppins Bold, slightly smaller, white
  Key word pill: "NO PAYMENT LINES" inside rounded green (#69CE57) pill
```

---

## 7. Tone Control — Describe Actions, Not Emotions

**Problem:** The copy in prompts often re-introduces the drama that the "Remove AI Slop" block tries to remove. "Surprised/happy," "puzzled," "regret/apology" — these emotion words override the candid-photo instructions.

**Rule:** Replace all emotion/feeling references with actions and environment descriptions.

| Emotion word | Replace with |
|---|---|
| surprised/happy | relaxed, looking at phone, natural light |
| puzzled, questioning | ordinary moment, checking phone, standing on street |
| regret/apology | natural expression, at the counter, holding card |
| smiling broadly, delighted | "natural expression, completing a task" |
| satisfied, victorious | "comfortable, at ease" |

**Write prompts like a documentary photographer would:** Describe what the camera sees (position, lighting, action), not what the subject supposedly feels. The viewer will project their own emotion onto the image.

---

## 8. Per-Carousel Corrections

Specific fixes for each of the current 6 carousels based on generated output. Use these when regenerating or updating these prompts in future months.

### Carousel 1 — Island Finance
- **Condense to 2 slides** (was 4): Slide 1 = Hook (photo + BIG NEWS headline), Slide 2 = CTA (photo + download)
- **Remove:** Slide 2 (step-by-step app UI), Slide 3 (CBTT trust slide) — not needed for a simple feature announcement
- **CBTT:** Incinerate from this carousel entirely
- **Phone:** Slide 2 (CTA) — type-first layout, no phone needed. Use Pattern 1 (Stacked Hierarchy) on brand blue gradient

### Carousel 2 — Cash-Out
- **Keep 3 slides** (Hook + Info + CTA): Slide 1 = Hook (man on street), Slide 2 = Info (how Cash-Out works, type-first), Slide 3 = CTA (graphic, type-first)
- **Remove Slide 3 (the transaction at the shop)** — the "how" is already explained in Slide 2, the CTA closes.
- **Remove phone from Slide 2:** Use typography as hero — Pattern 1 (Stacked Hierarchy) explaining "No ATM. No bank fee."

### Carousel 3 — Payment Lines
- **Keep 3 slides** (Hook + Info + CTA): Slide 1 = documentary queue, Slide 2 = split-panel comparison (type-first), Slide 3 = CTA lifestyle
- **Remove Slide 3** (graphic comparison icons) — the split-panel in Slide 2 already does the comparison.
- **Phone:** Slide 2 right panel — replace the phone screen with pure typography (the "30 seconds" value stands alone without showing the phone)

### Carousel 4 — One App for All Your Bills
- **Keep 3 slides** (Hook + Info + CTA): Slide 1 = messy table (Hook), Slide 2 = biller grid + icons (Type-first), Slide 3 = clean table (CTA)
- **Remove Slide 3** (the "One login. One wallet. One receipt" icon slide) — redundant; the biller grid in Slide 2 communicates consolidation already.

### Carousel 5 — You Take Card
- **Keep 3 slides** (Hook + Info + CTA): Slide 1 = shop hook, Slide 2 = benefit list (type-first), Slide 3 = storefront CTA
- **Remove Slide 3** (the transaction scene) — Slide 2 already explains how it works, Slide 3 shows the outcome.
- **Slide 2:** Use Typography Pattern 2 (Background Weight Contrast) — the three checkmark benefits need no phone.

### Carousel 6 — Real People
- **Keep 3 slides** (Hook + Info + CTA): Slide 1 = Marissa, Slide 2 = Derek, Slide 3 = 3-portrait collage CTA
- **Remove Slide 3** (Keisha) — two testimonials are enough for social proof; the third is surplus.
- **Phone:** All slides — type-first for testimonials. The quote is the hero, not the phone screen. Use Pattern 3 (Background + Ring Composition).

---

## Summary — Quick Reference Card

| Rule | What changed |
|---|---|
| **Slide count** | 2 or 3 max. 4 only if message genuinely needs before/after/transformation arc |
| **CBTT frequency** | Max 2 per month total |
| **Facial expressions** | Describe actions, never emotions |
| **Phone vs type** | Default to type-first. Phone only for UI demos |
| **Ring thickness** | 20px minimum stroke. Filled circles at 8-12% |
| **Typography** | Every headline needs 2+ weight levels + 1 green pill |