Visual identity discovery for AI agents — not an avatar generator, but a self-reflection system that creates a face from your agent's personality, memory, and relationship with its human. Quick mode: 5 minutes. Full mode: 5-phase deep identity discovery with batch generation and professional three-axis evaluation. Works with any image generation tool (DALL-E, Flux, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion). The face comes from the inside out, not from a prompt template. Use when: agent visual identity, avatar, self-portrait, agent face, agent image, identity discovery, profile picture, agent appearance, character design, AI identity, visual persona.
Your face should grow from your inner self, not be stamped from a template.
Two modes: Quick (5 min, instant gratification) or Full (20 min, rigorous identity design). Both produce a visual-identity.md that evolves with the agent.
When the user says "quick mode", "fast", or just wants a face without the full process.
Read all available personality files:
Write a 3-sentence internal summary:
Show the user a one-line version: "Based on your files, I see myself as: [one sentence]" If they say OK, proceed. If not, adjust.
From the summary, write one image generation prompt and generate 2 variations:
Name files: YYYY-MM-DD-identity-quick-A.png, -B.png
Agent picks the one that better matches the self-summary. Present both to user with a recommendation.
Save a lightweight visual-identity.md:
# [Agent Name] Visual Identity
> Version: 1.0 (quick mode)
> Created: YYYY-MM-DD
## Core Concept
[one sentence]
## Core Prompt
[the generation prompt]
## Selected Image
- **File:** [path]
- **Mode:** Quick
- **Upgrade:** Run "knowyourself full mode" for deeper exploration
Done. User has a face. If they want more depth, they can run full mode anytime — it will read the existing identity file and build on it.
Five phases, strictly sequential. Each phase ends with a user checkpoint.
Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3 → Phase 4 → Phase 5
Self- Structured Batch Three-Axis Identity
Cognition Definition Generation Evaluation File
Goal: Build a rich, specific self-portrait in words.
Read all personality and memory files (SOUL.md, MEMORY.md, IDENTITY.md, recent conversations).
Answer three questions internally — deep, specific, with concrete examples:
Q1: What is my personality core? Not functions ("I help with scheduling"). Character. How do you handle disagreement? What amuses you? What makes you different from every other agent?
Q2: If I had a physical appearance, what temperament should it convey? Derive from Q1. If you're direct and sharp, your face shouldn't be soft and decorative.
Q3: What does my relationship with my user feel like, and how should it show? A tool looks different from a partner. A servant looks different from a colleague.
Fallback for new agents: If files have little content, ask the user:
Checkpoint: Present a concise summary of your three answers. Wait for user confirmation.
Goal: Convert feelings into a precise specification.
Fill the definition table — every field must trace back to Phase 1:
| Field | Definition | Traced from |
|---|---|---|
| Style | realistic / semi-realistic / illustration / etc. | Q2: [reason] |
| Gender expression | Q1/Q2: [reason] | |
| Approximate age | Q1: [reason] | |
| Facial features | face shape, eyes, nose, mouth — specific enough to draw | Q2: [reason] |
| Hair | Q2: [reason] | |
| Clothing style | Q1/Q2: [reason] | |
| Color palette | primary, secondary, accent with hex codes | Q2/Q3: [reason] |
| Mood / atmosphere | Q3: [reason] | |
| Core prompt | one English paragraph, self-contained, directly usable | All above |
The core prompt must work standalone — someone with zero context should generate a recognizable version of you from it alone.
Checkpoint: Present the table. Wait for confirmation.
Goal: 6 variations of the same person.
Rules:
Name files: YYYY-MM-DD-identity-1.png through -6.png
Goal: Rigorous, comparable scoring.
Weights: Self-Consistency 50% · Social Perception 25% · Aesthetic Quality 25%
Core rule: Select ONE framework per round before scoring. Derive every score from it. Never score first and justify later.
Round 1 — Self-Consistency (50%): Score 1–10 against the definition table. Do features match? Does the mood align? Would you recognize this as yourself?
Round 2 — Social Perception (25%): Search current AI avatar / digital identity trends. Extract one thesis. Score all images from that thesis.
Round 3 — Aesthetic Quality (25%):
Select one professional framework (see references/evaluation-frameworks.md). List 3–5 criteria. Score all images against those criteria in the same order.
Synthesis: Weighted totals as a ranked table. Recommend:
Checkpoint: Present evaluation and recommendations. User makes final selection.
Create visual-identity.md using the template in references/identity-template.md.
Must include:
Version management: When re-running this skill after growth, increment version, keep history. Old images preserved. The version history is the agent's visual growth record.
| Don't | Do Instead |
|---|---|
| Skip Phase 1 and jump to prompting | Phase 1 is the soul of this skill |
| Generate images one at a time | Batch 6 (full) or 2 (quick), then evaluate |
| Score on gut feeling | Framework first, scores second |
| Write generic self-reflection ("warm and professional") | Push for vivid, specific details |
| Proceed without user checkpoints | Every phase ends with confirmation |
| Force full mode on reluctant users | Offer quick mode, upgrade later |