# Alternative Sources for Brand Onboarding in Diagram Design: 6 Methods Beyond URLs

> Explore 6 alternative brand onboarding sources for diagram design beyond URLs, including installed skills, local folders, and manual token paste for secure offline workflows.

- Repository: [Cathryn Lavery/diagram-design](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-16

---

**Diagram Design supports six alternative brand onboarding sources including installed skills, local design-system folders, manual token paste, saved client profiles, and default skin fallback—enabling offline, version-controlled, and secure brand workflows.**

The `cathrynlavery/diagram-design` repository implements a flexible brand acquisition architecture that separates token ingestion from diagram generation. According to the source code in [`skills/diagram-design/references/onboarding.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/skills/diagram-design/references/onboarding.md), teams can onboard brand visual tokens without ever connecting to an external URL.

## Why URL-Free Onboarding Matters

Modern design workflows demand flexibility. CI pipelines run in isolated environments. Teams version-control brand assets in private repositories. Security policies block external web requests. Diagram Design's multi-source onboarding addresses these constraints by storing all tokens in a single [`style-guide.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/style-guide.md) file that applies consistently across every diagram type.

## The Six Brand Onboarding Sources

The onboarding flow documented in [`onboarding.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/onboarding.md) provides these distinct acquisition methods:

### 1. Installed Skill

An existing skill such as `brand-design` or `ui-kit` that contains a pre-built design system. The skill is inspected and its tokens imported directly into Diagram Design.

```bash

# Import from an installed skill named "brand-design"

diagram-design import --source skill --skill brand-design

```

The skill's internal design system is queried, and its color/typography tokens merge into the current project.

### 2. Local Design-System Folder

A folder path containing JSON, YAML, or Style Dictionary format token files. The system scans for filenames containing `color`, `token`, `brand`, `palette`, `style`, or `theme`.

```bash

# Import from a local design tokens directory

diagram-design import --source local --path ~/my-brand/tokens/

```

This method supports offline development and integrates with existing design-token repositories.

### 3. Manual Token Paste

Direct JSON or YAML input supplied in the prompt itself. Useful for quick experiments or one-off brand applications.

```bash
diagram-design import --source manual <<EOF
{
  "colors": {
    "brand": {
      "primary": { "value": "#eb6c36" },
      "accent":  { "value": "#4f5d75" }
    }
  },
  "fonts": { "brand": "Inter" }
}
EOF

```

The payload parses immediately and writes to [`style-guide.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/style-guide.md).

### 4. Saved Client Profile

A previously exported profile stored at `~/.diagram-design/profiles/<slug>.md`. Loads brand tokens onboarded in earlier sessions.

```bash

# Load a saved brand profile

diagram-design profile load my-awesome-brand

```

Profiles enable instant brand switching across multiple client engagements.

### 5. Default Skin (Onboarding Bypass)

Skip brand acquisition entirely and use the out-of-box neutral palette. While technically not a "source," this provides a URL-free starting point for generic diagrams.

### 6. URL (Reference Only)

The original URL-based method completes the set, though the focus here remains on its alternatives.

## Architecture: Token Storage and Application

All onboarding methods converge on a single source of truth. According to [`skills/diagram-design/references/style-guide.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/skills/diagram-design/references/style-guide.md), tokens are stored in [`style-guide.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/style-guide.md) and applied uniformly across diagram types. This separation of **brand acquisition** from **diagram generation** enables the flexibility described above.

Key implementation files include:

- [`skills/diagram-design/references/onboarding.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/skills/diagram-design/references/onboarding.md) — Full onboarding flow documentation
- [`skills/diagram-design/references/style-guide.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/skills/diagram-design/references/style-guide.md) — Token storage specification
- [`skills/diagram-design/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/skills/diagram-design/SKILL.md) — High-level skill description with onboarding prompts
- [`README.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/README.md) — Overview of onboarding process and default palette

## Summary

- **Six sources** support brand onboarding: installed skill, local folder, manual paste, saved profile, default skin, and URL
- **Offline-first design** enables CI pipelines and secure environments without external connectivity
- **Single source of truth** in [`style-guide.md`](https://github.com/cathrynlavery/diagram-design/blob/main/style-guide.md) ensures consistent token application
- **Version-control friendly** methods align with modern design-system workflows
- **Profile system** allows rapid brand switching across projects

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can Diagram Design work completely offline for brand onboarding?

Yes. The local folder, installed skill, manual paste, and saved profile methods require no network access. As implemented in `cathrynlavery/diagram-design`, these sources ingest tokens directly from filesystem or prompt input without URL fetching.

### What file formats does the local folder source support?

The system accepts JSON and YAML files. The scanner specifically looks for filenames containing `color`, `token`, `brand`, `palette`, `style`, or `theme`—supporting Style Dictionary and similar design-token formats.

### Where are saved client profiles stored?

Profiles reside at `~/.diagram-design/profiles/<slug>.md` on the user's system. This location is referenced by the skill but not included in the repository itself, keeping client brand data separate from the tool's codebase.

### How does the default skin differ from brand onboarding?

The default skin uses Diagram Design's built-in neutral palette without importing any external tokens. This bypasses the onboarding flow entirely, making it the fastest path to diagram generation when brand specificity isn't required.