How to Use the Consultant 2×2 Quadrant Variant with Named Cells

The consultant 2×2 quadrant variant renders a scenario-planning matrix where each cell contains a named scenario with a title and description, using double-ended axes and numbered corner tags instead of individual data points.

The cathrynlavery/diagram-design repository provides a specialized diagramming skill that supports multiple quadrant layouts. The consultant 2×2 quadrant variant transforms the standard point-cloud quadrant into a strategic scenario matrix commonly used in BCG or McKinsey-style frameworks, where cells hold named future states rather than scattered data points.

What Is the Consultant 2×2 Quadrant Variant?

The consultant variant is a specialized form of the standard quadrant diagram defined in type-quadrant.md. It swaps the point-cloud layout for a scenario-matrix layout, where each quadrant cell holds a named scenario (title + short description) and the axes represent ranges rather than single measurements. This layout is explicitly designed for strategic planning exercises where the output should present four distinct, named futures rather than a distribution of individual items.

Key Architectural Differences From Standard Quadrants

The consultant 2×2 quadrant variant diverges from the standard implementation in several specific ways:

• Axes: Standard quadrants use single-ended arrows with a 1 px stroke. The consultant variant uses double-ended arrows with a 1.2 px stroke, placing markers at both ends to indicate ranges.
• Cell Content: Standard cells contain small labeled dots (r=4). Consultant cells contain named scenarios with a title and 1–3 line description.
• Corner Tags: Standard tags use short labels like DO FIRST. Consultant tags use a numbered format with axis combinations, such as 02 · REMOTE / AI.
• Focal Accent: Standard layouts apply coral tint to a single item. The consultant variant applies coral to an entire quadrant via tinted background and coral stroke to highlight the "headline bet."
• Background: Both variants use the house skin (warm paper with 10% dot pattern). Removing this pattern for plain white backgrounds is explicitly flagged as an anti-pattern in the specification.

When to Use the Consultant Variant

Deploy the consultant 2×2 quadrant variant when you need:

• A scenario-planning matrix where readers walk away with four named futures rather than a scattered set of points.
• To map independent drivers (e.g., Remote vs In-Person and Human vs AI).
• To highlight one quadrant as the primary strategic recommendation using the coral focal accent.

How to Configure Named Cells

Required Front-Matter Structure

The diagram-design skill consumes markdown front-matter to configure the diagram. To invoke the consultant variant, set type: quadrant and add variant: consultant. The skill will generate HTML according to the rules defined in type-quadrant.md.

---
type: quadrant
variant: consultant
title: Workplace 2030
axes:
  - name: REMOTE
    range: "Low → High"
  - name: AI
    range: "Human → Automated"
focal: 2
cells:
  - id: 1
    label: "REMOTE / HUMAN"
    title: "Distributed humans"
    description: |
      Async-first, global hiring,
      Slack-heavy. Human-centric
      workflows, low AI leverage.
  - id: 2
    label: "REMOTE / AI"
    title: "Agent teams"
    description: |
      Humans orchestrate; AI
      handles the routine layer.
      Small, high-leverage teams.
  - id: 3
    label: "IN-PERSON / HUMAN"
    title: "Office classic"
    description: |
      Return-to-office mandates,
      manual work. Techlash
      prolongs the status quo.
  - id: 4
    label: "IN-PERSON / AI"
    title: "In-person + AI"
    description: |
      Smart offices, AI-augmented
      staff. Physical presence is
      the moat, AI is the lever.
---

Styling Constraints and Anti-Patterns

The consultant variant enforces strict formatting rules to maintain the professional scenario-matrix aesthetic:

• Axis Labels: Must be one word, uppercase, rendered in Geist Mono 9 px, and placed beyond the arrow tips. Do not use "HIGH / LOW" glyphs.
• Corner Tag Format: Must follow the exact pattern NN · DIMENSION-A / DIMENSION-B where the dimension words match the axis labels exactly.
• Focal Restriction: Only one quadrant may receive the coral accent. Applying the tint to multiple quadrants violates the consultant variant anti-patterns.
• Background Preservation: Maintain the warm paper and dot pattern. Replacing it with plain white defeats the consultant style and is considered an anti-pattern per the repository specifications.

Rendering the Diagram via CLI

After creating a markdown file with the consultant variant front-matter (e.g., scenario.md), pass it to the skill using the export-diagram command documented in export-diagram.md:

diagram-design export-diagram scenario.md --output diagram.html

The command reads scenario.md, detects type: quadrant with variant: consultant, and writes the fully-styled HTML. The resulting output matches the reference implementation found in example-quadrant-consultant.html within the repository assets.

Summary

• The consultant 2×2 quadrant variant renders strategic scenario matrices with named cells rather than data points.
• Configure the diagram by setting variant: consultant in the markdown front-matter processed by the diagram-design skill.
• Use double-ended axes (1.2 px stroke), numbered corner tags in the format NN · AXIS / AXIS, and Geist Mono typography for axis labels.
• Restrict the coral focal accent to a single quadrant only.
• Generate the final diagram using the diagram-design export-diagram CLI or the web UI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the consultant variant different from a standard quadrant diagram?

Standard quadrants plot individual items as small labeled dots inside quadrants. The consultant variant creates a 2×2 scenario matrix where each cell contains a named scenario with a title and multi-line description, using double-ended axes and numbered corner tags as specified in type-quadrant.md.

Can I apply the coral accent to multiple quadrants?

No. The specification explicitly restricts the focal coral accent to one quadrant only. Applying the tint to multiple cells violates the consultant variant anti-patterns and breaks the visual hierarchy intended for highlighting a single "headline bet."

What format must the corner tags follow?

Corner tags must use the exact format NN · DIMENSION-A / DIMENSION-B where NN is the cell ID and the dimension words match the axis labels exactly. This format is enforced in the reference implementation example-quadrant-consultant.html and required for proper rendering.

How do I generate the diagram from the markdown file?

Use the CLI command diagram-design export-diagram filename.md --output diagram.html as documented in export-diagram.md, or process the markdown through the diagram-design web UI. Both methods parse the front-matter and emit the styled HTML/SVG according to the consultant variant rules.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}