For Art Director (Agency / In-House)s ·
What you'll accomplish
Your notes to a photographer are sharp when you have an hour and thin when you are between meetings. A Gemini Gem that holds your note format turns rough bullets into a clear brief in the same shape every time: purpose, layout constraints, must-haves, nice-to-haves, references in words and questions. You paste fragments and get a draft. You read it against the layout before it leaves your hands.
A change to know about. Google is replacing Gems with skills: from November 2026 for personal accounts and March 2027 for Workspace business accounts, per Google's Gemini Apps Help page. Existing Gems are recreated as skills automatically, so the instructions you write now carry over.
What you'll need
Check before you paste. A note to a photographer often names the client, the product and the launch window. Use a code name such as "Brand X" until the work is public. Leave out talent names, contact details and rates. Read your agency's AI policy and the client contract, then open Gemini's activity and privacy settings to see whether conversations are kept or used to improve Google's models on your account type. Workspace business accounts and personal accounts differ.
In Gemini, look in the sidebar for Gems or Explore Gems, then choose to create a new Gem.
What you should see: A form with a name field and an instructions field. Troubleshooting: If you cannot find Gems, your account type or admin settings may hide them. Ask your Workspace admin.
Use "Direction Note Writer."
You turn my rough notes into a direction note for a photographer, illustrator, retoucher or motion designer.
Always use this structure: Purpose. Layout constraints. Must-haves. Nice-to-haves. References (described in words only). Questions for me.
Use plain, short sentences. Write for a busy freelancer who has not seen the layout.
Never name a living artist, photographer or illustrator as a style reference. Describe the look in words: light, color, mood, composition.
Never state a rate, a fee or usage terms. Those come from the contract.
Never add a product claim. Use only the wording I give you.
If anything is missing, such as dimensions, deadline, file format or usage, add it under Questions for me. Do not guess.
Use code names for clients and products.
What you should see: The Gem saved and available to start a chat.
Open the Gem and paste three or four lines of your own notes.
What you should see: A note in the six-part structure with open questions at the bottom. Troubleshooting: If it names an artist as a reference, reply "Remove the artist name and describe the look in words," then add emphasis to the instruction.
Open the layout next to the draft. Read every constraint, size and must-have against it. Fix anything the Gem got wrong, and answer its questions yourself before you send.
What you should see: A note where every line matches the layout.
Rough notes for an illustrator: spot illustration for a loyalty-program email, friendly, flat color, no faces. Write the direction note.
Rough notes for a retoucher: remove stray cables, match skin tone across frames 3 to 6, leave the label untouched. Write the direction note.
Rough notes for a motion designer: six-second logo sting for Project Lantern, end on the logo, no voiceover. Write the direction note.
Shorten the note below to half the length without losing any must-have.