FIELD GUIDE / Visual production systems
Build a template system for thousands of vector graphics
Turn recurring briefs into a library your team can keep using.
Design teams & content leads
iSequalTo / 400+ templates · 10,000+ vector graphics
At iSequalTo, a shared visual language and 400+ templates supported a library of over 10,000 vector graphics used across the design team. The transferable idea is simple: design the template and its constraints before scaling the number of assets.
Classify the explanation, not just the subject
A heart diagram and a plant diagram can share label logic even when their shapes differ. Start with explanation types: comparison, process, labelled structure, timeline and chart. Then add subject, concept and learner age. This makes the library navigable by the job a graphic needs to do.
Sort twenty existing briefs by explanation type. Build a template for a repeated pattern, rather than a one-off topic.
Define what stays fixed
Keep hierarchy, label placement, stroke weight and colour meaning consistent. Let the subject matter change. The original iSequalTo system used constraints, shared libraries, colour styles and strict naming before Figma Auto Layout matured; its value came from clear rules, not a particular feature.
Document the safe editing areas on one template: title, content shape, labels and source note. Include a crowded example.
Make retrieval part of production
A library stops saving time when nobody can find the right asset. Use a predictable name containing subject, concept, explanation type and revision. Separate approved assets from working files. A small index with the owner and approval status prevents duplicate work.
Try a naming pattern such as biology_heart_labelled_v01. Give a teammate a brief and ask them to find the closest approved template.
Review the exception before multiplying it
Educational graphics need subject accuracy as well as consistent styling. Check the smallest intended display size, long labels and printed output when relevant. Route factual content to a subject reviewer. Fix recurring failures in the template so the next hundred instances inherit the correction.
Pilot ten varied assets. Log both factual and layout issues, update the template, then begin the next batch.
THE HANDOFF CHECK
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BACK TO THE RECEIPTS
The method, in context.
See the actual design decisions, original artwork and documented outcomes in the iSequalTo case study.
An adaptable guide informed by the linked case study. Client source files are not included.