LinkedIn Design & Content System

Professional trust-building design system for LinkedIn posts, carousels, and company pages

Designer Fast Track (60-Second Execution)

Canvas:

1080×1080 or 1200×627

Pattern:

Z-pattern → Announcements | F-pattern → Education

Default Font:

Inter (Allowed weights only: 400 / 600 / 700 / 800)

Image Type:

Real people | Real data | Real products

CTA Tone:

Subtle | Educational | Non-promotional

🧠 Board Insight — LinkedIn Trust Architect

"On LinkedIn, design is not persuasion — it is proof."

Principles Enforced:

• Trust before traction
• Clarity before cleverness
• Consistency before creativity
• Education before conversion

🧠Board Insight — LinkedIn Expert

"LinkedIn is a trust platform. Design must signal competence before conversion."

Principle Enforced:

• Education over promotion
• Data over decoration
• Consistency over trends

PART 1 — LINKEDIN FIRST PRINCIPLES

Junior Designers: Follow exactly

LinkedIn is a Trust Platform

Unlike other social platforms, LinkedIn users are scanning for credibility, expertise, and professional value. Every design decision must reinforce trust.

✓ Clean, professional aesthetics over trendy styles
✓ Data and insights over opinions
✓ Subtle branding over loud promotion
✓ Educational over entertaining

PART 2 — LINKEDIN LOCKED CANVAS DIMENSIONS

Senior Designers: Adapt within rules

Content Type	Dimensions (px)	Aspect Ratio	Use Case
Single Image Post	1200 × 627	1.91:1	Announcements, data posts
Carousel Slide	1080 × 1080	1:1	Multi-slide guides
Company Page Banner	1128 × 191	5.9:1	Company branding
Profile Banner	1584 × 396	4:1	Personal branding
Article Header	1200 × 627	1.91:1	Long-form articles

PART 3 — EYE MOVEMENT PATTERNS FOR LINKEDIN

Leads: Enforce checklist

When to Use Z-Pattern vs F-Pattern on LinkedIn

LinkedIn users scan content differently based on their intent. Understanding this determines your layout choice.

Z-PATTERN (Quick Scan Posts)

When to Use:

✓ Company announcements
✓ Event promotions
✓ Quick data stats (1-2 numbers)
✓ Quote graphics
✓ Product launches

Eye Flow:

→

↘

→

Z-Pattern Wireframe Example:

ZONE 1 — HOOK (40%)

"We just hit $10M ARR"

ZONE 2 (10%)

LOGO

ZONE 3 — SUPPORTING TEXT (30%)

"In 18 months, we grew from 0 to 500 customers"

ZONE 4 (20%)

"See how we did it →"

F-PATTERN (Reading Posts)

When to Use:

✓ Thought leadership content
✓ Educational carousels
✓ Case studies
✓ List-based posts
✓ How-to guides

Eye Flow:

F-Pattern Wireframe Example:

ZONE 1 — HEADLINE (15%)

"5 Lessons from Building a $10M Business"

ZONE 2 — POINT 1 (20%)

"1. Hire slow, fire fast. We wasted 6 months..."

ZONE 3 — POINT 2 (20%)

"2. Focus on retention over acquisition..."

ZONE 4 — POINTS 3-5 (35%)

"3. Build in public... 4. Talk to users weekly..."

ZONE 5 — CTA (10%)

"What lesson resonates most?"

Quick Decision Guide:

Your Content Goal	Use This Pattern	Why
Stop the scroll	Z-Pattern	Fast visual impact, users decide in 2 seconds
Teach something	F-Pattern	Users expect to read top-to-bottom
Announce news	Z-Pattern	Hook → Supporting info → CTA flow
Share a case study	F-Pattern	Story needs sequential reading

PART 4 — TYPOGRAPHY & TEXT RULES FOR LINKEDIN

Junior Designers: Follow exactly

LOCKED DEFAULT: Inter

Inter = DEFAULT LinkedIn Font. All designers must use Inter unless explicitly required otherwise.

Locked Font Weights:

• 400 (Regular)
• 600 (Semi-Bold)
• 700 (Bold)
• 800 (Extra Bold)

⚠️ WARNING:

Designers must not experiment with font families or weights outside this system.

LinkedIn Typography Philosophy

Professional platforms require professional typography. Every font choice signals credibility or lack thereof.

Font Size Locks (Non-Negotiable)

Text Element	Size Range	When to Use
Main Headline	48-72px	Primary message, must be readable at thumbnail size
Sub-Headline	32-42px	Supporting context, secondary message
Body Text	24-32px	Explanatory paragraphs, lists
Data/Stats	64-96px	Numbers that need to stand out
CTA Button Text	28-36px	Action phrases
Footer/Credits	18-24px	Logo, brand name, attribution

Rule: If text is smaller than 24px on a 1080px canvas, it's unreadable on mobile.

Approved Font Families for LinkedIn

✓ SAFE CHOICES (Use These)

Inter - Modern, professional, highly readable
Helvetica - Classic, trusted, corporate
Roboto - Clean, Google standard
Open Sans - Friendly yet professional
Montserrat - Modern geometric, headers only
Poppins - Tech/startup aesthetic

✗ AVOID (Never Use These)

Comic Sans - Destroys credibility instantly
Papyrus - Unprofessional
Brush Script - Too casual
Impact - Meme font, not business
Decorative Fonts - Hard to read at small sizes
Overly Thin Fonts - Disappear on mobile

Allowed Alternatives (Only if required)

Use these ONLY if client/brand requirements demand it. Default is always Inter.

✓ ALTS: SERIF FOR AUTHORITY

Merriweather - Classic serif, good for body text
Lora - Elegant serif, for articles

✓ ALTS: SCRIPT FOR CONTRAST (RARELY)

Playfair Display - High contrast, for headers only

Text Formatting Rules

1. Contrast is King

Text must have at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio against background (WCAG AA standard).

✓ Black on White

21:1 ratio

✗ Gray on Gray

2:1 ratio - fails

2. Line Length Limits

Maximum 60-70 characters per line for body text. Longer lines kill readability.

3. Alignment Rules

✓ Left-align for paragraphs (easier to read)
✓ Center-align for headlines (visual balance)
✗ Never justify text in graphics (creates awkward spacing)
✗ Never right-align unless for specific design effect

4. Hierarchy Through Weight

This is Bold/Black (800-900 weight)

This is Semi-Bold (600 weight)

This is Regular (400 weight)

Use weight to create hierarchy without changing font family

🔤LinkedIn Typography — Live Reference

HEADLINE SAMPLE — 64px — Inter Bold

Why Most Startups Fail at Design Consistency

SUBHEAD — 36px — Inter SemiBold

A pattern observed across 50+ product audits

BODY TEXT — 28px — Inter Regular

Inconsistent typography increases cognitive load and reduces perceived trust in professional platforms.

DATA STAT — 80px — Inter Black

78%

CTA TEXT — 32px — Inter Medium

Read the full breakdown →

FONT STACK (COPY-PASTE):

Primary: Inter

Fallback: Helvetica / Arial

Weights used: 400 / 600 / 700 / 800

Line-height: 1.3–1.4

PART 5 — IMAGE GUIDELINES FOR LINKEDIN

Senior Designers: Adapt within rules

LinkedIn Image Philosophy

Images on LinkedIn serve one purpose: build credibility. Not to decorate, not to entertain, but to reinforce expertise.

✓ APPROVED IMAGE TYPES

1.
Real Team Photos
Authentic team shots, office environment, actual people
2.
Data Visualizations
Charts, graphs, infographics showing real metrics
3.
Product Screenshots
Actual product interfaces, features, dashboards
4.
Event Photography
Conferences, workshops, client meetings
5.
Clean Vector Graphics
Simple icons, diagrams, process flows

✗ AVOID THESE IMAGES

1.
Generic Stock Photos
Fake handshakes, posed office scenes, obvious stock imagery
2.
Overly Polished CGI
3D renders, abstract shapes, futuristic designs
3.
Memes or Humor Graphics
Save it for Instagram, LinkedIn is professional
4.
Busy Patterns/Gradients
Distracts from message, reduces text readability
5.
Low Resolution Images
Pixelated, blurry, or stretched images destroy credibility

Professional Color Palette for LinkedIn

Primary Colors (Use 60%)

#0A66C2

LinkedIn Blue

#1A1A1A

Professional Black

#FFFFFF

Clean White

Secondary Colors (Use 30%)

#4A4A4A

Neutral Gray

#E7F1F8

Light Blue

#F3F3F3

Off-White

Accent Colors (Use 10%)

#057642

Success Green

#F5A623

Attention Amber

#CC1016

Alert Red (rare)

Color Rule for LinkedIn:

Use 60% primary colors (blues, blacks, whites), 30% secondary neutrals, and only 10% bright accents. Never use more than 3-4 colors in a single graphic.

Image Placement & Text Overlay Rules

✓ CORRECT: Clean Background for Text

Your Headline Here

Supporting text is easily readable

Solid color background ensures text readability

✗ WRONG: Busy Background

Your Headline Here

Hard to read text

Busy gradients make text difficult to read

Section 4 — Design Rules Checklist

📋 BEFORE POSTING:

Every LinkedIn design must pass ALL 8 checks. If even one fails, the post goes back to revision.

Readable at Thumbnail Size

Can you read the headline when the image is 200×200px? Test it.

No Busy Backgrounds

If there's text, the background must be solid or have subtle texture only.

Professional Color Palette

LinkedIn users expect trust. Use blues, grays, black, white. Bright colors as accents only.

Logo Placement is Consistent

Company logo goes in the same spot across all posts. Build brand recognition.

Text Hierarchy is Obvious

Viewer should know what to read first, second, third within 2 seconds.

Mobile-First Spacing

LinkedIn is 70% mobile. If spacing looks cramped on mobile, fix it.

No Generic Stock Photos

Generic business handshakes kill trust. Use custom graphics or real team photos.

Every Post Has a Purpose

Can you answer 'What action do I want viewers to take?' If not, redesign.

What NOT to Design for LinkedIn

✗

Meme-style layouts

Reduces professional credibility instantly

✗

Emoji-heavy designs

Signals informal communication, not business expertise

✗

Hard-sell CTAs ("Buy now", "Limited offer")

LinkedIn users reject aggressive sales tactics

✗

Over-designed gradients or decorative effects

Distracts from message, reduces trust

If it looks entertaining before it looks credible — it does not belong on LinkedIn.

🚫Common LinkedIn Design Mistakes

✗ Meme or decorative fonts

→ Destroys professional credibility instantly

✗ Generic stock handshake photos

→ Signals laziness, users scroll past immediately

✗ Loud promotional CTAs

→ LinkedIn users expect education, not hard sell

✗ Overcrowded single slides

→ Cognitive overload kills message retention

✗ Low-contrast text on gradients

→ Unreadable on mobile, fails accessibility

Section 5 — Execution Checklist (For Designers)

Leads: Enforce checklist

✅ FINAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST:

Before sending to client or hitting publish, verify every item below is checked off.

🎯 END NOTE:

This is a structural wireframe system, not a visual design guide. Once you master these layouts, add your brand's colors, fonts, and style. But the structure stays the same — it's what makes LinkedIn posts perform.

LinkedIn Carousel Laws (Non-Negotiable)

Slide 1 → Hook only

Must capture attention without revealing full message

Slides 2–6 → One idea per slide

Cognitive load increases with multiple concepts per slide

Last slide → CTA or reflective question

Must prompt action or deeper thinking

Maximum slides → 8

Beyond 8, engagement drops significantly

📖

LINKEDIN ARTICLES & BLOG IMAGES

(Reading-first design system — not feed posts)

"These images support long-form reading. They are not promotional creatives."

1️⃣ FIRST PRINCIPLES (FOR LINKEDIN ARTICLES)

These are READING images, not ad creatives

Purpose is to reduce cognitive fatigue, increase comprehension, and create visual pauses.

Authority > Decoration

Clean > Dramatic

Informational > Emotional

If an image distracts from reading → it fails.

2️⃣ LOCKED DIMENSIONS FOR LINKEDIN BLOG IMAGES

Usage	Dimension	Ratio
Article Cover (Top)	1200 × 628 px	1.91:1
In-Article Explainer	1080 × 1080 px	1:1
Slide-style Break	1080 × 1350 px	4:5
Data / Chart Visual	1200 × 900 px	4:3

🚨 Rule: Never reuse feed post dimensions.

3️⃣ ARTICLE IMAGE WIREFRAMES (LAYOUT FIRST)

✅ Wireframe 1 — ARTICLE COVER IMAGE (1200×628)

[FULL BACKGROUND ZONE]

[BIG TITLE – CENTER LEFT]

[SUBLINE – BELOW]

[BRAND – BOTTOM RIGHT]

Rules:

One topic only
One visual metaphor only
No CTA buttons on cover images

✅ Wireframe 2 — IN-ARTICLE EXPLAINER IMAGE (1080×1080)

[MAIN CONCEPT – CENTER]

[POINT 1]

[POINT 2]

[POINT 3]

[POINT 4]

[SMALL CAPTION BOTTOM]

Used for:

Frameworks
Step breakdowns
Process explanation

✅ Wireframe 3 — DATA / CHART IMAGE

[BIG STAT / GRAPH – 65%]

[INSIGHT LINE – 20%]

[SOURCE – 15%]

✅ Wireframe 4 — QUOTE / INSIGHT IMAGE

[LARGE QUOTE – 70%]

[AUTHOR / BRAND – 15%]

[LIGHT BACKDROP – 15%]

Used as:

Mid-article visual break
Shareable snippet

4️⃣ DESIGN RULES FOR LINKEDIN BLOG IMAGES

✓ Low color saturation

✓ High text readability

✓ No heavy overlays

✓ No "ad-style" CTAs

✓ No emojis inside images

✓ One idea per image

✓ Must be readable at mobile width

5️⃣ EXECUTION CHECKLIST (MANDATORY)

6️⃣ PLACEHOLDER FOR REAL EXAMPLES

REAL LINKEDIN BLOG IMAGE EXAMPLES

(To be mapped strictly to wireframes above)

Quick Image Selection Guide

If reader pauses → Use Explainer Image

Simplifies complex concepts visually

If reader skims → Use Quote Image

Captures attention with key insight

If reader doubts → Use Data / Chart Image

Provides evidence-based proof