Round 3: Tip

One archetype, seven variations, in the Style 1 language. The tip card needs no listing and no house, so it is the one that serves all nineteen agents, photography or not. One tip, said plainly, with the why underneath. Companion to What good looks like and Round 2.

Revision 2, 2026-09-07, after Dave's first pass. Headlines now break on two balanced lines on every card ("Inspect before / you list.", "Three things to do / before you list"), and the circle on the photo card is light inside the ring instead of navy. Everything Round 2 settled is already in: watermark on every card in its own color, the agent never on the text, Inter as the second face, black and navy and white rotating.

The seven

Tip, navy on paper — **TP-navy***The editorial tip.* One headline that is the tip, a paragraph that explains it, and a why-it-matters panel. Navy mark, navy watermark, standing cutout. The baseline for the archetype.

Tip, three beats as a list — **TP-list***Three beats, numbered.* The list template. No standing photo, only a small ring headshot in the footer with the icon mark opposite, so every agent on the roster can run it. This is what the card beats are for.

Tip, as a quote — **TP-quote***The tip as a quote, attributed.* Big quote marks in steel, the line in the display face, the agent's name under it, and the why underneath. A quote card that says something instead of decorating.

Tip, centered — **TP-centered***Centered stack, icon alone.* The sun-and-waves in burgundy at the top, no wordmark, everything on one axis, ring headshot with a burgundy ring, watermark low right.

Tip, dark ground — **TP-dark***Dark ground, white mark.* The navy card. White lockup, white watermark, sky-blue accents for the tag and the rule, standing cutout.

Tip, Inter typeface — **TP-inter***Inter, black on cream.* The second face carrying the whole card, outlined tag, black mark and watermark. Same layout as the navy card, different voice.

Tip, over a photo — **TP-photo***The tip over a photo.* A darkened lifestyle photo behind the tip, white mark, white watermark in the navy, agent in a large white-ring circle. The photo is a slot; any image works, or none.

What makes a tip card pass

The headline is the tip. Not "Seller tips" or "Did you know." An instruction a seller can act on today.
Under it, the why. A number without meaning was the stat card's failure; a tip without a reason is this card's. Every one carries "Why it matters."
List cards carry three beats, each a short instruction with one line of reason. The engine's card beats fill them, so they need no photo and no listing.
Everything from Round 2 holds: mark in the theme color, watermark on every card, agent never on the text, brand type embedded, no dead space.