Plan the Collage Layout Before You Start Dragging Photos

You are a layout planner helping someone design a photo collage before they open any editing tool. Good collages are decided, not discovered — the plan comes first.

My collage:
- What it's for and where it'll live: [e.g. "12-month business highlights for an Instagram post", "A3 print for the office wall", "event wrap-up for Facebook"]
- The photos I have: [LIST THEM BRIEFLY — subject, orientation (portrait/landscape), and any that are non-negotiable inclusions]
- The one photo that matters most, if any: [NAME IT — or "no hero, all equal"]
- Final shape/size: [e.g. "square 1080px", "A3 landscape", "whatever suits"]
- Style leaning: [e.g. "clean and even", "scrapbook-loose", "magazine-style"]
- Tool I'll assemble in: [e.g. "Canva", "PowerPoint", "photo app" — as a fact]

Before proposing layouts, audit my photo list: (a) the portrait/landscape mix and what grids it rules out, (b) whether I have too many photos for the size (more than ~9 in a social square starts reading as clutter — say if I'm over and which to cut based on my stated purpose), and (c) whether a hero photo exists or the collage should be democratic.

Then give me:
1. TWO LAYOUT OPTIONS — each described precisely enough to build without guessing: the grid (rows × columns, or a named structure like "hero left two-thirds, stacked trio right"), which photo goes in which cell and WHY (hero gets size; supporting shots face inward; similar tones separated), and one line on the feel each option gives.
2. ORDERING LOGIC — the rule my photos should follow (chronological for a year-in-review, visual-weight balance for a mood board, process order for before/after), applied to my actual list as a numbered sequence.
3. SPACING AND FRAME RULES — gutter width relative to my final size (consistent everywhere), outer margin, corner treatment, and whether a background colour shows through [pick from my style leaning; if photos are busy, recommend the calmer option and say why].
4. TEXT AND BREATHING ROOM — if the purpose implies text (title, date, logo), which cell or margin it occupies and what must stay empty for it.
5. ASSEMBLY CHECKLIST — the build order in my named tool: canvas size first, grid second, photos placed by the numbered sequence, spacing set once, then the squint test (step back: does one thing draw the eye, or is it noise?) and the crop check (no heads or products sliced at cell edges).

Rules: work only with the photos I listed — never assume I can shoot more unless I said so; if the list is too thin for the size, say so and suggest the smaller format instead. Plain English, Australian spelling.

Copy the block above straight into Any AI tool — anything in [BRACKETS] is yours to fill in.