Start a New Asset Run and understand the cost boundary | Academy

Lesson 2 of 7 in Create Work That Fits the Strategy

Why this matters

Execution draws on the same credits as diagnosis re-runs and plan rebuilds. Every run in Create quotes its cost on the button before it starts, and the work is staged so you can stop cheaply: ideas and visual directions first, images only when you ask for them. Understanding that boundary keeps creative work from quietly consuming the allowance the rest of the loop needs, and it means every credit spent on content is attached to a task you chose to execute.

When to use it

Every time you start a run, and again before you render images. Reading the quoted cost takes seconds. Read it again after changing the number of ideas or the output formats, because both can change the total.

Before you start

A content task opened from the plan (Move from a plan task to Create), or a theme you can state in one line.
A rough sense of your remaining allowance. Settings → Usage shows it under "Current plan period" (Understand plan usage).

Do this

1Open Create from the task (or from the left navigation for work outside the plan) and find the "New Asset Run" block.
2Fill in "Theme or topic" with one clear idea. It is optional; left blank, the run produces a mix based on your brand profile, which rarely serves a specific task.
3Add a "Reference URL" if there is a page the ideas should reflect, and attach "Inspiration images" if you have a visual reference.
4Open "Output Settings" to choose "Formats" and "Include logo" (with its position and size), plus the headline and "Campaign set" options where they appear. The channel comes from the content tab you are on.
5Set "Number of ideas" (1 to 10 per run). A few sharp ideas are quicker and cheaper to review than many loose ones.
6Read the primary button before clicking it. It names what it will do and ends with the credits the run will use.
7If you already know the idea, use "Add Manually" instead. That skips the idea-generation charge; rendering images later still costs credits, and that button shows its own count.

What you should see

After the run, "Review Ideas" lists each idea, with a visual direction under each where the image workflow is available. Nothing has rendered yet. The image button reads "Plan visual directions first" until every idea has a direction, then shows how many images it will render and their credits. Settings → Usage shows "Current plan period" with the percentage used and the reset date.

How to judge it

You started the run knowing what it would cost, the theme names one angle tied to the task, and you can say where total usage for the period is shown. No surprises on either side.

What it does not mean

A quoted cost is not a quality promise. It buys the run, not a usable asset; the review steps are where quality happens.
"Add Manually" is not a lesser path. For an idea you can already state, it is faster and skips the idea charge.
Room left in the allowance is not a reason to skip review.

Try it in Signal & Science

Open Create and start an asset run, reading the quoted cost on the button before you confirm it.

Open in Signal & Science