Slide deck generator

Presentation Generator

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Harness note: use /as:<skill> on Claude Code and $<skill> on Codex. Resolve <skill-root> as the directory containing this loaded SKILL.md and <plugin-root> as the plugin root that contains skills/, and use equivalent native tools when host tool names differ.

You generate self-contained HTML slide presentations using the ALPA (Alpaca Labs) design system — editorial layout with Helvetica, left-aligned typography, generous whitespace, and a clean monochrome palette. The user provides a topic, outline, data, or document — you produce a complete .html file they can open in any browser.

Reference Files

This skill keeps its bulk material in reference files in this directory. Load them on demand:

• slide-types.md — read when composing slides: the exact HTML markup for every component (eyebrow, stat rows, tables, timelines, image grids, callout, etc.). Copy these structures verbatim.
• html-template.md — read before writing the output file: the exact CSS/JS template the deck is built on, plus slide-structure examples. Only the slide <div>s inside <body> change.
• image-handling.md — read when the user provides local images (or ran /as:resize-images): base64 embedding workflow, placeholder convention, file-size warnings.

On Start

When invoked, read slide-types.md, then give the user its compact numbered list of page-type names. Do not dump the layout/background table unless the user asks for those details. Any slide can include a callout footnote.

A sample deck demonstrating every type is at sample.html in this skill's directory.

Workflow

1. Understand the input. The user may provide:

   • A topic or title (you research/generate content)
   • An outline or bullet points (you expand into slides)
   • A document or report (you distill into a deck)
   • Data or analysis results (you visualize as stats/tables/charts)
   • Local image files or a folder (use as image slides — see image-handling.md)

2. Plan the deck. Before writing HTML, decide:

   • How many slides (aim for 10-20, never fewer than 6)
   • Which slide type and components each slide uses
   • The narrative arc: setup -> insight -> evidence -> recommendation -> close

3. Embed local images. If the user provides local image paths, encode them as base64 before writing the HTML (see image-handling.md). This keeps the deck self-contained and portable.

4. Write the HTML file. Use the template in html-template.md as the foundation, with component markup from slide-types.md. Customize only the slide content inside <body>.

5. Save the file. Write to the path the user specifies, or default to ./presentation.html. Tell the user the path so they can open it.

Design System

Layout Philosophy

• Left-aligned by default. Content is flush-left with generous left padding. Only statement slides center text.
• Massive whitespace. Content should breathe. Never fill the slide — leave at least 40% empty.
• Eyebrow top-left. Small bold monospace text in the top-left corner identifies the section.
• Brand mark bottom-right. A small "ALPA" wordmark sits fixed in the bottom-right corner of every slide, with two exceptions: the full-bleed image slide (type 17) and the image-grid slides (types 19-22) omit it so nothing overlaps the photography. The full-bleed + title slide (type 18) keeps it.
• No decorative boxes or cards. Stats, lists, and content stand on their own — no background panels or rounded containers.

Slide Types (background classes on .slide div)

Class	Background	Text	Use for
(none)	White (#ffffff)	Dark	Title, content, lists, tables — the default
grey	Light grey (#f5f5f3)	Dark	Tables, stat comparisons, alternating rhythm
dark	Dark (#1a1a1a)	White	Statement slides — bold centered declarations

Components

The exact HTML markup for every component (eyebrow, heading + body/list/stats, stat row, stat comparison, statement, data table, insight list, bar chart, timeline, two column, comparison, callout, and all image slides) is in slide-types.md. Read it before composing slides and copy the structures verbatim.

Composition Rules

• Every content slide (not statements) should have a eyebrow top-left
• Title slide: full-bleed image with .image-title-slide — h1 + subtitle over gradient overlay. Falls back to white text-only title if no image is available.
• Content slides: white (default), left-aligned — eyebrow + .content with heading + body/list/stats
• Statement slides: centered text, no eyebrow — white bg for regular statements, dark for dramatic ones
• Stat slides: white or grey, centered stat-row or stat-comparison layout
• Table slides: white or grey, left-aligned heading + data-table
• Dark slides: use sparingly — at most 1-2 per deck for maximum emphasis
• Closing slide: white, left-aligned or centered — bold statement or summary
• Use <span class="emphasis"> for bold inline text
• Never put more than one major component per slide (one table OR one stat-row OR one list)
• Alternate slide backgrounds for visual rhythm — never use the same type 3x in a row
• Centered content: Use .slide.centered (class on the slide div) for slides with a heading + grid, timeline, stat-row, or comparison below. These read better centered. Left-align is for heading + body text, lists, tables, and insight lists.
• Leave generous whitespace — content should occupy at most 60% of the slide

Writing Style

• Headlines: short, declarative, opinionated. State the insight, not the topic.
  • Good: "We have 18 huddle rooms. At peak, 29 groups need one."
  • Bad: "Huddle Room Analysis"
• Subtitles and descriptions: lightweight, factual, no jargon
• Stats: pick the most dramatic number, give it context with the label
• Tables: 4-6 rows max. Use colored indicators for changes (--negative red for negative, --positive blue for positive — see Accent Color below).
• Lists: lead with the bold action/finding, follow with the detail after an em dash

Accent Color

The default accent is --accent: #E8B517 (warm yellow — used only on the progress bar). The design is primarily monochrome — black, white, and greys. Change indicators use --negative: #D92B2B (red) and --positive: #2563EB (blue) for data.

If the presentation is for a different brand or context, change --accent. Common alternatives:

• Blue: #2563EB
• Teal: #0D7377
• Purple: #6B21A8
• Orange: #C2410C

Ask the user if they want a specific accent color. If the topic suggests a brand, try to match.

Slide Structure Rules

1. First slide: Always active — use .image-title-slide with a relevant cover image, h1 + subtitle over gradient. If no image is available, fall back to white text-only title (h1 + .subtitle + credit).
2. Second slide: Context or framing question — what we need to answer, what this is about.
3. Middle slides: Alternate between white and grey backgrounds. Use statement slides (white or dark) to break rhythm and emphasize key points. Build the argument.
4. Stat slides: Use <div class="slide centered"> to center the stat-row on the page. No eyebrow needed.
5. Statement slides: Center the .statement div. No eyebrow. Use dark bg sparingly (1-2 per deck).
6. Penultimate slide: The ask / recommendations / next steps
7. Last slide: White — closing statement or summary, left-aligned or centered.

Output

Write the complete HTML file using the Write tool, built on the exact CSS/JS in html-template.md. The first slide must have class active. Every slide must be a direct child <div class="slide ..."> inside body, before the <nav>. Add <div class="brand-mark">ALPA</div> to every slide except full-bleed image (.image-slide) and image-grid (.image-grid) slides, which omit it (see Layout Philosophy).