Deck builder

deck-builder

You help the user produce an actual editable .pptx file, not just an outline. The skill runs python-pptx under the hood to materialize slides with a chosen color palette, multiple layout types, and audience-tuned density.

This skill pairs with two others:

• audience-profile — decides how dense / how many / which sections the deck should have
• slide-outliner — drafts the per-slide content before this skill turns it into a .pptx

For a single fast pipeline, use all three in order: profile → outline → build.

How to respond

1. Gather three inputs before generating anything:

   • Content. Either a finished outline (from slide-outliner), a long doc the user wants compressed into slides, or a list of points. If the content is thin ("here's the topic, you fill in"), pause and ask — making slides up is the easiest way to make a bad deck.

   • Audience. One of: exec, board, technical, sales, internal, investor, partner, customer. If the user gives a free-form description ("VP of Eng + their staff at a partner"), map to the closest archetype and call out your choice. Use audience-profile for the structural rules.

   • Palette. Always ask the user before generating — don't pick for them, and don't default silently. Present the choice like this:

     Pick a palette before I generate the deck:

     • corporate-blue — default for B2B / enterprise audiences
     • monochrome — restrained / when content is sensitive
     • vibrant — internal / sales / pitch decks
     • dark-mode — engineering audiences, live demos
     • editorial — long-form / read-ahead decks
     • forest — calm, nature-leaning
     • sunset — warm, narrative-leaning
     • Or give me hex values for primary / secondary / accent / background / text
     • Or paste your brand colors and I'll map them into the five roles

     If the user gives brand colors as a partial set (e.g. just a primary), derive the missing roles using the rules in reference.md and call out what you filled in.

2. Plan the slide list against the audience archetype. For example:

   Audience	Slide count	Density	Required sections
   exec	6–10	Low — 3 bullets max	Ask • TL;DR • Business impact • Risks • Ask (closing)
   board	8–12	Low — big numbers	Cover • TL;DR • Strategic context • Financials • Risks • Ask
   technical	12–20	High — detail welcome	Context • Goals • Proposal (3–5) • Alternatives • Risks • Rollout
   sales	8–12	Story arc, visual	Hook • Pain • Solution • Proof • Pricing • Close
   internal	5–10	Mixed	Context • Proposal • Discussion topics • Action items
   investor	10–15	Polished, narrative	Problem • Market • Product • Traction • Team • Ask

   The full archetype spec is in audience-profile.

3. Build a deck spec. The spec is a JSON document with this shape — full schema in templates/deck-spec.json:

   {
     "title": "ProjectX Migration — Board Update",
     "audience": "board",
     "palette": { "primary": "#1A2A6C", "accent": "#FDBB2D", ... },
     "slides": [
       { "layout": "title", "title": "...", "subtitle": "..." },
       { "layout": "section", "title": "..." },
       { "layout": "content", "title": "...", "bullets": ["..."] },
       { "layout": "big_number", "title": "...", "number": "$24M", "caption": "ARR at risk" },
       { "layout": "two_column", "title": "...", "left": {...}, "right": {...} },
       { "layout": "quote", "quote": "...", "attribution": "..." },
       { "layout": "closing", "title": "Approval requested", "subtitle": "..." }
     ]
   }
   

   Available layouts: title, section, content, two_column, big_number, quote, closing. Most slides should be content; sprinkle in big_number and quote for emphasis.

4. Run the build script to produce the actual .pptx:

   # Claude Code
   python3 "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/build_deck.py" /tmp/deck-spec.json -o ./out/deck.pptx
   
   # Other IDEs (from the skill folder)
   cd path/to/deck-builder && python3 scripts/build_deck.py /tmp/deck-spec.json -o ./out/deck.pptx
   

   The script writes a real .pptx the user can open in PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides and edit further. Tell the user where the file landed and what to do next.

5. Recommend post-generation refinement. A generated deck is a strong first draft, not a finished artifact. Always suggest:

   • Reviewing speaker notes (they were written by the agent — verify before presenting)
   • Replacing any placeholder images with real visuals
   • Doing one "audience pass" — read every slide title in order, does the narrative make sense to that specific audience?

Useful references

• reference.md — Color palette principles + layout-vs-content matching guide
• templates/deck-spec.json — Full JSON schema with every layout demonstrated
• templates/palettes.json — Pre-built color palettes (corporate-blue, monochrome, vibrant, dark-mode, editorial, forest, sunset)
• examples/exec-board-update.md — Worked example: brief → spec → resulting deck
• scripts/build_deck.py — The generator (don't edit unless extending layouts)

Quality bar

• Title slide isn't blank — it has a real title, subtitle, presenter, date.
• Section dividers used sparingly — at most one every 4–5 content slides.
• Big numbers are real — never invent statistics for emphasis. If the user gave you a number, use it; otherwise pick a different layout.
• Bullet density matches audience — for exec, max 3 bullets per slide, period. For technical, up to 6 if the content really needs it.
• Speaker notes for every slide — even one sentence. They're how the presenter remembers what's between the bullets.
• Color palette is consistent — don't mix in random colors that aren't in the palette.
• No surprise pages — first and last slides match in style; the deck reads as one document.

Anti-patterns to avoid

• ❌ Generating a deck without confirming the audience. The same content for execs vs engineers is a different deck.
• ❌ Writing fake numbers to fill a big_number slide.
• ❌ Defaulting to bullets when a big_number, quote, or two_column would land harder.
• ❌ Skipping speaker notes because the user "knows the topic" — they're for the reviewer/co-presenter too.
• ❌ Choosing low-contrast palettes (light grey text on white). If the palette has poor contrast, swap to a sensible default and explain.
• ❌ More than ~20 slides for any audience. If you can't make the point in 20, the deck isn't the right format.