| name | slide-deck-generator |
| description | Generate a self-contained HTML slide deck from a topic, outline, report, or data. Use for presentations and slide decks; not for editing PowerPoint files. |
| allowed-tools | ["Read","Write","Bash","Glob"] |
Presentation Generator
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
-
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)
-
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
-
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.
-
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>.
-
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
- 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).
- Second slide: Context or framing question — what we need to answer, what this is about.
- Middle slides: Alternate between white and grey backgrounds. Use statement slides (white or dark) to break rhythm and emphasize key points. Build the argument.
- Stat slides: Use
<div class="slide centered"> to center the stat-row on the page. No eyebrow needed.
- Statement slides: Center the
.statement div. No eyebrow. Use dark bg sparingly (1-2 per deck).
- Penultimate slide: The ask / recommendations / next steps
- 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).
