visual-language

name	visual-language
description	Use this skill when a PPT needs a coherent design language, symbol vocabulary, or diagram style. It defines the presentation's visual system before SlideCraft code is written or revised.

Visual Language

Define the deck's visual system before implementing slide code.

Use This Skill When

• the user asks for a PPT's design language, symbol language, illustration style, or diagram style
• multiple slides need a shared visual identity rather than page-by-page styling
• the deck lacks clear rules for hierarchy, iconography, imagery, or repeated motifs
• review feedback says the deck feels inconsistent, noisy, or visually ad hoc

Do Not Use This Skill When

• the main task is to draft the talk story or speaker notes
• the visual system is already explicit and the task is pure deck implementation
• the task is a quantitative research figure that belongs in plotting
• the task is primarily diagnosing overflow or layout breakage in an existing render

Core Output

Produce a style-system brief that slidecraft can implement directly. The brief must define:

• style_name
• style_keywords
• audience_fit
• palette_roles
• type_scale
• spacing_scale
• layout_families
• symbol_vocab
• icon_style_rules
• connector_rules
• image_policy
• emphasis_rules
• accessibility_baseline
• drift_checks

The goal is not to sound tasteful. The goal is to make another agent render a coherent deck without improvising the visual language slide by slide.

Workflow

1. Read the talk intent
   • identify audience, venue, topic, duration, and desired academic tone
   • infer whether the deck needs to feel more conference-like, seminar-like, tutorial-like, or candidate-talk-like
2. Choose a system starting point
   • select or adapt an archetype from references/archetypes.md when it fits
   • decide which parts stay fixed and which parts should be customized for the talk
3. Define system foundations
   • choose palette roles, type scale, spacing rhythm, and 2-4 recurring layout families
   • decide what must stay constant across the whole deck
4. Define symbol language
   • map recurring concepts to stable shape families and icon metaphors
   • keep the number of symbol families low enough to learn in one viewing
5. Define image policy
   • specify when to use native shapes, plots, tables, screenshots, photos, or no image at all
   • reject decorative imagery that does not advance the argument
6. Define emphasis and accessibility rules
   • specify how focus is created using size, contrast, position, whitespace, and reveal order
   • enforce readability, contrast, and non-color-only meaning
7. Package the brief for implementation and review
   • write the spec in concrete terms that slidecraft can apply
   • include drift checks that slide-review can use later

Handoff

• hand the completed style-system brief to slidecraft for implementation
• if deck review shows palette drift, symbol drift, or inconsistent image use, return here before doing local layout tweaks
• if the user needs bitmap asset generation beyond the brief, escalate to a dedicated image-generation workflow outside this skill

References

• references/style-brief-template.md for the required output shape
• references/archetypes.md for reusable starting-point systems
• references/system-foundation.md for palette, type, spacing, and layout-system decisions
• references/iconography.md for symbol and icon rules
• references/image-policy.md for asset selection decisions
• references/emphasis-and-hierarchy.md for focus and information-layering rules
• references/accessibility-baseline.md for readability and inclusive-design constraints
• references/style-drift-checklist.md for review-time consistency checks