| name | visual-explainer |
| description | Generate self-contained HTML pages that visually explain systems, data stories, investigations, editorial workflows, and code changes. Use when the user asks for a diagram, architecture overview, diff review, plan review, project recap, source map, comparison table, timeline, or any visual explanation of technical or editorial concepts. Also use proactively when about to render a complex ASCII table (4+ rows or 3+ columns) — present it as a styled HTML page instead. Adapted from nicobailon/visual-explainer with journalism, newsroom, and academic design sensibilities. |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | Requires a browser to view generated HTML files. Optional surf-cli for AI image generation. |
| metadata | {"author":"nicobailon (upstream); journalism adaptations by jamditis","version":"0.7.1","upstream":"https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer"} |
Visual explainer
Generate self-contained HTML files for technical diagrams, editorial visualizations, and data tables. Always open the result in the browser. Never fall back to ASCII art when this skill is loaded.
Proactive table rendering. When you're about to present tabular data as an ASCII box-drawing table in the terminal (comparisons, audits, feature matrices, status reports, source verification grids — any structured rows/columns), generate an HTML page instead. The threshold: if the table has 4+ rows or 3+ columns, it belongs in the browser. Don't wait for the user to ask — render it as HTML automatically and tell them the file path. You can still include a brief text summary in the chat, but the table itself should be the HTML page.
Available commands
Detailed prompt templates in ./commands/. In Claude Code, namespaced (/visual-explainer:diff-review). In Pi, these are slash commands (/diff-review). In Codex, use /prompts:diff-review (if installed to ~/.codex/prompts/) or invoke $visual-explainer and describe the workflow.
| Command | What it does |
|---|
generate-web-diagram | Generate an HTML diagram for any topic |
generate-visual-plan | Generate a visual implementation plan for a feature |
generate-slides | Generate a magazine-quality slide deck |
diff-review | Visual diff review with architecture comparison and code review |
plan-review | Compare a plan against the codebase with risk assessment |
project-recap | Mental model snapshot for context-switching back to a project |
fact-check | Verify accuracy of a document against actual code |
share-page | Deploy an HTML page to Vercel and get a live URL |
Workflow
1. Think (5 seconds, not 5 minutes)
Before writing HTML, commit to a direction. Don't default to "dark theme with blue accents" every time.
Visual is always default. Even essays, blog posts, and articles get visual treatment — extract structure into cards, diagrams, grids, tables.
Prose patterns (lead paragraphs, pull quotes, callout boxes) are accent elements within visual pages, not a separate mode. Use them to highlight key points or provide breathing room, but the page structure remains visual.
For prose accents, see "Prose Page Elements" in ./references/css-patterns.md. For everything else, use the standard freeform approach with aesthetic directions below.
Who is looking? A developer understanding a system? A reporter revisiting an investigation? An editor reviewing a story? A PM seeing the big picture? An academic auditing methodology? This shapes information density and visual complexity.
What type of content? Architecture, flowchart, sequence, data flow, schema/ER, state machine, mind map, class diagram, C4 architecture, data table, timeline, dashboard, source network, investigation map, editorial workflow, story structure, or prose-first page. Each has distinct layout needs and rendering approaches (see Diagram types below).
What aesthetic? Pick one and commit. The constrained aesthetics (Blueprint, Editorial, Paper/ink) are safer — they have specific requirements that prevent generic output. The flexible ones (IDE-inspired) require more discipline.
Constrained aesthetics (prefer these):
- Blueprint (technical drawing feel, subtle grid background, deep slate/blue palette, monospace labels, precise borders)
- Editorial broadsheet (serif headlines like Playfair Display or Crimson Pro, generous whitespace, muted earth tones or deep navy + gold)
- Paper and ink (warm cream
#faf7f5 background, terracotta/sage accents, informal feel — good for newsroom features)
- Magazine feature (large display serif, off-axis composition, rich pull quotes, photo-led)
- Academic / research paper (Libre Baskerville or Source Serif, restrained palette, footnotes-style detail, generous margins)
- Newsroom board (cork/pushpin texture, handwritten-style notes, pinned-card layouts — for editorial planning, story maps)
- Investigation wall (red string aesthetic, connected entities, graph-paper background, monochrome with red accents — for relationship maps)
- Monochrome terminal (green/amber on near-black, monospace everything, CRT glow optional)
Flexible aesthetics (use with caution):
- IDE-inspired (borrow a real, named color scheme: Dracula, Nord, Catppuccin Mocha/Latte, Solarized Dark/Light, Gruvbox, One Dark, Rosé Pine) — commit to the actual palette, don't approximate
- Data-dense / wire service (small type, tight spacing, maximum information, muted colors)
- Hand-drawn sketch (Mermaid
look: 'handDrawn', casual annotations — for whiteboard/early-stage thinking)
Explicitly forbidden:
- Neon dashboard (cyan + magenta + purple on dark) — always produces AI slop
- Gradient mesh (pink/purple/cyan blobs) — too generic
- Any combination of Inter font + violet/indigo accents + gradient text
Vary the choice each time. If the last diagram was dark and technical, make the next one light and editorial. The swap test: if you replaced your styling with a generic dark theme and nobody would notice the difference, you haven't designed anything.
2. Structure
Read the reference material before generating. Don't memorize it — read it each time to absorb the patterns.
- For text-heavy architecture overviews (card content matters more than topology): read
./templates/architecture.html
- For flowcharts, sequence diagrams, ER, state machines, mind maps, class diagrams, C4: read
./templates/mermaid-flowchart.html
- For data tables, comparisons, audits, feature matrices, source verification grids: read
./templates/data-table.html
- For slide deck presentations (when
--slides flag is present or /generate-slides is invoked): read ./templates/slide-deck.html and ./references/slide-patterns.md
- For prose-heavy publishable pages (READMEs, articles, blog posts, essays): read the "Prose Page Elements" section in
./references/css-patterns.md and "Typography by Content Voice" in ./references/libraries.md
For CSS/layout patterns and SVG connectors, read ./references/css-patterns.md.
For pages with 4+ sections (reviews, recaps, dashboards), also read ./references/responsive-nav.md for section navigation with sticky sidebar TOC on desktop and horizontal scrollable bar on mobile.
Choosing a rendering approach:
| Content type | Approach | Why |
|---|
| Architecture (text-heavy) | CSS Grid cards + flow arrows | Rich card content (descriptions, code, tool lists) needs CSS control |
| Architecture (topology-focused) | Mermaid | Visible connections between components need automatic edge routing |
| Flowchart / pipeline | Mermaid | Automatic node positioning and edge routing |
| Sequence diagram | Mermaid | Lifelines, messages, and activation boxes need automatic layout |
| Data flow | Mermaid with edge labels | Connections and data descriptions need automatic edge routing |
| ER / schema diagram | Mermaid | Relationship lines between many entities need auto-routing |
| State machine | Mermaid | State transitions with labeled edges need automatic layout |
| Mind map | Mermaid | Hierarchical branching needs automatic positioning |
| Class diagram | Mermaid | Inheritance, composition, aggregation lines with automatic routing |
| C4 architecture | Mermaid | Use graph TD + subgraph for C4 (not native C4Context — it ignores themes) |
| Data table / comparison / audit | HTML <table> | Semantic markup, accessibility, copy-paste behavior |
| Timeline / chronology | CSS (central line + cards) | Simple linear layout doesn't need a layout engine |
| Dashboard / metrics | CSS Grid + Chart.js | Card grid with embedded charts |
| Source network | Mermaid or CSS Grid cards | Map relationships between sources in an investigation or story |
| Editorial workflow | Mermaid flowchart | Story lifecycle from pitch through publish/distribute |
| Investigation map | CSS Grid cards + Mermaid | Connect entities, documents, and events in investigative work |
| Story structure | CSS Grid | Visualize narrative arc, sections, sourcing distribution before publication |
Mermaid theming. Always use theme: 'base' with custom themeVariables so colors match your page palette. Use layout: 'elk' for complex graphs (requires the @mermaid-js/layout-elk package — see ./references/libraries.md for the CDN import). Override Mermaid's SVG classes with CSS for pixel-perfect control. See ./references/libraries.md for full theming guide.
Mermaid containers. Always center Mermaid diagrams with display: flex; justify-content: center;. Add zoom controls (+/−/reset/expand) to every .mermaid-wrap container. Include the click-to-expand JavaScript so clicking the diagram (or the ⛶ button) opens it full-size in a new tab.
Never use bare <pre class="mermaid">. It renders but has no zoom/pan controls — diagrams become tiny and unusable. Always use the journalism mermaid-flowchart.html pattern: a .mermaid-wrap container with .zoom-controls (+/−/reset/expand buttons) wrapping a .mermaid element. The container's CSS handles overflow and pan affordances; the bundled JS wires zoom buttons, ctrl+scroll wheel zoom, click-and-drag panning, and click-to-expand into a new tab. Copy the template wholesale rather than reconstructing the pattern.
Mermaid scaling. Diagrams with 10+ nodes render too small by default. For 10–12 nodes, increase fontSize in themeVariables to 18–20px and set INITIAL_ZOOM to 1.5–1.6. For 15+ elements, don't try to scale — use the hybrid pattern instead (simple Mermaid overview + CSS Grid cards). See "Architecture / system diagrams" below.
Mermaid layout direction. Prefer flowchart TD (top-down) over flowchart LR (left-to-right) for complex diagrams. LR spreads horizontally and makes labels unreadable when there are many nodes. Use LR only for simple 3–4 node linear flows. See ./references/libraries.md "Layout direction: TD vs LR".
Mermaid line breaks in flowchart labels. Use <br/> inside quoted labels. Never use escaped newlines like \n (Mermaid renders them as literal text in HTML output). Example: A["Pitch desk<br/>weekly intake"].
Mermaid CSS class collision constraint. Never define .node as a page-level CSS class. Mermaid.js uses .node internally on SVG <g> elements with transform: translate(x, y) for positioning. Page-level .node styles (hover transforms, box-shadows) leak into diagrams and break layout. Use the namespaced .ve-card class for card components instead. The only safe way to style Mermaid's .node is scoped under .mermaid (e.g., .mermaid .node rect).
AI-generated illustrations (optional). If surf-cli is available, you can generate images via Gemini and embed them in the page for creative, illustrative, explanatory, educational, or decorative purposes. Check availability with which surf. If available:
surf gemini "descriptive prompt" --generate-image /tmp/ve-img.png --aspect-ratio 16:9
IMG=$(base64 -i /tmp/ve-img.png)
rm /tmp/ve-img.png
See ./references/css-patterns.md for image container styles (hero banners, inline illustrations, captions).
When to use: Hero banners that establish the page's visual tone. Conceptual illustrations for abstract systems that Mermaid can't express (physical infrastructure, user journeys, mental models). Educational diagrams that benefit from artistic or photorealistic rendering. Decorative accents that reinforce the aesthetic.
When to skip: Anything Mermaid or CSS handles well. Generic decoration that doesn't convey meaning. Data-heavy pages where images would distract. Always degrade gracefully — if surf isn't available, skip images without erroring. The page should stand on its own with CSS and typography alone.
Prompt craft: Match the image to the page's palette and aesthetic direction. Specify the style (3D render, technical illustration, watercolor, isometric, flat vector, etc.) and mention dominant colors from your CSS variables. Use --aspect-ratio 16:9 for hero banners, --aspect-ratio 1:1 for inline illustrations. Keep prompts specific — "isometric illustration of a message queue with cyan nodes on dark navy background" beats "a diagram of a queue."
3. Style
Apply these principles to every diagram:
Typography is the diagram. Pick a distinctive font pairing from the list in ./references/libraries.md. Every page should use a different pairing from recent generations. The journalism font pairings (Playfair Display + Source Serif Pro for editorial broadsheet, Libre Baskerville + Fira Code for academic, Bitter + Inconsolata for newsroom) are listed alongside the upstream technical pairings.
Forbidden as --font-body: Inter, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, system-ui alone. These are AI slop signals.
Good upstream pairings (use these):
- DM Sans + Fira Code (technical, precise)
- Instrument Serif + JetBrains Mono (editorial, refined)
- IBM Plex Sans + IBM Plex Mono (reliable, readable)
- Bricolage Grotesque + Fragment Mono (bold, characterful)
- Plus Jakarta Sans + Azeret Mono (rounded, approachable)
Good journalism pairings (use these for editorial / academic / newsroom contexts):
- Playfair Display + Source Serif Pro (classic newspaper)
- DM Serif Display + DM Sans (contemporary magazine)
- Libre Baskerville + Fira Code (research paper)
- Bitter + Inconsolata (working newsroom document)
- Instrument Serif + JetBrains Mono (wire service / data)
Load via <link> in <head>. Include a system font fallback in the font-family stack for offline resilience.
Color tells a story. Use CSS custom properties for the full palette. Define at minimum: --bg, --surface, --border, --text, --text-dim, and 3–5 accent colors. Each accent should have a full and a dim variant (for backgrounds). Name variables semantically when possible (--pipeline-step not --blue-3). Support both themes.
Forbidden accent colors: #8b5cf6 #7c3aed #a78bfa (indigo/violet), #d946ef (fuchsia), the cyan-magenta-pink combination. These are Tailwind defaults that signal zero design intent.
Good accent palettes (use these):
- Terracotta + sage (
#c2410c, #65a30d) — warm, earthy (newsroom, paper-and-ink)
- Teal + slate (
#0891b2, #0369a1) — technical, precise (architecture, blueprint)
- Rose + cranberry (
#be123c, #881337) — editorial, refined (verification audits)
- Amber + emerald (
#d97706, #059669) — data-focused (dashboards)
- Deep blue + gold (
#1e3a5f, #d4a73a) — premium, sophisticated (academic, executive)
Put your primary aesthetic in :root and the alternate in the media query:
:root { }
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) { :root { } }
:root { }
@media (prefers-color-scheme: light) { :root { } }
Surfaces whisper, they don't shout. Build depth through subtle lightness shifts (2–4% between levels), not dramatic color changes. Borders should be low-opacity rgba (rgba(255,255,255,0.08) in dark mode, rgba(0,0,0,0.08) in light) — visible when you look, invisible when you don't.
Backgrounds create atmosphere. Don't use flat solid colors for the page background. Subtle gradients, faint grid patterns via CSS, or gentle radial glows behind focal areas. The background should feel like a space, not a void.
Visual weight signals importance. Not every section deserves equal visual treatment. Executive summaries and key metrics should dominate the viewport on load (larger type, more padding, subtle accent-tinted background zone). Reference sections (file maps, dependency lists, decision logs, source lists) should be compact and stay out of the way. Use <details>/<summary> for sections that are useful but not primary — the collapsible pattern is in ./references/css-patterns.md.
Surface depth creates hierarchy. Vary card depth to signal what matters. Hero sections get elevated shadows and accent-tinted backgrounds (ve-card--hero pattern). Body content stays flat (default .ve-card). Code blocks and secondary content feel recessed (ve-card--recessed). See the depth tiers in ./references/css-patterns.md. Don't make everything elevated — when everything pops, nothing does.
Animation earns its place. Staggered fade-ins on page load are almost always worth it — they guide the eye through the diagram's hierarchy. Mix animation types by role: fadeUp for cards, fadeScale for KPIs and badges, drawIn for SVG connectors, countUp for hero numbers. Hover transitions on interactive-feeling elements make the diagram feel alive. Always respect prefers-reduced-motion. CSS transitions and keyframes handle most cases. For orchestrated multi-element sequences, anime.js via CDN is available (see ./references/libraries.md).
Forbidden animations:
- Animated glowing box-shadows (
@keyframes glow { box-shadow: 0 0 20px... }) — this is AI slop
- Pulsing/breathing effects on static content
- Continuous animations that run after page load (except for progress indicators)
Keep animations purposeful: entrance reveals, hover feedback, and user-initiated interactions. Nothing should glow or pulse on its own.
Accessibility. All generated pages must meet WCAG 2.1 AA minimum. This means:
- Color contrast ratios: 4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for large text and UI components
- Status indicators use shape/text alongside color (never color alone)
- Tables have proper
<thead>, <th scope>, and <caption> elements
- Charts include data table alternatives
- Focus indicators visible for keyboard navigation
- Language declared in
<html lang="en">
4. Deliver
Output location. Write to ~/.agent/diagrams/. Use a descriptive filename based on content: authentication-flow.html, source-network.html, budget-analysis.html, editorial-pipeline.html. The directory persists across sessions.
Open in browser:
- macOS:
open ~/.agent/diagrams/filename.html
- Linux:
xdg-open ~/.agent/diagrams/filename.html
Tell the user the file path so they can re-open or share it.
Diagram types
Architecture / system diagrams
Three approaches depending on complexity:
Simple topology (under 10 elements): Use Mermaid. A graph TD with custom themeVariables produces readable diagrams with automatic edge routing.
Text-heavy overviews (under 15 elements): CSS Grid with explicit row/column placement. Sections as rounded cards with colored borders and monospace labels. Vertical flow arrows between sections. The reference template at ./templates/architecture.html demonstrates this pattern with a newsroom CMS example. Use when cards need descriptions, code references, tool lists, or other rich content that Mermaid nodes can't hold.
Complex architectures (15+ elements): Use the hybrid pattern — a simple Mermaid overview (5–8 nodes showing module relationships) followed by detailed CSS Grid cards for each module's internals. This gives you visual topology AND readable details. The overview diagram uses module names with <small> tags for key function names. The cards below show full function lists with new/modified badges. Never try to cram 15+ elements into a single Mermaid diagram — it will render unreadably small even with zoom controls.
Flowcharts / pipelines
Use Mermaid. Automatic node positioning and edge routing produces proper diagrams with connecting lines, decision diamonds, and parallel branches — dramatically better than CSS flexbox with arrow characters. Prefer graph TD (top-down); use graph LR only for simple 3–4 node linear flows. Color-code node types with Mermaid's classDef or rely on themeVariables for automatic styling. Good for editorial workflows (pitch → assign → draft → edit → publish), FOIA request processes, verification workflows, story-routing pipelines.
Sequence diagrams
Use Mermaid. Lifelines, messages, activation boxes, notes, and loops all need automatic layout. Use Mermaid's sequenceDiagram syntax. Style actors and messages via CSS overrides on .actor, .messageText, .activation classes. Good for showing interactions between reporters, editors, sources, and systems.
Data flow diagrams
Use Mermaid. Data flow diagrams emphasize connections over boxes — exactly what Mermaid excels at. Use graph TD (or graph LR for simple linear flows) with edge labels for data descriptions. Thicker, colored edges for primary flows. Source/sink nodes styled differently from transform nodes via Mermaid's classDef.
Schema / ER diagrams
Use Mermaid. Relationship lines between entities need automatic routing. Use Mermaid's erDiagram syntax with entity attributes. Style via themeVariables and CSS overrides on .er.entityBox and .er.relationshipLine.
State machines / decision trees
Use Mermaid. Use stateDiagram-v2 for states with labeled transitions. Supports nested states, forks, joins, and notes. Decision trees can use graph TD with diamond decision nodes.
stateDiagram-v2 label caveat: Transition labels have a strict parser — colons, parentheses, <br/>, HTML entities, and most special characters cause silent parse failures ("Syntax error in text"). If your labels need any of these (e.g., cancel(), curate: true, multi-line labels), use flowchart TD instead with rounded nodes and quoted edge labels (|"label text"|). Flowcharts handle all special characters and support <br/> for line breaks. Reserve stateDiagram-v2 for simple single-word or plain-text labels.
Mind maps / hierarchical breakdowns
Use Mermaid. Use mindmap syntax for hierarchical branching from a root node. Mermaid handles the radial layout automatically. Style with themeVariables to control node colors at each depth level.
Class diagrams
Use Mermaid. Use classDiagram syntax for domain modeling, OOP design, and entity relationships with typed properties and methods. Supports relationships: association (-->), composition (*--), aggregation (o--), and inheritance (<|--). Add multiplicity labels (e.g., "1" --> "*") and abstract/interface markers (<<interface>>, <<abstract>>). For simple entity boxes without OOP semantics (no methods, no inheritance), prefer erDiagram instead — it produces cleaner output for pure data modeling.
C4 architecture diagrams
Use Mermaid flowchart syntax — NOT native C4. Use graph TD with subgraph blocks for C4 boundaries. Native C4Context hardcodes sharp corners, its own font, blue icons, and inline SVG colors that ignore themeVariables — it always clashes with custom palettes.
Flowchart-as-C4 pattern: Persons → rounded nodes (("Name")), systems → rectangles ["Name"], databases → cylinders [("Name")], boundaries → subgraph blocks, relationships → labeled arrows -->|"protocol"|. Use classDef + :::className to visually differentiate external systems (e.g., dashed borders). This inherits themeVariables, fontFamily, and CSS overrides like every other Mermaid diagram.
Data tables / comparisons / audits
Use a real <table> element — not CSS Grid pretending to be a table. Tables get accessibility, copy-paste behavior, and column alignment for free. The reference template at ./templates/data-table.html demonstrates all patterns below in the context of a source verification audit.
Use proactively. Any time you'd render an ASCII box-drawing table in the terminal, generate an HTML table instead. This includes: requirement audits (request vs plan), feature comparisons, status reports, configuration matrices, test result summaries, dependency lists, permission tables, API endpoint inventories, source verification grids, FOIA request logs, document inventories, claim-by-claim audits — any structured rows and columns.
Layout patterns:
- Sticky
<thead> so headers stay visible when scrolling long tables
- Alternating row backgrounds via
tr:nth-child(even) (subtle, 2–3% lightness shift)
- First column optionally sticky for wide tables with horizontal scroll
- Responsive wrapper with
overflow-x: auto for tables wider than the viewport
- Column width hints via
<colgroup> or th widths — let text-heavy columns breathe
- Row hover highlight for scanability
Status indicators (use styled <span> elements, never emoji):
- Match/pass/yes/verified: colored dot or checkmark with green background
- Gap/fail/no/unverified: colored dot or cross with red background
- Partial/warning: amber indicator
- Neutral/info: dim text or muted badge
Cell content:
- Wrap long text naturally — don't truncate or force single-line
- Use
<code> for technical references within cells
- Secondary detail text in
<small> with dimmed color
- Keep numeric columns right-aligned with
tabular-nums
Timeline / chronology / roadmap
Vertical or horizontal timeline with a central line (CSS pseudo-element). Phase markers as circles on the line. Content cards branching left/right (alternating) or all to one side. Date labels on the line. Color progression from past (muted) to future (vivid). Good for investigation timelines, event chronologies, project histories.
Dashboard / metrics overview
Card grid layout. Hero numbers large and prominent. Sparklines via inline SVG <polyline>. Progress bars via CSS linear-gradient on a div. For real charts (bar, line, pie), use Chart.js via CDN (see ./references/libraries.md). KPI cards with trend indicators (up/down arrows, percentage deltas). Good for newsroom analytics, grant reporting dashboards, audience metrics.
Source network
Map relationships between sources in an investigation or story. Can use Mermaid for connection-heavy maps or CSS Grid cards for detail-heavy source profiles. Include: source name, role, credibility indicators, what they provided, cross-references to other sources. Color-code by source category (official records, named human, anonymous, document, expert).
Investigation map
Connect entities (people, organizations, documents, events) with visual links. CSS Grid cards for entity profiles, Mermaid for relationship diagrams. Color-code by entity type. Show strength of connections. Good for investigative reporting, following the money, mapping power structures. The "investigation wall" aesthetic (red string, monochrome with red accents) suits this well.
Editorial workflow
Mermaid flowchart showing story lifecycle: pitch → assign → research → draft → edit → legal review → copy edit → layout → publish → distribute. Color-code stages. Show decision gates (kill/revise/approve). Include role labels on transitions. The reference template at ./templates/mermaid-flowchart.html demonstrates this pattern.
Story structure
CSS Grid visualization of narrative arc. Show sections, word counts, source distribution, multimedia placement. Good for planning longform features or reviewing story architecture before publication.
Implementation plans
For visualizing implementation plans, extension designs, or feature specifications. The goal is understanding the approach, not reading the full source code.
Don't dump full files. Displaying entire source files inline overwhelms the page and defeats the purpose of a visual explanation. Instead:
- Show file structure with descriptions — list functions/exports with one-line explanations
- Show key snippets only — the 5–10 lines that illustrate the core logic
- Use collapsible sections for full code if truly needed
Code blocks require explicit formatting. Without white-space: pre-wrap, code runs together into an unreadable wall. See the "Code blocks" section in ./references/css-patterns.md for the correct pattern.
Structure for implementation plans:
- Overview/purpose (what problem does this solve?)
- Flow diagram (Mermaid or CSS cards)
- File structure with descriptions (not full code)
- Key implementation details (snippets)
- API/interface summary
- Usage examples
Documentation (READMEs, library docs, API references)
When visualizing documentation, extract structure into visual elements:
| Content | Visual treatment |
|---|
| Features | Card grid (2–3 columns) |
| Install/setup steps | Numbered cards or vertical flow |
| API endpoints/commands | Table with sticky header |
| Config options | Table |
| Architecture | Mermaid diagram or CSS card layout |
| Comparisons | Side-by-side panels or table |
| Warnings/notes | Callout boxes |
Don't just format the prose — transform it. A feature list becomes a card grid. Install steps become a numbered flow. An API reference becomes a table.
Prose accent elements
Use these sparingly within visual pages to highlight key points or provide breathing room. See "Prose page elements" in ./references/css-patterns.md for CSS patterns.
- Lead paragraph — larger intro text to set context before diving into cards/grids
- Pull quote — highlight a key insight; one per page maximum
- Callout box — warnings, tips, important notes
- Section divider — visual break between major sections
When to use: A visual page explaining an essay might use a lead paragraph for the thesis, then cards for key arguments. A README visualization might use callout boxes for warnings but otherwise stay card/table-focused.
Slide deck mode
An alternative output format for presenting content as a magazine-quality slide presentation instead of a scrollable page. Opt-in only — generate slides when the user invokes /generate-slides, passes --slides to an existing prompt (e.g., /diff-review --slides), or explicitly asks for a slide deck. Never auto-select slide format.
Before generating slides, read ./references/slide-patterns.md (engine CSS, slide types, transitions, nav chrome, presets) and ./templates/slide-deck.html (reference template showing all 10 types). Also read ./references/css-patterns.md for shared patterns and ./references/libraries.md for Mermaid/Chart.js theming.
Slides are not pages reformatted. They're a different medium. Each slide is exactly one viewport tall (100dvh) with no scrolling. Typography is 2–3× larger. Compositions are bolder. The agent composes a narrative arc (impact → context → deep dive → resolution) rather than mechanically paginating the source.
Content completeness. Changing the medium does not mean dropping content. Follow the "Planning a Deck from a Source Document" process in slide-patterns.md before writing any HTML: inventory the source, map every item to slides, verify coverage. Every section, decision, data point, specification, and collapsible detail from the source must appear in the deck. If a plan has 7 sections, the deck covers all 7. If there are 6 decisions, present all 6 — not the 2 that fit on one slide. Collapsible details in the source become their own slides. Add more slides rather than cutting content. A 22-slide deck that covers everything beats a 13-slide deck that looks polished but is missing 40% of the source.
Slide types (10): Title, Section Divider, Content, Split, Diagram, Dashboard, Table, Code, Quote, Full-Bleed. Each has a defined layout in slide-patterns.md. Content that exceeds a slide's density limit splits across multiple slides — never scrolls within a slide.
Visual richness: Check which surf at the start. If surf-cli is available, generate 2–4 images (title slide background, full-bleed background, optional content illustrations) before writing HTML — see the Proactive Imagery section in slide-patterns.md for the workflow. Also use SVG decorative accents, per-slide background gradients, inline sparklines, and small Mermaid diagrams. Visual-first, text-second.
Compositional variety: Consecutive slides must vary spatial approach — centered, left-heavy, right-heavy, split, edge-aligned, full-bleed. Three centered slides in a row means push one off-axis.
Curated presets: Four slide-specific presets as starting points (Midnight Editorial, Warm Signal, Terminal Mono, Swiss Clean) plus the existing aesthetic directions adapted for slides. Pick one and commit. See slide-patterns.md for preset CSS values.
--slides flag on existing prompts: When a user passes --slides to /diff-review, /plan-review, /project-recap, or other prompts, the agent gathers data using the prompt's normal data-gathering instructions, then presents the content as a slide deck instead of a scrollable page. The slide version tells the same story with different structure and pacing — but the same breadth of coverage. Don't use the slide format as an excuse to summarize or skip sections that the scrollable version would have included.
File structure
Every diagram is a single self-contained .html file. No external assets except CDN links (fonts, optional libraries). Structure:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Descriptive Title</title>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=...&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
<style>
</style>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Sharing pages
Share visual explainer pages instantly via Vercel when a Pi-compatible vercel-deploy skill is available. No account or authentication required.
Usage with the installed skill path:
bash ~/.pi/agent/skills/visual-explainer/scripts/share.sh <html-file>
If the skill lives somewhere else, use that install path instead, such as ~/.codex/skills/visual-explainer/scripts/share.sh, ~/.config/opencode/skill/visual-explainer/scripts/share.sh, or ./plugins/visual-explainer/scripts/share.sh from a repository checkout.
How it works:
- Runs the
share.sh script from the installed visual-explainer skill directory
- Copies HTML file to temp directory as
index.html
- Deploys via the Pi-compatible
vercel-deploy skill
- URL is live immediately — works in any browser
Requirements:
- vercel-deploy skill in a standard Pi-compatible skill location (in Pi:
pi install npm:vercel-deploy)
Notes:
- Deployments are public — anyone with the URL can view
- Preview deployments have configurable retention (default: 30 days)
- Claim URL lets you transfer the deployment to your Vercel account
- Other harnesses can generate and open HTML normally;
/share-page depends on the Pi-compatible vercel-deploy script being available
See ./commands/share-page.md for the /share-page command template.
Quality checks
Before delivering, verify:
- The squint test: Blur your eyes. Can you still perceive hierarchy? Are sections visually distinct?
- The swap test: Would replacing your fonts and colors with a generic dark theme make this indistinguishable from a template? If yes, push the aesthetic further.
- Both themes: Toggle your OS between light and dark mode. Both should look intentional, not broken.
- Information completeness: Does the diagram actually convey what the user asked for? Pretty but incomplete is a failure.
- No overflow: Resize the browser to different widths. No content should clip or escape its container. Every grid and flex child needs
min-width: 0. Side-by-side panels need overflow-wrap: break-word. Never use display: flex on <li> for marker characters — it creates anonymous flex items that can't shrink, causing lines with many inline <code> badges to overflow. Use absolute positioning for markers instead. See the Overflow Protection section in ./references/css-patterns.md.
- Mermaid zoom controls: Every
.mermaid-wrap container must have zoom controls (+/−/reset/expand buttons), Ctrl/Cmd+scroll zoom, click-and-drag panning, and click-to-expand (clicking without dragging opens the diagram full-size in a new tab). The expand button (⛶) provides the same functionality. See ./references/css-patterns.md for the full pattern including the openMermaidInNewTab() function.
- Accessibility: Color contrast passes. Status indicators don't rely on color alone. Tables have proper semantic markup.
- File opens cleanly: No console errors, no broken font loads, no layout shifts.
Anti-patterns (AI slop)
These patterns are explicitly forbidden. They signal "AI-generated template" and undermine the skill's purpose of producing distinctive, high-quality diagrams. Review every generated page against this list.
Typography
Forbidden fonts as primary --font-body:
- Inter — the single most overused AI default
- Roboto, Arial, Helvetica — generic system fallbacks promoted to primary
- system-ui, sans-serif alone — no character, no intent
Required: Pick from the font pairings in ./references/libraries.md. Every generation should use a different pairing from the last.
Color palette
Forbidden accent colors:
- Indigo-500/violet-500 (
#8b5cf6, #7c3aed, #a78bfa) — Tailwind's default purple range
- The cyan + magenta + pink neon gradient combination (
#06b6d4 → #d946ef → #f472b6)
- Any palette that could be described as "Tailwind defaults with purple/pink/cyan accents"
Forbidden color effects:
- Gradient text on headings (
background: linear-gradient(...); background-clip: text;) — this screams AI-generated
- Animated glowing box-shadows on cards (
box-shadow: 0 0 20px var(--glow); animation: glow 2s...)
- Multiple overlapping radial glows in accent colors creating a "neon haze"
Required: Build palettes from the reference templates (terracotta/sage, teal/cyan, rose/cranberry, slate/blue) or derive from real IDE themes (Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Gruvbox, Catppuccin). Accents should feel intentional, not default.
Section headers
Forbidden:
- Emoji icons in section headers (no decorative emoji at all in section UI)
- Section headers that all use the same icon-in-rounded-box pattern
Required: Use styled monospace labels with colored dot indicators (see .section-label in templates), numbered badges (section__num pattern), or asymmetric section dividers. If an icon is genuinely needed, use an inline SVG that matches the palette — not emoji.
Layout & hierarchy
Forbidden:
- Perfectly centered everything with uniform padding
- All cards styled identically with the same border-radius, shadow, and spacing
- Every section getting equal visual treatment — no hero/primary vs. secondary distinction
- Symmetric layouts where left and right halves mirror each other
Required: Vary visual weight. Hero sections should dominate (larger type, more padding, accent-tinted background). Reference sections should feel compact. Use the depth tiers (hero → elevated → default → recessed). Asymmetric layouts create interest.
Template patterns
Forbidden:
- Three-dot window chrome (red/yellow/green dots) on code blocks — this is a cliché
- KPI cards where every metric has identical gradient text treatment
- "Neon Dashboard" as an aesthetic choice — it always produces generic results
- Gradient meshes with pink/purple/cyan blobs in the background
Required: Code blocks use a simple header with filename or language label. KPI cards vary by importance — hero numbers for the primary metric, subdued treatment for supporting metrics. Pick aesthetics with natural constraints: Blueprint (must feel technical/precise), Editorial (must have generous whitespace and serif typography), Paper/ink (must feel warm and informal), Newsroom board (must read like cork-and-pushpin).
The slop test
Before delivering, apply this test: Would a developer or editor looking at this page immediately think "AI generated this"? The telltale signs:
- Inter or Roboto font with purple/violet gradient accents
- Every heading has
background-clip: text gradient
- Emoji icons leading every section
- Glowing cards with animated shadows
- Cyan-magenta-pink color scheme on dark background
- Perfectly uniform card grid with no visual hierarchy
- Three-dot code block chrome
If two or more of these are present, the page is slop. Regenerate with a different aesthetic direction — Editorial, Blueprint, Paper/ink, Newsroom board, Academic, or a specific IDE theme. These constrained aesthetics are harder to mess up because they have specific visual requirements that prevent defaulting to generic patterns.
Related skills
- journalism-core/data-journalism — data analysis and storytelling
- journalism-core/source-verification — SIFT method, verification trails
- journalism-core/editorial-workflow — assignment tracking, deadline management
- journalism-core/fact-check-workflow — claim verification
- dev-toolkit/accessibility-compliance — WCAG compliance, accessible charts
- dev-toolkit/zero-build-frontend — CDN patterns, React via esm.sh, Leaflet maps
- pdf-design — print-ready documents with brand system
Adapted from nicobailon/visual-explainer (MIT) with design principles from Anthropic's frontend-design skill. Tailored for journalism, media, and academic workflows.
