Frontend Slides

Frontend Slides

Create zero-dependency, animation-rich HTML presentations that run entirely in the browser.

Core Principles

1. Zero Dependencies — Single HTML files with inline CSS/JS. No npm, no build tools.
2. Show, Don't Tell — Generate visual previews, not abstract choices. People discover what they want by seeing it.
3. Distinctive Design — No generic "AI slop." Every presentation must feel custom-crafted.
4. Viewport Fitting (NON-NEGOTIABLE) — Every slide MUST fit exactly within 100vh. No scrolling within slides, ever. Content overflows? Split into multiple slides.

Design Aesthetics

You tend to converge toward generic, "on distribution" outputs. In frontend design, this creates what users call the "AI slop" aesthetic. Avoid this: make creative, distinctive frontends that surprise and delight.

Focus on:

• Typography: Choose fonts that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Avoid generic fonts like Arial and Inter; opt instead for distinctive choices that elevate the frontend's aesthetics.
• Color & Theme: Commit to a cohesive aesthetic. Use CSS variables for consistency. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid, evenly-distributed palettes. Draw from IDE themes and cultural aesthetics for inspiration.
• Motion: Use animations for effects and micro-interactions. Prioritize CSS-only solutions for HTML. Use Motion library for React when available. Focus on high-impact moments: one well-orchestrated page load with staggered reveals (animation-delay) creates more delight than scattered micro-interactions.
• Backgrounds: Create atmosphere and depth rather than defaulting to solid colors. Layer CSS gradients, use geometric patterns, or add contextual effects that match the overall aesthetic.

Avoid generic AI-generated aesthetics:

• Overused font families (Inter, Roboto, Arial, system fonts)
• Cliched color schemes (particularly purple gradients on white backgrounds)
• Predictable layouts and component patterns
• Cookie-cutter design that lacks context-specific character

Interpret creatively and make unexpected choices that feel genuinely designed for the context. Vary between light and dark themes, different fonts, different aesthetics. You still tend to converge on common choices (Space Grotesk, for example) across generations. Avoid this: it is critical that you think outside the box!

Viewport Fitting Rules

These invariants apply to EVERY slide in EVERY presentation:

• Every .slide must have height: 100vh; height: 100dvh; overflow: hidden;
• ALL font sizes and spacing must use clamp(min, preferred, max) — never fixed px/rem
• Content containers need max-height constraints
• Images: max-height: min(50vh, 400px)
• Breakpoints required for heights: 700px, 600px, 500px
• Include prefers-reduced-motion support

When generating, read viewport-base.css and include its full contents in every presentation.

Content Density Limits Per Slide

Content exceeds limits? Split into multiple slides. Never cram, never scroll.

Phase 0: Detect Mode

Determine what the user wants:

• Mode A: New Presentation — Create from scratch. Go to Phase 1.
• Mode B: PPT Conversion — Convert a .pptx file. Go to Phase 4.
• Mode C: Enhancement — Improve an existing HTML presentation. Read it, understand it, enhance.

Phase 1: Content Discovery (New Presentations)

Ask via AskUserQuestion (can combine up to 4 questions per call):

Question 1 — Purpose (header: "Purpose"): What is this presentation for? Options: Pitch deck / Teaching-Tutorial / Conference talk / Internal presentation

Question 2 — Length (header: "Length"): Approximately how many slides? Options: Short 5-10 / Medium 10-20 / Long 20+

Question 3 — Content (header: "Content"): Do you have content ready? Options: All content ready / Rough notes / Topic only

If user has content, ask them to share it.

Phase 2: Style Discovery

This is the "show, don't tell" phase. Most people can't articulate design preferences in words.

Step 2.0: Style Path

Ask how they want to choose (header: "Style"):

• "Show me options" (recommended) — Generate 3 previews based on mood
• "I know what I want" — Pick from preset list directly

If direct selection: Show preset picker and skip to Phase 3. Available presets are defined in STYLE_PRESETS.md.

Step 2.1: Mood Selection (Guided Discovery)

Ask (header: "Vibe", multiSelect: true, max 2): What feeling should the audience have? Options:

• Impressed/Confident — Professional, trustworthy
• Excited/Energized — Innovative, bold
• Calm/Focused — Clear, thoughtful
• Inspired/Moved — Emotional, memorable

Step 2.2: Generate 3 Style Previews

Based on mood, generate 3 distinct single-slide HTML previews showing typography, colors, animation, and overall aesthetic. Read STYLE_PRESETS.md for available presets and their specifications.

Save previews to .claude-design/slide-previews/ (style-a.html, style-b.html, style-c.html). Each should be self-contained, ~50-100 lines, showing one animated title slide.

Open each preview automatically for the user.

Step 2.3: User Picks

Ask (header: "Style"): Which style preview do you prefer? Options: Style A: [Name] / Style B: [Name] / Style C: [Name] / Mix elements

If "Mix elements", ask for specifics.

Phase 3: Generate Presentation

Generate the full presentation using content from Phase 1 and style from Phase 2.

Before generating, read these supporting files:

• html-template.md — HTML architecture and JS features
• viewport-base.css — Mandatory CSS (include in full)
• animation-patterns.md — Animation reference for the chosen feeling

Key requirements:

• If an assets/ directory exists in the working directory from prior research (e.g., chan thread exports with downloaded images), scan it and incorporate relevant images into slides using the viewport image constraints (max-height: min(50vh, 400px)). Reference images via relative assets/ paths.
• Single self-contained HTML file, all CSS/JS inline
• Include the FULL contents of viewport-base.css in the <style> block
• Use fonts from Fontshare or Google Fonts — never system fonts
• Add detailed comments explaining each section
• Every section needs a clear /* === SECTION NAME === */ comment block

Phase 4: PPT Conversion

When converting PowerPoint files:

1. Extract content — Run python scripts/extract-pptx.py <input.pptx> <output_dir> (install python-pptx if needed: pip install python-pptx)
2. Confirm with user — Present extracted slide titles, content summaries, and image counts
3. Style selection — Proceed to Phase 2 for style discovery
4. Generate HTML — Convert to chosen style, preserving all text, images (from assets/), slide order, and speaker notes (as HTML comments)

Phase 5: Delivery

1. Clean up — Delete .claude-design/slide-previews/ if it exists
2. Open — Use open [filename].html to launch in browser
3. Summarize — Tell the user:
   • File location, style name, slide count
   • Navigation: Arrow keys, Space, scroll/swipe, click nav dots
   • How to customize: :root CSS variables for colors, font link for typography, .reveal class for animations

Supporting Files