Deck Builder

Deck Builder — Combined Plugin

Orchestrates three skills into one end-to-end pipeline:

STORYTELLING SKILL          BRAND-STUDIO SKILL         PPTX SKILL
(narrative + structure)  +  (colors, fonts, logo)   →  (branded .pptx output)

The 4-Stage Pipeline

Stage 1 — Diagnose & Choose Framework

Stage 2 — Storyboard (slide titles only)

Stage 3 — Write Slide Content

Stage 4 — Generate Branded PPTX

Always run all 4 stages in order. Do not skip to PPTX generation without completing the storyboard and content stages — this is the most common way decks fail.

Stage 1 — Diagnose & Choose Framework

Before writing a single word, answer these questions (infer from context, or ask if unclear):

Then select the narrative framework:

→ Read references/frameworks-cheatsheet.md for framework quick-reference if needed.

Stage 2 — Storyboard

Generate the deck spine as action titles only — complete sentence claims, not topics.

Output format:

DECK TITLE: [working title]
FRAMEWORK: [chosen framework]
AUDIENCE: [who]
GOVERNING THOUGHT: [one sentence — the answer/recommendation]
ARGUMENT ORDERING MODE: [structural / chronological / comparative / deductive / inductive]

SLIDE STORYBOARD:
1. [TITLE SLIDE] — [Deck title + subtitle]                              📝
2. [EXEC SUMMARY] — [Situation | Complication | Recommendation | 3 key supports | Ask]  📝
3. [SITUATION] — [Action title: undisputed context]                     📝
4. [COMPLICATION] — [Action title: the tension/problem]                 📊
5. [QUESTION] — [Action title: reframe the problem as a focused challenge]  📝
6. [RESOLUTION HEADLINE] — [Action title: your recommendation]          📝
7. [ARG 1] — [Action title: first supporting argument]                  🔢
8. [ARG 2] — [Action title: second supporting argument]                 📊
9. [ARG 3] — [Action title: third supporting argument]                  📝
10. [CALL TO ACTION] — [Action title: what you need from the audience]  📝
11. [APPENDIX MARKER] — Backup slides start here

Note on the Question slide: In full SCQA decks, the Question earns its own slide — it reframes the complication as a focused challenge that invites exploration rather than reaction. For compressed decks (board, exec briefings), Question can be implicit. For client engagement decks, make it explicit.

Ladder-up check: Read the storyboard as a hierarchy:

GOVERNING THOUGHT
    ├── Arg 1 title (does it support the governing thought?)
    ├── Arg 2 title (does it support the governing thought?)
    └── Arg 3 title (does it support the governing thought?)

Every argument title must be a direct logical pillar under the governing thought. If you can't see the connection, the argument is off-pyramid.

Storyboard quality check — run before proceeding:

• Read only the action titles aloud in sequence. Do they tell the full story?
• Does every title pass the "so what?" test? (Complete sentence + specific implication)
• Is the governing thought stated by slide 5 at the latest?
• Are the arguments MECE? (No overlap, no gaps)

Present the storyboard to the user and ask for approval before writing content.

Stage 3 — Write Slide Content

For each slide in the approved storyboard, generate:

SLIDE N: [Action Title]
TYPE: [argument / data / transition / title / exec-summary]
LAYOUT SUGGESTION: [two-column / stat callout / bullets / chart / quote]

BODY:
• [Bullet 1 — specific insight with data if available]
• [Bullet 2 — specific insight with data if available]
• [Bullet 3 — specific insight with data if available]

VISUAL SUGGESTION: [chart type / icon / data callout / image concept]
CHART DATA (if applicable): [labels and values]

SPEAKER NOTES:
[2–4 sentences: what to say, what to emphasize, what question this slide answers]

Content rules (from storytelling skill):

• One idea per slide. One title claim. 3 bullets max in most cases.
• Bullets are specific insights with data, not topic labels.
• Every chart needs an action title (not a metric label).
• The "so what?" of every data point must be stated in the title or annotation.

→ See references/slide-content-rules.md for full guidance.

Stage 4 — Generate Branded PPTX

Step 4a — Load Brand Config

Read /mnt/skills/user/brand-studio/brand-config.md.

• If configured: extract Primary color, Secondary color, Accent color, Heading Font, Body Font, logo path, brand name. Use these throughout.
• If NOT configured: ask the user for brand colors and fonts before generating. Offer a set of default consulting-grade palettes as fallback (see references/default-palettes.md).

Step 4b — Generate PPTX

Follow /mnt/skills/public/pptx/SKILL.md + /mnt/skills/public/pptx/pptxgenjs.md for all technical implementation.

Slide layout assignments:

Brand application checklist:

• All slide backgrounds use brand Background color
• All slide titles use brand Primary color + Heading Font
• All body text uses brand Body Font
• Accent shapes/dividers use brand Secondary or Accent color
• Callout boxes use Primary color background, white text
• Charts cycle: Primary → Secondary → Accent colors
• Logo placed on title slide and optionally on all slides (bottom-right, small)
• No # prefix on any hex color (PptxGenJS requirement)

Step 4c — QA

Per pptx skill QA requirements:

1. Convert to images: python scripts/office/soffice.py --headless --convert-to pdf output.pptx
2. pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 output.pdf slide
3. Visually inspect every slide for: text overflow, overlapping elements, low contrast, placeholder leftovers
4. Fix issues and re-verify before presenting to user

Step 4d — Deliver

• Save as [BrandName]_[DeckTitle]_[YYYY-MM-DD].pptx
• Copy to /mnt/user-data/outputs/
• Present via present_files tool
• Offer: "Want me to adjust any slides, update the storyboard, or change the brand?"

Reference Files

Quick Mode (Power User)

If the user provides full context upfront (topic, audience, key points), you may compress stages 1–3 into a single output — the approved storyboard + all slide content at once — before asking for PPTX generation confirmation. Never skip the storyboard approval step.