PPTX Robust Blue Design

PPTX Robust Blue Design

Create or restyle editable PowerPoint decks using the evidence-based design rules in references/design-system.md.

Workflow

1. Read references/design-system.md before making visual decisions.
2. Inventory the source content and identify the claim, evidence, sequence, comparison, or action each slide must communicate.
3. Choose the layout by communication job:
   • cover: deck opening.
   • section: major chapter divider.
   • content: narrative, definition, or explanation.
   • message: one main claim with two or three supporting points.
   • two-column or compare: two equal perspectives, options, or before/after states.
   • process: three to five ordered steps with a short explanation for every step.
   • roadmap: phases or rollout over time.
   • challenge-solution: paired issues and responses.
   • do-dont: paired recommended and discouraged practices.
   • checklist: review criteria or completion checks.
   • worksheet: structured prompts or fields for collaborative completion.
   • decision: asks, choices, or next actions.
4. Use scripts/guidebook_pptx.py for repeatable generation or coarse restyling. Manually refine slides whose message needs a custom composition.
5. Keep all output editable. Rebuild text, cards, tables, arrows, and simple diagrams as native PowerPoint objects.
6. Validate structure with python-pptx and unzip -t. Render slides when a compatible converter is available, then inspect for overflow, weak hierarchy, accidental asymmetry, and unreadable text.
7. Remove source-template branding. Do not reproduce organization names, logos, copyright lines, agency labels, or source footers unless the user explicitly provides approved replacement branding.

Script Usage

Install the dependency if needed:

python -m pip install --user python-pptx

Create a deck from JSON:

python /path/to/skill/scripts/guidebook_pptx.py create \
  --slides slides.json \
  --output output.pptx

Restyle an existing deck:

python /path/to/skill/scripts/guidebook_pptx.py restyle \
  --input input.pptx \
  --output output.pptx

Create a representative sample:

python /path/to/skill/scripts/guidebook_pptx.py sample --output sample.pptx

Slide JSON

Use a slides array. Add kicker for a small section label above a content title. Add footer only when the user supplies a generic or approved label.

{
  "slides": [
    {
      "type": "cover",
      "title": "Robust Blue Presentation",
      "subtitle": "Working draft",
      "badge": "2026.07"
    },
    {
      "type": "section",
      "title": "Requirements",
      "items": ["Purpose", "Constraints", "Success criteria"]
    },
    {
      "type": "content",
      "kicker": "2.1 REQUIREMENTS",
      "title": "Define the purpose before designing",
      "body": "Clarify the user, decision, and resulting action.",
      "callout_title": "Key question",
      "callout": "What decision should this dashboard enable?"
    },
    {
      "type": "process",
      "title": "Creation flow",
      "steps": ["Requirements", "Prototype", "Build"],
      "details": ["Align the purpose", "Test the structure", "Implement and verify"],
      "active": 1
    },
    {
      "type": "checklist",
      "title": "Final review",
      "items": ["The intended user is clear", "Every visual supports the decision"]
    }
  ]
}

Supported slide types are cover, section, content, message, two-column, compare, process, roadmap, challenge-solution, do-dont, checklist, worksheet, and decision. Use content when no type is specified.

Use do and dont arrays for do-dont. Use strings or {"text": "...", "reference": "..."} items for checklist. For worksheet, use columns set to one or two and a fields array containing label, optional prompt, and optional example.

Editing Rules

• Keep the canvas 16:9 and the common left/right margin near 0.55 inches.
• Use full-bleed blue only for covers, chapter dividers, and intentional closing slides.
• Use white content slides for most information. Prefer one strong blue title, concise copy, and a restrained visual structure.
• Do not add a title underline by default; the reference guidebook relies on whitespace and typography for hierarchy.
• Use pale blue for selected scope, key definitions, active states, or dashboard-grid placeholders. Use light gray for neutral structure.
• Keep parallel items equal unless the copy explicitly identifies a selected, current, recommended, or risky item.
• Use cards only for real grouped content. Do not duplicate the title or body inside a decorative card.
• Add a short explanation to every process step. Use arrows only when sequence or dependency matters.
• Use progress ribbons only on section-overview slides or when they orient the audience across several later slides.
• Keep body text at a readable size; shorten or split content instead of shrinking it into dense cards.
• Use charts, tables, checklists, and worksheets only when their structure makes the message easier to understand.
• Preserve facts and wording during restyling. Do not infer new numbers, chronology, priority, or causality.