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)

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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.

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Stage 1 — Diagnose & Choose Framework

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

| Question | Why it matters | |----------|---------------| | What is this deck for? | Determines framework and tone | | Who is the audience? | Determines depth, language, format | | What decision/action should result? | Defines the governing thought | | What do they already know? | Sets starting point of the story | | Is there urgency / a burning platform? | Informs the Complication section | | How many slides? | Sets scope before writing begins |

Then select the narrative framework:

| Situation | Framework | |-----------|-----------| | Executive briefing, strategy update | Pyramid Principle + SCQA intro | | Full consulting engagement deck | SCR + Pyramid for Resolution | | Audience doesn't feel the problem yet | Gap ("What Is / What Could Be") | | Change management / transformation | Hero's Journey | | Data-heavy presentation to leadership | Data Story Arc | | Board presentation | SCQA intro + Pyramid, max 10 slides |

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

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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.

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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.

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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: | Slide type | Layout to use | |-----------|--------------| | Title slide | Full-bleed Primary color bg, white text, logo centered | | Executive summary | Two-column or structured summary box layout | | Situation / Complication | Clean content slide, accent color left bar | | Argument slide | Two-column: text left, visual/stat right | | Data/chart slide | Full chart with annotated action title above | | Call to action | Dark bg (Primary), bold centered text, clear ask | | Appendix | Light bg, smaller font, labeled A1/A2/A3 |

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?"

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Reference Files

| File | When to read | |------|-------------| | references/frameworks-cheatsheet.md | Stage 1 — framework selection detail | | references/slide-content-rules.md | Stage 3 — slide writing rules and templates | | references/default-palettes.md | Stage 4 — if brand not configured |

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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.