/ppt-design-skill

name: ppt-design-skill
description: "Use this skill any time a .pptx file is involved in any way — as input, output, or both. This includes: creating slide decks, pitch decks, or presentations; reading, parsing, or extracting text from any .pptx file; editing, modifying, or updating existing presentations; combining or splitting slide files; working with templates, layouts, speaker notes, or comments. Includes 9 built-in design themes (5 magazine + 4 Swiss) and 32 layout templates. Trigger whenever the user mentions 'deck,' 'slides,' 'presentation,' or references a .pptx filename."
license: Proprietary. LICENSE.txt has complete terms

PPT Design Skill

Quick Reference

| Task | Guide | |------|-------| | Read/analyze content | `python -m markitdown presentation.pptx` | | Edit or create from template | Read [editing.md](editing.md) | | Create from scratch | **规划 → 生成 → QA**（见下方 Creating from Scratch） | | Design decisions (叙事/节奏/自适应) | Read [references/design-playbook.md](references/design-playbook.md) | | Design themes & layouts | Read [design-system.md](design-system.md) |

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Reading Content

# Text extraction
python -m markitdown presentation.pptx

# Visual overview
python scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx

# Raw XML
python scripts/office/unpack.py presentation.pptx unpacked/

---

Editing Workflow

**Read [editing.md](editing.md) for full details.**

1. Analyze template with `thumbnail.py` 2. Unpack → manipulate slides → edit content → clean → pack

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Creating from Scratch

**Creation workflow（三段式，顺序固定）：**

Step 1 · 规划（必做，禁止跳过）

**Read [references/design-playbook.md](references/design-playbook.md)** — 叙事弧、页面规划表、明暗节奏、版式决策树、自适应规则、中文排版、密度控制。

产出页面规划表（页码 → 版式 → 明暗 → 内容形状 → 视觉元素）后再写代码。

Step 2 · 生成

**Read [pptxgenjs.md](pptxgenjs.md)** for API details and corruption gotchas.

• 主题与配色：[design-system.md](design-system.md)（9 主题，只用安全字体）
• 版式代码：杂志风 [templates/layouts/magazine-layouts.md](templates/layouts/magazine-layouts.md) / 瑞士风 [templates/layouts/swiss-layouts.md](templates/layouts/swiss-layouts.md) / 分析模型 [templates/layouts/analysis-models.md](templates/layouts/analysis-models.md)（SWOT/PEST/画布/双钻/竞争定位）
• 组件配方：[templates/components.md](templates/components.md)
• 瑞士风硬约束：[references/swiss-layout-lock.md](references/swiss-layout-lock.md)

Step 3 · QA

按 [references/checklist.md](references/checklist.md) P0-P3 检查（见下方 QA 节）。

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Design Ideas

**Don't create boring slides.** Plain bullets on a white background won't impress anyone. Consider ideas from this list for each slide.

Before Starting

• **Pick a bold, content-informed color palette**: The palette should feel designed for THIS topic. If swapping your colors into a completely different presentation would still "work," you haven't made specific enough choices.
• **Dominance over equality**: One color should dominate (60-70% visual weight), with 1-2 supporting tones and one sharp accent. Never give all colors equal weight.
• **Dark/light contrast**: Dark backgrounds for title + conclusion slides, light for content ("sandwich" structure). Or commit to dark throughout for a premium feel.
• **Commit to a visual motif**: Pick ONE distinctive element and repeat it — rounded image frames, icons in colored circles, thick single-side borders. Carry it across every slide.

Design System Quick Start

For pre-built themes and layout coordinates, see [design-system.md](design-system.md). It provides:

• **9 built-in themes** (5 magazine + 4 Swiss) with ready-to-use PptxGenJS color configs
• **32 layout templates** — 完整代码见 templates/layouts/（杂志 10 + 瑞士 22）
• **Office 安全字体** pairings for both magazine (serif) and Swiss (sans-serif) styles

**规划先行**：写代码前先读 [references/design-playbook.md](references/design-playbook.md)，产出页面规划表。版式坐标是基线不是牢房——按 playbook 第 4 节的自适应规则变形。

**7-Question Clarification** (optional best practice when user has only a vague idea): 1. **Audience & scenario**: Roadshow / internal share / tech launch / portfolio / academic? 2. **Duration & page count**: 10-12 / 15-20 / 25+ slides? 3. **Existing materials**: Documents / links / old PPT / data / images? 4. **Theme choice**: See Color Palettes below — magazine (elegant/humanistic) or Swiss (minimal/rational)? 5. **Style preference**: Serif titles with warm tones, or sans-serif with high-contrast accent colors? 6. **Language**: Chinese / English / bilingual? 7. **Deliverables**: PPTX only / also need cover images / also need web version?

**风格画廊技巧**（借鉴 humanize-ppt）：用户对主题犹豫时，不要盲选——用 2-4 套候选主题各渲染一张封面给用户挑，选定后再出全 deck。

**Theme usage rhythm**:

Cover       →  Main theme (consistent across deck)
Section     →  Same theme, variant switch (light/dark)
Data page   →  Same theme, light variant
Highlight   →  Same theme, dark variant
Closing     →  Same theme, dark variant or cover style

**Rule**: Never switch to a different theme mid-deck.

Color Palettes

Choose colors that match your topic — don't default to generic blue. Use these palettes as inspiration, or pick from the **built-in design system themes** below.

Built-in Design System Themes

Pre-configured themes with PptxGenJS-ready color values. See [design-system.md](design-system.md) for full config code.

**Magazine Style** (serif titles, warm tones, editorial feel):

| Theme | Ink (text/dark-bg) | Paper (light-bg) | Accent | Best for | |-------|-------------------|------------------|--------|----------| | **Ink Classic** | `0a0a0b` | `f1efea` | `d4a574` (warm gold) | General default, business, editorial | | **Indigo Porcelain** | `0a1f3d` | `f1f3f5` | `4a90a4` (steel blue) | Tech, research, data, AI launch | | **Forest Ink** | `1a2e1f` | `f5f1e8` | `6b8e5a` (moss) | Nature, culture, non-fiction | | **Kraft Paper** | `2a1e13` | `eedfc7` | `b87333` (copper) | Humanities, nostalgia, literature | | **Dune** | `1f1a14` | `f0e6d2` | `c4a265` (sand) | Art, design, creative, gallery |

**Swiss Style** (sans-serif, grid-driven, high-contrast accent):

| Theme | I