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name: presentation-builder description: > Use when the user asks to build a presentation, create slides, make a deck, PowerPoint, PPTX, pitch deck, status update deck, architecture review presentation, or steering committee deck. Parent skill for the presentation-* skill family. family: presentation

Presentation Builder

Parent skill that handles intake, environment detection, routing, and asset repository management for the presentation family.

Companion Skills

• presentation-narrative — Outline generation, storytelling structure, slide sequencing
• presentation-datavis — Charts, data visualization, data-driven slides
• presentation-diagrams — Architecture diagrams, flowcharts, system visuals
• presentation-styling — Templates, branding, colour palettes, typography
• presentation-renderer — Final assembly, PPTX/HTML export, format conversion

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1. Hard Rules

1. Never fabricate data. When data is missing, insert [PLACEHOLDER: description of needed data].
2. All output goes to <project>/.presentations/output/ (or ./presentations/output/ if no project root is detected).
3. Always generate a slide outline for user approval BEFORE building the full deck. No exceptions.
4. Offline-first. Never assume internet connectivity. Check the capability map first.
5. Deterministic renderers for diagrams and charts. Use Mermaid, Graphviz, matplotlib, or similar. AI image generation is permitted only for cover art and illustrations.
6. Action titles, not topic titles. Every slide title states the takeaway. One idea per slide.

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2. Environment Detection

Runs once per session and caches the result as the capability map.

Detection Commands

Capability	Detection Command
python3 + python-pptx	python3 -c "import pptx; print(pptx.__version__)"
Node.js + Marp CLI	npx @marp-team/marp-cli --version 2>/dev/null
Node.js + mermaid-cli (mmdc)	npx @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli --version 2>/dev/null
Java (for Apache POI fallback)	java -version 2>&1
PowerShell	pwsh --version 2>/dev/null || powershell -Command '$PSVersionTable.PSVersion'
Graphviz	dot -V 2>&1
vertex-banana (image gen)	Check for vertex-banana skill availability
matplotlib	python3 -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.__version__)"
Internet connectivity	curl -s --max-time 5 -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' https://httpbin.org/get

Capability Map

Produces a JSON object conforming to capability-map-schema.md (see Reference Files). Example:

{
  "python_pptx": true,
  "marp_cli": false,
  "mmdc": true,
  "java": false,
  "powershell": false,
  "graphviz": true,
  "image_gen": "vertex-banana",
  "matplotlib": true,
  "internet": false,
  "timestamp": "2026-03-27T10:00:00Z"
}

Auto-Install Offer

If critical tools are missing but installable, offer to install them:

• pip install python-pptx matplotlib
• npm install -g @marp-team/marp-cli
• npm install -g @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli

Always ask the user before installing anything.

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Gap Detection

Before routing to a child skill:

1. Verify target exists (check ~/.claude/skills/<path>)
2. If missing: follow gap-detection protocol at ~/.claude/skills/research-for-skills/gap-detection.md
3. If exists: invoke with context

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3. Intake Process

Adapted from the GROW framework. Gather these four inputs before routing.

Goal

What are you presenting? Classify the presentation type:

• Status update
• Architecture decision / review
• Sales pitch / proposal
• Problem statement / proposal
• Project kickoff
• Retrospective
• Steering committee briefing
• Custom / other

Audience

Who sees this? Select the audience profile:

• Executive (C-suite, senior leadership)
• Technical (engineers, architects)
• Client / external stakeholder
• Mixed (technical + non-technical)
• Banking / regulatory

Reference audience-profiles.md for tone, depth, and terminology guidance per profile.

Context

Where does the content come from?

• Existing project artifacts: Read PROJECT.md, problem statements, design docs, user-provided documents
• Standalone topic: User describes the subject; no existing artifacts

Format

What output format?

• PPTX — PowerPoint file (requires python-pptx or Java)
• HTML — Marp-based HTML slides (requires Marp CLI)
• Both — Generate both formats

If the user does not specify, auto-select based on the capability map (prefer PPTX if python-pptx is available).

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4. Routing Table

After intake is complete, route to the appropriate companion skill.

User Need	Route To
"Build a presentation about X" / narrative / outline	presentation-narrative
Charts, data visualization, data-driven slides	presentation-datavis
Architecture diagrams, flowcharts, system visuals	presentation-diagrams
Template, branding, styling, "make it professional"	presentation-styling
"Export", "generate the file", format conversion	presentation-renderer

Multiple skills may be invoked in sequence or parallel depending on the request (see Orchestration Flow).

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5. Asset Repository Management

Assets are resolved from a layered structure. Project-local overrides global.

Global Assets

~/.claude/skills/presentation-builder/assets/
  templates/       # Base slide templates
  logos/            # Reusable logos
  palettes/         # Colour palettes (JSON)
  tone-profiles/    # Writing tone definitions

Project-Local Assets

<project>/.presentations/
  templates/       # Project-specific templates
  logos/            # Project / client logos
  palettes/         # Project colour palettes
  tone-profiles/    # Project tone overrides
  output/           # Generated presentations

Resolution Order

1. Check <project>/.presentations/<asset-type>/ first
2. Fall back to ~/.claude/skills/presentation-builder/assets/<asset-type>/
3. Merge: project-local values override global values for matching keys

First-Use Setup

On first invocation in a project, create the .presentations/ directory structure:

mkdir -p .presentations/{templates,logos,palettes,tone-profiles,output}

The parent skill resolves the merged asset context before routing to any companion skill.

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6. Orchestration Flow

The standard end-to-end flow for building a presentation:

1. Environment scan --> capability map (cached)
2. Intake --> goal, audience, context, format
3. Route to presentation-narrative --> slide outline generated
4. User approves outline (HARD RULE #3)
5. Dispatch in parallel:
   - presentation-diagrams (architecture/flow visuals)
   - presentation-datavis (charts/data slides)
   - presentation-styling (template, branding, layout)
6. All visuals complete --> presentation-renderer assembles final output
7. Output files written to .presentations/output/

Steps 5a, 5b, and 5c run in parallel when independent. The renderer waits for all upstream assets before assembly.

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7. When NOT to Use This Skill

Request	Use Instead
Image generation only (not for slides)	vertex-banana
Report / document EXPERIENCE (layout, reading path, information architecture)	audience-experience-design
Report / document PROSE (the writing itself)	content-writer
General diagram creation not destined for slides	Use the appropriate diagram tool directly (Mermaid, Graphviz, etc.)

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8. Reference Files

• ~/.claude/skills/presentation-builder/references/narrative-flows.md — Narrative arc templates and slide sequencing patterns
• ~/.claude/skills/presentation-builder/references/audience-profiles.md — Audience-specific tone, depth, and terminology guidance
• ~/.claude/skills/presentation-builder/references/capability-map-schema.md — JSON schema for the environment capability map

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Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why It Fails	Correct Approach
Starting with slides before defining the narrative	Content-first presentations are disjointed; no storyline means audiences cannot follow the argument	Define audience, purpose, and narrative framework first; slides serve the story, not the other way around
Putting everything on one slide	Cognitive overload; audience reads instead of listening; key message is buried in visual noise	One idea per slide; use builds/animations for progressive disclosure; if it needs more, use two slides
Using default PowerPoint templates without customization	Signals lack of effort; audience immediately recognizes generic templates; undermines credibility	Apply branding (colors, fonts, logo placement) consistent with your organization; even minimal customization helps
Skipping speaker notes	Presenters forget key points; different presenters deliver different messages from the same deck	Write speaker notes for every slide with key talking points, transition phrases, and timing estimates
Not tailoring content to the audience	A technical deep-dive for executives or a strategic overview for engineers — both fail	Use the presentation-narrative skill to select audience-appropriate frameworks; match depth to audience