Frontend Slides Skill
Create zero-dependency, animation-rich HTML presentations that run entirely in the browser. This skill helps non-designers discover their preferred aesthetic through visual exploration ("show, don't tell"), then generates production-quality slide decks.
Core Philosophy
- Zero Dependencies — Single HTML files with inline CSS/JS. No npm, no build tools.
- Show, Don't Tell — People don't know what they want until they see it. Generate visual previews, not abstract choices.
- Distinctive Design — Avoid generic "AI slop" aesthetics. Every presentation should feel custom-crafted.
- Production Quality — Code should be well-commented, accessible, and performant.
Phase 0: Detect Mode
First, determine what the user wants:
Mode A: New Presentation
- User wants to create slides from scratch
- Proceed to Phase 1 (Content Discovery)
Mode B: PPT Conversion
- User has a PowerPoint file (.ppt, .pptx) to convert
- Proceed to Phase 4 (PPT Extraction)
Mode C: Existing Presentation Enhancement
- User has an HTML presentation and wants to improve it
- Read the existing file, understand the structure, then enhance
Phase 1: Content Discovery (New Presentations)
Before designing, understand the content. Ask via AskUserQuestion:
Step 1.1: Presentation Context
Question 1: Purpose
- Header: "Purpose"
- Question: "What is this presentation for?"
- Options:
- "Pitch deck" — Selling an idea, product, or company to investors/clients
- "Teaching/Tutorial" — Explaining concepts, how-to guides, educational content
- "Conference talk" — Speaking at an event, tech talk, keynote
- "Internal presentation" — Team updates, strategy meetings, company updates
Question 2: Slide Count
- Header: "Length"
- Question: "Approximately how many slides?"
- Options:
- "Short (5-10)" — Quick pitch, lightning talk
- "Medium (10-20)" — Standard presentation
- "Long (20+)" — Deep dive, comprehensive talk
Question 3: Content
- Header: "Content"
- Question: "Do you have the content ready, or do you need help structuring it?"
- Options:
- "I have all content ready" — Just need to design the presentation
- "I have rough notes" — Need help organizing into slides
- "I have a topic only" — Need help creating the full outline
If user has content, ask them to share it (text, bullet points, images, etc.).
Phase 2: Style Discovery (Visual Exploration)
CRITICAL: This is the "show, don't tell" phase.
Most people can't articulate design preferences in words. Instead of asking "do you want minimalist or bold?", we generate mini-previews and let them react.
Step 2.1: Mood Selection
Question 1: Feeling
- Header: "Vibe"
- Question: "What feeling should the audience have when viewing your slides?"
- Options:
- "Impressed/Confident" — Professional, trustworthy, this team knows what they're doing
- "Excited/Energized" — Innovative, bold, this is the future
- "Calm/Focused" — Clear, thoughtful, easy to follow
- "Inspired/Moved" — Emotional, storytelling, memorable
- multiSelect: true (can choose up to 2)
Step 2.2: Generate Style Previews
Based on their mood selection, generate 3 distinct style previews as mini HTML files in a temporary directory. Each preview should be a single title slide showing:
- Typography (font choices, heading/body hierarchy)
- Color palette (background, accent, text colors)
- Animation style (how elements enter)
- Overall aesthetic feel
Preview Styles to Consider (pick 3 based on mood):
| Mood | Style Options |
|---|---|
| Impressed/Confident | "Corporate Elegant", "Dark Executive", "Clean Minimal" |
| Excited/Energized | "Neon Cyber", "Bold Gradients", "Kinetic Motion" |
| Calm/Focused | "Paper & Ink", "Soft Muted", "Swiss Minimal" |
| Inspired/Moved | "Cinematic Dark", "Warm Editorial", "Atmospheric" |
IMPORTANT: Never use these generic patterns:
- Purple gradients on white backgrounds
- Inter, Roboto, or system fonts
- Standard blue primary colors
- Predictable hero layouts
Instead, use distinctive choices:
- Unique font pairings (Clash Display, Satoshi, Cormorant Garamond, DM Sans, etc.)
- Cohesive color themes with personality
- Atmospheric backgrounds (gradients, subtle patterns, depth)
- Signature animation moments
Step 2.3: Present Previews
Create the previews in: .claude-design/slide-previews/
.claude-design/slide-previews/
├── style-a.html # First style option
├── style-b.html # Second style option
├── style-c.html # Third style option
└── assets/ # Any shared assets
Each preview file should be:
- Self-contained (inline CSS/JS)
- A single "title slide" showing the aesthetic
- Animated to demonstrate motion style
- ~50-100 lines, not a full presentation
Present to user:
I've created 3 style previews for you to compare:
**Style A: [Name]** — [1 sentence description]
**Style B: [Name]** — [1 sentence description]
**Style C: [Name]** — [1 sentence description]
Open each file to see them in action:
- .claude-design/slide-previews/style-a.html
- .claude-design/slide-previews/style-b.html
- .claude-design/slide-previews/style-c.html
Take a look and tell me:
1. Which style resonates most?
2. What do you like about it?
3. Anything you'd change?
Then use AskUserQuestion:
Question: Pick Your Style
- Header: "Style"
- Question: "Which style preview do you prefer?"
- Options:
- "Style A: [Name]" — [Brief description]
- "Style B: [Name]" — [Brief description]
- "Style C: [Name]" — [Brief description]
- "Mix elements" — Combine aspects from different styles
If "Mix elements", ask for specifics.
Phase 3: Generate Presentation
Now generate the full presentation based on:
- Content from Phase 1
- Style from Phase 2
File Structure
For single presentations:
presentation.html # Self-contained presentation
assets/ # Images, if any
For projects with multiple presentations:
[presentation-name].html
[presentation-name]-assets/
HTML Architecture
Follow this structure for all presentations:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Presentation Title</title>
<!-- Fonts (use Fontshare or Google Fonts) -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://api.fontshare.com/v2/css?f[]=...">
<style>
/* ===========================================
CSS CUSTOM PROPERTIES (THEME)
Easy to modify: change these to change the whole look
=========================================== */
:root {
/* Colors */
--bg-primary: #0a0f1c;
--bg-secondary: #111827;
--text-primary: #ffffff;
--text-secondary: #9ca3af;
--accent: #00ffcc;
--accent-glow: rgba(0, 255, 204, 0.3);
/* Typography */
--font-display: 'Clash Display', sans-serif;
--font-body: 'Satoshi', sans-serif;
/* Spacing */
--slide-padding: clamp(2rem, 5vw, 4rem);
/* Animation */
--ease-out-expo: cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1);
--duration-normal: 0.6s;
}
/* ===========================================
BASE STYLES
=========================================== */
* {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
html {
scroll-behavior: smooth;
scroll-snap-type: y mandatory;
}
body {
font-family: var(--font-body);
background: var(--bg-primary);
color: var(--text-primary);
overflow-x: hidden;
}
/* ===========================================
SLIDE CONTAINER
Each section is one slide
=====================