Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Simple Deck HTML Slides agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The simple-deck skill is a set of instructions and templates that teaches an AI agent to build a horizontal-swipe HTML presentation in one file, index.html. It is aimed at leadership and board-style decks, and it is useful to anyone who wants an agent to plan slide structure and theme rhythm before writing slides. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for a deck, and where its limits are.
Simple Deck HTML Slidesnexu-io/open-design · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the simple-deck ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Add a DESIGN.md file. Put a DESIGN.md design system file in your project so the agent can map its tokens to the deck template.
- 3Ask for the deck. Make a natural request that names your audience, the decision you want, and the source material. Answer any questions the agent asks about missing essentials.
- 4Review the slide plan. Check the slide count and light/dark rhythm the agent proposes before it writes HTML, and ask for changes if needed.
- 5Check and open the file. When the agent writes index.html, verify every figure against your sources, then open the file in a browser to review the deck.
What the Simple Deck skill makes the agent do
When the skill is installed and triggered, the agent builds a single HTML presentation file. The skill supplies a starter template, which it calls a seed, with design tokens and slide primitives, plus a library of eight slide layouts. The agent is asked to copy the seed, fill it with specific copy rather than placeholder text, and run a self-review checklist.
The skill also tells the agent to plan the number of slides and a light/dark theme rhythm before it writes any slide HTML. The default is six slides unless the request says otherwise, and the plan is meant to be shown to you so you can redirect it cheaply.
- Output is one file, index.html, not a PowerPoint or Google Slides file.
- Layouts come from the bundled references, so the agent picks and adapts them rather than designing from scratch.
- The skill is framed around corporate strategy and board-style decks, and its example asks for a decision-focused operating review.
How do you install the simple-deck skill?
Download the simple-deck ZIP from this page and unzip it. You can install it in one of two places. For a personal setup, put the unzipped simple-deck folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, put it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
~/.claude/skills/What do you need before the skill works?
The skill needs an agent runtime that reads SKILL.md skill folders. It also expects a design system file called DESIGN.md in your project. The skill asks the agent to read that file and map its tokens onto the six :root variables in the seed template, so the deck follows your visual system.
If you do not have a DESIGN.md, the source does not describe a fallback, so plan to write one or check the skill's files before relying on the output's visual consistency.
- An agent runtime that reads SKILL.md skill folders
- A DESIGN.md file in the project for the agent to read
- Your own source material: the skill supplies structure and layout, not data
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
The skill's listed trigger words include html deck, html slides, board, strategy, business-review and board-pre-read-deck. A request that names one of these topics and asks for a file-based slide deck is the most likely way to get the agent to use it. Name your audience, the decision you want, and the material to use.
The example prompt in the skill asks the agent first for only the missing essentials: audience, decision target, source-of-truth materials, deadline and must-keep numbers. Answer those questions before the agent starts writing slides.
- Example request: Create a decision-grade strategy deck as an HTML file for our leadership team. The decision is whether to approve the Q plan. Use the attached operating numbers only.
- Example request: Build an HTML board pre-read deck summarising growth and burn, with a slide that states what the board is asked to approve.
- Tell the agent which numbers must stay exactly as written.
What happens when the agent runs the workflow?
The agent reads the seed template and the layout references, then plans the slide count and theme rhythm. For eight slides it might use a cover, a problem slide, a big-stat slide, and so on, alternating light and dark themes so no three slides in a row share a theme.
After the slides are written, the agent runs a self-check. The skill's checklist includes a grep over the slide classes so the agent can read the resulting theme list. The agent then writes index.html and sends a short summary. It is told not to paste the full HTML into chat.
- Read the seed template and layouts
- Plan slide count and theme rhythm, then show the plan
- Paste layouts and replace bracketed text with specific copy
- Run the self-check and fix theme runs
- Write index.html and send a short summary
grep 'class="slide' index.htmlAre there scripts or network calls to worry about?
The listing states that the skill runs no scripts and uses no network. The agent's only shell step in the workflow is the grep command shown above, which reads the generated file. The skill also tells the agent not to rewrite the navigation script in the template, because that script is described as already tested for iframe use.
Treat the output as only as trustworthy as your source material. The skill does not check figures, so any numbers in the deck must come from you and be verified by you before anyone relies on them.
- Listing: runs scripts no, uses network no
- The agent is told not to rewrite the built-in navigation script
- Verify every number yourself, especially for board materials
What tips help you get better decks?
Give the agent real material. The skill is designed to fill slides with specific copy, and it says that a slide that feels empty means the layout was wrong. Supplying facts gives it something concrete to work with.
Use the rhythm sketch. Because the skill shows the planned slide sequence before writing HTML, you can ask for a different slide count or theme order at low cost. The table in the skill suggests six slides for a 5 to 10 minute talk, eight to ten for a 15 minute pitch, and twelve to eighteen for a 20 to 30 minute talk.
- Provide your numbers and source documents up front
- Use the planned rhythm sketch to redirect the structure early
- Pick slide counts from the skill's table to match talk length
- Open index.html in a browser to check the swipe navigation
What people use it for
- A leadership team pre-read deck delivered as an HTML file
- A decision-focused operating review that states what the audience must approve
- A board pre-read summarising growth and burn, with the source figures supplied by the user
- A designer's consistent slide template driven by design tokens from DESIGN.md
Frequently asked questions
Is the simple-deck skill free to use?
The listing names the licence as Apache-2.0. The source does not state prices, so check the repository's licence file for the terms that apply to you.
What do I need to run the simple-deck skill?
You need an agent runtime that reads SKILL.md skill folders and a DESIGN.md design system file in your project. The skill asks the agent to read DESIGN.md and map its tokens onto the seed template.
Where do I install the simple-deck skill?
Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does simple-deck create PowerPoint or Google Slides files?
No. The output is a single HTML file named index.html that presents as a horizontal-swipe deck in a browser. If you need an editable PPTX or Google Slides file, this skill is not designed for that.
Does the skill check my financial numbers?
No. The skill supplies structure and layout, not data. Any figures must come from you and be verified by you before the deck is shared.
Is simple-deck only for board decks?
The skill is framed around corporate strategy and board-style decks, and its example is an operating review. Its trigger words and layouts reflect that focus, so other deck types may need more editing.
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Our verdict
Use simple-deck if you want an agent to produce a structured, single-file HTML deck for a leadership or board pre-read and you can supply your own verified material and a DESIGN.md file. Pick a different tool if you need an editable PowerPoint or Google Slides file, or if you need the deck to check financial data for you.
Download the skill