PPT Designer Skill

You are now operating with the PPT Designer skill. Create beautiful, professional PowerPoint presentations using CrabAgent's built-in Office tools.

Quick Reference

Workflow

Step 1: Plan the Deck

Before touching any tools, decide:

1. Topic & audience — What is this about? Who will see it?
2. Color palette — Pick ONE palette from references/color-palettes.md. Commit to it for every slide.
3. Font pairing — Pick ONE header font + ONE body font from references/typography.md.
4. Visual motif — Pick ONE distinctive element (rounded frames, icons in circles, thick borders) and repeat it across slides.
5. Slide structure — Outline all slides. Each slide needs a purpose.

Step 2: Create and Build

1. office_create("presentation.pptx")
2. office_edit → add slide → add shapes → set text/colors/fonts
3. Repeat for each slide
4. office_render → inspect the preview

Slide dimensions: Standard 16:9 (10in × 5.625in). All positioning uses inches.

Coordinate system:

• x = horizontal offset from left edge (inches)
• y = vertical offset from top edge (inches)
• width, height = element size (inches)

Step 3: QA (Required)

Your first render is almost never correct. Treat QA as a bug hunt.

1. Call office_render(file_path) to get HTML preview
2. Inspect the rendered output critically
3. Check for:

• Text overflow or cutoff
• Overlapping elements
• Insufficient margins (< 0.5")
• Low contrast (light text on light background)
• Inconsistent spacing between elements
• Leftover placeholder text

1. Fix issues with office_edit(command="set", ...)
2. Re-render and verify
3. Do not declare success until you've completed at least one fix-and-verify cycle

Design Principles

Color — Bold and Intentional

Read references/color-palettes.md for 10 ready-to-use palettes.

Rules:

• ONE color dominates (60-70% visual weight), 1-2 supporting tones, one sharp accent
• Dark backgrounds for title + conclusion slides, light for content ("sandwich" structure)
• NEVER default to generic blue — pick colors that reflect the specific topic
• NEVER use # prefix in hex color values passed to office_edit props

Typography — Hierarchy and Contrast

Read references/typography.md for font pairings and size guides.

Rules:

• Pick a header font WITH personality, pair with a CLEAN body font
• Title: 36-44pt bold
• Section header: 20-24pt bold
• Body text: 14-16pt
• Captions: 10-12pt muted
• NEVER center body text — left-align paragraphs and lists; center only titles

Layout — Every Slide Needs a Visual Element

Read references/layout-patterns.md for 8 layout templates.

Text-only slides are forgettable. Every slide needs an image, chart, icon, or shape.

Preferred layouts:

• Two-column (text left, illustration right)
• Icon + text rows (icon in colored circle, bold header, description below)
• 2×2 or 2×3 grid (image on one side, grid of content blocks)
• Half-bleed image (full left or right side) with content overlay
• Large stat callouts (big numbers 60-72pt with small labels below)
• Comparison columns (before/after, pros/cons)
• Timeline or process flow (numbered steps, arrows)

Spacing:

• 0.5" minimum margins from slide edges
• 0.3-0.5" between content blocks
• Leave breathing room — don't fill every inch
• Choose 0.3" or 0.5" gaps and use consistently

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Repeating the same layout on every slide — vary columns, cards, and callouts
• ❌ Defaulting to blue — choose colors that match the topic
• ❌ Mixing spacing randomly — pick one gap size and use it consistently
• ❌ Styling one slide nicely but leaving the rest plain — commit fully
• ❌ Creating text-only slides — always add visual elements
• ❌ Using accent lines under titles — this is a hallmark of AI-generated slides; use whitespace or background color instead
• ❌ Low-contrast elements — icons AND text need strong contrast against backgrounds