Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Pin and Paper Defense Deck agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Pin and Paper Defense Deck is an agent skill, a packaged set of instructions and template files that an AI coding agent can load and follow. With it installed, you can ask the agent to turn your research or coursework into a self-contained web-page slide deck with yellow paper textures, safety-pin illustrations and handwritten-style type. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it and what to check before you present.
Pin and Paper Defense Decknexu-io/open-design · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- 4Describe your deck. Ask for an html deck for your coursework or defense, naming the audience and pointing to your source notes.
- 5Answer the agent's questions. Provide the audience, decision target, source materials, deadline and must-keep numbers when asked.
- 6Open and check the deck. Open the generated HTML in a browser, check every number against your sources and navigate with the keyboard.
- 7Print to PDF if needed. Use your browser's print function to save the deck as a PDF.
What does the skill make the agent do?
The skill starts from a provided example HTML file, called example.html, and a stylesheet and browser script in an assets folder. The agent swaps in your own headlines, numbers and section labels while keeping the template's visual system intact. The result is a single HTML deck that runs in a browser with keyboard navigation and can be printed to PDF.
The skill only lays out the content you supply. It does not verify your research data or methodology, so check every number and claim yourself before presenting.
- Yellow paper look with safety-pin illustrations and paper-grain texture
- Handwritten-style ink-blue type throughout
- Keyboard navigation through slides
- Printable to PDF from the browser
Install the skill from the ZIP
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. The skill folder should contain SKILL.md, example.html, template.json and the assets folder, along with the license file.
For a personal setup, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into the project's .claude/skills/ folder instead. If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
~/.claude/skills/How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. Describe what you want in plain language and mention the kind of deck. The skill's trigger terms include words such as defense, coursework, senior capstone defense deck, html deck and html slides, so phrasing your request with these helps the agent pick it up.
A useful request says who the audience is, what the deck must show and where your source material is. Ask for a deck built from your notes or draft rather than a generic one.
- Make an html deck for my senior capstone defense from the draft in notes.md, for faculty reviewers.
- Turn my coursework summary into html slides in the Pin and Paper style.
- Build a coursework defense deck from my field study results, keeping my numbers exactly as written.
What should you give the agent before it starts?
The skill's example prompt asks the agent to first request only the missing essentials: the audience, the decision the deck should support, your source-of-truth materials, the deadline and any numbers that must stay exactly as written. Answering these up front gives a more accurate deck.
The skill also suggests a review pass in which the agent checks whether a reviewer can find the contribution, the evidence and the limitation within about 90 seconds.
- Audience and what they need to decide
- Your source material, such as notes, a draft or a results summary
- Numbers that must be kept exactly
- Any deadline
What does the agent need to run this skill?
The skill needs a coding agent or environment that can create files in a workspace. You also need a web browser to open the resulting HTML deck. The skill does not run scripts and does not use the network.
- A coding agent or environment that can create files in a workspace
- A web browser to view the HTML deck
Safety notes on scripts and network use
The skill ships an assets/deck-stage.js file for keyboard navigation and stage rendering. It is a browser runtime that the deck loads, not a script the skill runs on your machine. The skill is listed as running no scripts and using no network access.
The skill's instructions say to keep the navigation runtime as shipped. If you inline the JavaScript and CSS into one file instead of keeping the assets folder, keep the navigation behaviour working. Keep the upstream license text with any copy of the template files.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Keep assets/deck-stage.js and assets/styles.css next to the HTML, or inline them into one file
- Keep the license file when you redistribute the template files
Tips for a clean deck
Keep the template's look. The skill's instructions say not to change fonts, colours, the layout grid or decorative elements. If your deck needs more or fewer slides, the agent duplicates a suitable existing slide or removes slides from the end, then updates the page numbers.
Check the fit. The handwritten font is intentionally informal, so it suits personal, qualitative or workshop-style decks better than formal data-heavy ones.
- Ask the agent to duplicate or drop slides rather than changing the layout
- Match the size of any image placeholders when replacing them
- Print to PDF from the browser when you need a file to send
What people use it for
- A senior capstone or coursework defense deck for faculty reviewers
- A researcher's presentation of qualitative findings in a literary style
- A workshop debrief with a warm, personal look
- A ready-made HTML slide template a designer can customise
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pin and Paper Defense Deck skill free to use?
The skill is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence. The template files it vendors come from an upstream project under the MIT licence, and the skill's instructions say that upstream licence text must be kept with any copy of the template files. Read the license file in the ZIP before you redistribute anything.
What do I need to use this agent skill?
You need a coding agent or environment that can create files in a workspace, and a web browser to view the finished HTML deck. The skill runs no scripts and uses no network access.
Where do I put the skill files after downloading the ZIP?
Unzip the ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside a specific project. In the Claude apps you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Why does my deck look unstyled or the navigation not work?
The HTML loads assets/deck-stage.js and assets/styles.css by relative path. If those files are not in the same folder as the HTML, the paths fail and navigation and styling break. Keep the assets folder next to the file, or inline the JavaScript and CSS into one file.
Can the agent check my research data for me?
No. The skill only lays out the content you supply and does not verify research data or methodology. You need to check your numbers and claims before presenting.
Is this skill a good choice for a formal or data-heavy presentation?
Usually not. The handwritten font is intentionally informal, so the skill suits warm, personal or literary decks. For a polished corporate or data-heavy look, pick a different template.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you want a warm, hand-crafted HTML deck for a coursework or capstone defense, a qualitative research talk or a workshop debrief, and you will supply and check your own content. Pick something else if you need a formal, data-heavy or corporate look, or if you expect the agent to validate your research.
Download the skill