Visual Explainer

A skill that turns complex terminal output, diagrams, comparisons, and tables into styled HTML pages you actually want to read.

What It Does

This skill generates beautiful, interactive HTML pages for:

• System architecture diagrams
• Code and diff reviews
• Plan reviews and audits
• Data tables and comparisons
• Project recaps and summaries
• Slide decks for presentations

Instead of ASCII art and monospace tables in your terminal, you get proper typography, dark/light themes, interactive Mermaid diagrams with zoom and pan, and responsive layouts.

Commands

General Commands

• Generate Web Diagram - Create an HTML diagram for any topic
• Generate Visual Plan - Create a visual implementation plan
• Generate Slides - Create a magazine-quality slide deck
• Diff Review - Visual diff review with architecture comparison
• Plan Review - Compare a plan against requirements with risk assessment
• Project Recap - Create a mental model snapshot for a project
• Fact Check - Verify accuracy of a document against actual code

Slide Deck Mode

Any command can generate a slide deck instead of a scrollable page by adding a "--slides" parameter:

• "Generate a diagram of our authentication flow --slides"
• "Create a project recap with slides"

Usage Instructions

1. Ask for a visual representation of any complex topic:
   • "Draw a diagram of our authentication flow"
   • "Create a visual diff review for these changes"
   • "Generate a project recap for our backend service"
   • "Make a visual comparison of these requirements vs our plan"
2. The skill will:
   • Analyze the content to determine the best visualization approach
   • Choose the appropriate rendering engine (Mermaid for flowcharts, HTML tables for data, etc.)
   • Generate a self-contained HTML file with all necessary styling and JavaScript
   • Save the file to the workspace and provide a download link
3. Features automatically applied:
   • Responsive layouts that work on any device
   • Dark/light theme support based on system preferences
   • Interactive elements (zoomable diagrams, collapsible sections)
   • Typography optimized for readability
   • Consistent styling across all visualizations

Output Location

Outputs are written to visual-explainer/ at the root of the agent's workspace (e.g., visual-explainer/).

Visualization Types

The skill automatically selects the best visualization based on content:

Examples

Example 1: Architecture Diagram

Request: "Draw a diagram of our user authentication flow"

Output: An HTML page with an interactive Mermaid diagram showing the authentication flow, with proper styling and responsive design.

Example 2: Plan Review

Request: "Review this implementation plan against our requirements"

Output: An HTML page with a side-by-side comparison of requirements vs. plan items, with color-coding for coverage and risk assessment.

Example 3: Project Recap

Request: "Create a project recap for the last 2 weeks of work"

Output: An HTML page with sections for completed work, pending items, blockers, and next steps, with proper styling and interactive elements.

Example 4: Slide Deck

Request: "Generate slides for our new feature presentation"

Output: An HTML slide deck with animated transitions, proper typography, and responsive design.

HTML Structure

Every generated HTML file is self-contained with:

• All CSS inline in <style> tags
• All JavaScript inline in <script> tags
• No external dependencies (works offline)
• Responsive design that adapts to any screen
• Theme support that respects system preferences
• Accessibility features for screen readers

Error Handling

If the input is too complex or ambiguous:

1. The skill will ask clarifying questions
2. Suggest simplifications if needed
3. Split complex visualizations into multiple connected views

If technical limitations prevent rendering:

1. The skill will explain the limitation
2. Suggest alternative approaches
3. Offer a simpler version if possible

Best Practices

This skill follows these design principles:

• Clean, minimal design focused on content
• Consistent visual language across all outputs
• No unnecessary decorations or distractions
• Mobile-first responsive approach
• Dark mode support with proper contrast
• Semantic HTML for accessibility