open-kimi-ppt-skill/skills/open-kimi-ppt/reference/design_system/consulting/marine-blue-research/design.md

Marine Blue Research · Consulting STYLE DESIGN SYSTEM

PART A — Category Baseline (Universal Minimum Standard)

Professional, information-dense consulting presentations benchmarked against the style of leading strategy consulting firms (McKinsey/BCG), with a premium editorial aesthetic.

Content and Layout:

1. Rich data visualization: Fill slides with sophisticated, precise charts (stacked columns, waterfall charts, line charts) and detailed data tables with complete row-and-column structures.
2. Structured frameworks: Include strategy maps or 2×2 matrices constructed with fine, crisp lines.
3. High information density: Use sophisticated, multi-column layouts that resemble real-world business analysis presentations rather than cover-like slides dominated by empty space.

Visual Style:

1. Aesthetic: Balance a technology-forward feel with information richness. Keep it clean, clear, and authoritative.
2. Typography: Use a bold sans serif for main titles; chart labels and numerical data use the same sans family.
3. Color palette: Use a pure white background and pure black text; apply deep royal blue to charts and graphic elements, with varying shades of gray to distinguish hierarchy.
4. Graphics: Use thin borders for tables and precise vector lines for charts.

Structure and Discipline (distilled from deliverables we regard as benchmarks):

1. Every content-slide title must be a complete assertion (a conclusion statement), followed by a one-line scope/methodology subtitle explaining what the slide covers and how to read it.
2. Every content slide includes a chapter breadcrumb/tab bar with the current chapter highlighted, so any slide can be located within the narrative.
3. Use one named analytical framework per slide, never a loose collage: a pressure-convergence column chart; a phased timeline with a TODAY marker and stage gates; a three-scenario table (conservative/base/accelerated); a Five Forces diagram; a heat table; a difficulty × impact 2×2 with an observation zone; an upstream/midstream/downstream value chain; or a multidimensional profile matrix. Select the framework to match the content.
4. Present parallel evidence in 2–3 equal-width columns; number independent judgments (1/2/3), each with a bold assertion line + one brief explanation.
5. Chart annotation discipline: Place data labels directly on marks; add growth/level callouts (such as "+42% p.a."); include TODAY markers; use dashed lines for forecasts; and name observable indicators for uncertain variables. Never rely on legends alone.
6. Conclude most slides with a synthesis strip at the bottom ("How to Read This Slide"/"Profile Interpretation"/a one-line so-what), translating the evidence above into a single takeaway.
7. Three mandatory fixed elements: source/footnote line at bottom left and page number at bottom right; never omit them or treat them as decoration. The generated deck must never include watermarks, confidentiality notices/stamps, copyright lines, or logo placeholders.
8. Open with a one-slide executive overview + a numbered, paginated table of contents; close with numbered conclusions (claims, not summaries) + an implications slide organized by reader type (such as policymakers/operators/buyers), with each column ending in actions.
9. Every number must include its unit, time range, and basis of calculation; express uncertainty through monitorable indicators rather than hedging language.

Default baseline (derived from the layout skill; PART B may override): Content slides use information-dense, multi-column layouts and must contain at least one complex chart or one multi-row, multi-column data table. Never use "one oversized sentence + a vast empty area" as a content slide. Build framework diagrams (strategy maps/2×2/driver trees) with fine, crisp vector lines rather than stacked color blocks. Limit each slide to ≤2 primary hues.

Title Read-Through Test: Reading only the slide titles in sequence should tell the complete story; if they do not flow coherently, the structure has not been established.

Priority note: This section defines the minimum baseline for consulting contexts. Where the signature system below (PART B) conflicts with it, the signature system takes precedence—especially for background, color palette, and typography. The typography/color guidance above applies only as a default when the signature system is silent.

Global Prohibitions (AI Default Patterns · Mandatory)

1. Do not default to cards: Unless explicitly requested by the user, do not use rounded rectangles or rectangular cards to create hierarchy or alignment—containers with a functional information role (status indicators, assumption boxes, quotation boxes) are not considered cards. Lines, whitespace, and differences in type size and weight are preferable.
2. Do not default to equal-split compositions: Unless no other viable layout exists, do not default to three-way splits, four-way splits, or two-by-two matrices. Equal division must be justified by the content structure (three scenarios naturally require three columns; frameworks explicitly named in the body content are exempt).
3. Do not use unmotivated AI color schemes: Institution-specific palettes defined in the content are exempt. Prohibited choices are generic, commonplace, and unjustified defaults—blue-purple gradients, cyan-purple neon, rainbow flares, glass cards, and glowing borders.
4. Do not use elements that clash with the overall style: Never introduce out-of-style treatments, such as rounded icons or rounded rectangles within a sharp-edged visual system.
5. Keep chart backgrounds transparent: Use transparency or the slide background color, except for reversed charts on dark backgrounds.
6. Do not leave regions empty: Do not leave large blank blocks in the content area. Every planned region must be filled with real content; failure to fill it is the most serious form of rough execution.

PART B — Signature System (Distinctive Template Signature; This Section Overrides PART A in Case of Conflict)

One-line style signature: Navy Kaiti-style conclusion statements on white, cyan-blue charts with restrained orange accents, and grayscale still-life photography for chapter breaks; dense multi-column layouts, each ending with a one-line so-what strip.

【Color Palette】 Area discipline: Deep blue appears only in selected columns/deep cells; light blue only in matrix cells; gray only as a baseline or neutral block; panel gray only as a banded background; orange only for a single series/numbering; yellow only for inline highlights; and the map color only on maps. Background #FFFFFF (content-slide background; retain white space in text areas even on photo slides); primary text #000000 (body text/axes); title #00295F (eyebrow/assertion); primary cyan #00ACEE (fine lines/primary series/current chapter, ≤1/4 of area); deep blue #0064BC (secondary series/final value/deep cell); light blue #BEE0FF (low-emphasis cell); gray #D5D6D9 (baseline/other); panel gray #F1F2F1 (synthesis strip); orange #F17E00 (third series/numbering, not for positive/negative meaning); approximations #F2E292 (inline highlight), #C3CFE0 (map). Use cyan/blue for positive values and gray + black arrows for negative values; ≤3 chromatic hues per slide; never use orange as a background fill.

【Layout Skeleton】 Source-file specifications: 720×405 pt, 16:9. Cyan eyebrow at top left (8–10 pt) + navy title (16 pt), with a fine cyan rule beneath each module heading; main body in 2–4 columns. On comparison slides, left-side labels occupy approximately 10–15%, with explanations/excerpts on the right. Most slides end with a light-gray so-what strip (cyan label + 2–4 short statements); footer conventions inherit PART A and showed no observed overrides in the source. Do not use a persistent breadcrumb. Chapters are signaled by the eyebrow/chapter-divider slides. Photography is reserved for the cover/table of contents/chapter slides; the table of contents uses five gray bars with the current bar in cyan, and subsections are overlaid with large white rectangles.

【Typography】 Source-file specifications: Chinese text uses STKaiti (render with LXGW Bright); Latin letters/numerals use Calibri (render with QuattrocentoSans), with QuattrocentoSans Bold for key figures. Body text 9–10 pt=1x; title 16 pt≈1.6x; short chapter title 12 pt; large figure 16 pt; footnote 8 pt≈0.8x. Titles are left-aligned and may span two lines; percentages, CAGR, and English abbreviations use Calibri.

【Chart Language】 Stacked columns (recurring): show shares within columns, totals above columns, and adjacent CAGR capsules. Bridge/waterfall charts (recurring): gray baseline—cyan increment—deep-blue final value, connected with dashed lines, with the change value attached to the endpoint. Blue-scale matrices (recurring): three levels in deep blue/light blue + gray, with dashed row separators, white text in deep cells, and labels reserved on the left. Before-and-after microbars (recurring): a gray baseline bar connected to a cyan improvement segment, with the value attached to the bar end. Processes/timelines (recurring): connect nodes along black axes/gray arrows, locate positions with cyan dots, and number them with orange dots; maps may occasionally use a #C3CFE0 base.

【Signature Components】 Grayscale still-life photography is a hard requirement: Use it only on the cover, table of contents, chapter transitions, and a limited number of findings slides. Place text on white/gray information panels; do not add arbitrary photography to content-heavy chart slides. The so-what strip translates conclusions rather than serving as decoration. Metric capsules contain CAGR/share/multiples and sit directly beside the chart. Interview excerpts always appear on the right with an oversized blue quotation mark + a fine cyan rule. Orange numbered dots and cyan/gray check circles attach respectively to nodes and capability cells.

【Prohibited】 Photography must not overlap body content, and chapter photography must not be replaced with arbitrary illustrations. Orange must not serve as the default positive/negative encoding. Continue to present comparisons with square-cornered cells/fine borders/dashed lines; legends must not replace labels placed directly on columns, dots, and line endpoints. All other prohibitions inherit PART A; no additional overrides were observed in the source.

【Slide Types and Layouts】 Primary evidence chart slide｜trend/scale｜main chart 60–70% + explanation 30–40%｜1–3 charts｜capsules/direct labels/synthesis strip｜not suitable for cell-by-cell comparison. Multi-metric matrix slide｜competitors/regions/capabilities｜labels 10–15% + matrix 65–75% + excerpt 15–20%｜3–6 rows × 4–7 columns｜blue-scale cells/quotation mark｜not suitable for a single trend. Unit-economics bridge chart slide｜before-and-after change and drivers｜left bridge 35–45% + right-side drivers 55–65%｜1 bridge + 4–6 rows｜change capsule/assumption strip｜not suitable for causal-free parallel listing. Process/timeline/map slide｜process/evolution/geography｜graphic 70–80% + annotations 20–30%｜1 graphic + 3–8 nodes｜cyan nodes/orange numbering｜not suitable for lengthy item-by-item argumentation. Key findings text slide (occasional)｜multiple findings/excerpts｜light-gray background approximately 90%｜4–8 items, 1–3 lines each｜blue numbering/yellow highlights｜not a substitute for a data slide.

【Density Baseline】 Chart slide: 1–3 charts and 2–4 explanatory blocks; matrix: 3–6 rows × 4–7 columns, with 1–3 lines per cell; process/timeline: 5–9 nodes. Synthesis strip: 2–4 items, each 15–35 words/characters equivalent; excerpt: 25–60 words/characters equivalent. Directly label column/line endpoints and capsules with totals/shares/changes. Concentrate whitespace between titles and fine rules, around chart edges, and near the footer.