Slide Patterns Reference (Brand-Agnostic)

Universal layout grids and component patterns for slide design. These patterns describe WHAT to build and WHEN to use each pattern. They apply regardless of brand — use them for both Metis-branded and client-branded presentations.

For Metis-specific code implementations, see metis-brand.md. When editing a client deck, use these patterns but apply the client's own colors, fonts, and spacing extracted via scripts/extract_brand.py.

Grid Patterns

All grids assume a standard content zone between the title area (top ~15% of slide) and footer area (bottom ~9% of slide), leaving ~76% of slide height for content. Standard margins are ~3.75% of slide width on each side.

Grid 1: Full Width

Best for: Executive summaries, key findings, narratives, recommendations, single visuals.

+----------------------------------------------------------+
|  Title                                                    |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                            |
|  Full-width content zone                                   |
|  100% of content width                                     |
|                                                            |
+----------------------------------------------------------+

Single content zone spanning the full width between margins.

Grid 2: Two Column (Equal)

Best for: Comparisons, before/after, pros/cons, current vs future state.

+----------------------------+----------------------------+
|  Title                                                   |
+----------------------------+----------------------------+
|                            |                            |
|  Left column (48.5%)       |  Right column (48.5%)      |
|                            |                            |
|                            |  [~2.5% gutter]            |
+----------------------------+----------------------------+

Two equal zones with a small gutter between them.

Grid 3: Sidebar + Main (1/3 + 2/3)

Best for: Key metric + explanation, sidebar callout + main content, icon + detail.

+----------------+------------------------------------------+
|  Title                                                     |
+----------------+------------------------------------------+
|                |                                          |
|  Sidebar (30%) |  Main content (66%)                      |
|                |                                          |
|                |  [~4% gutter]                            |
+----------------+------------------------------------------+

Narrow accent zone for a callout or big metric, with a wide main content zone.

Grid 4: Three Column

Best for: Three pillars, three phases, three options, three team members.

+------------------+------------------+------------------+
|  Title                                                  |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
|                  |                  |                  |
|  Column 1 (31%) |  Column 2 (31%) |  Column 3 (31%) |
|                  |                  |                  |
|  [~3% gutters]                                        |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+

Three equal zones — gives equal visual weight to each item.

Grid 5: Title + Large Visual Area

Best for: Framework diagrams, process flows, org charts, large tables, timeline visuals.

+----------------------------------------------------------+
|  Title                                                    |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
|  Subtitle / description strip (~10% of content height)    |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                            |
|  Large visual area (~85% of content height)                |
|  Use for: tables, shape-based diagrams, charts             |
|                                                            |
+----------------------------------------------------------+

Maximizes diagram/visual space with a thin description strip above.

Grid Selection Guide

Component Patterns

Organized into 8 categories. Each component describes a reusable visual pattern for slide content. When building slides, compose 1-3 of these patterns together.

A. Structural Elements

1. Header Bar Full-width or column-width colored rectangle with contrasting text. Labels content sections visually. Use instead of bold text alone whenever you need to visually separate a section.

2. Accent Left Bar Thin vertical bar on the left edge of a content block. Pair with callouts, findings, or key point blocks for visual emphasis.

3. Content Card Rounded rectangle with light fill, no border. The workhorse container. Never use alone with plain text — always pair with a header bar, accent bar, or icon.

4. Horizontal Divider Line Thin horizontal line as a separator. Use instead of whitespace when sections need clear visual boundaries.

5. Illustrative / Non-Exhaustive Tag Small italic tag in the upper-right corner of the slide. Auto-add whenever content is directional or conceptual rather than definitive.

B. Content Presentation

6. Large Letter / Number Label Oversized bold character (3x body font size) as a visual anchor. Replaces plain bullets for sets of 3-6 items. The letter/number sits at the left edge, with title and body text aligned to its right.

7. Numbered Callout Block Large number (2.5x body font size) + bold title + body text. The default pattern for presenting 3-5 key points. Number anchors the left, title and body stack to its right.

8. Icon Circle + Text Filled circle with a number/letter inside, paired with title + description to its right. Use for numbered lists where a more polished look is needed.

9. Content Card with Header Header bar on top + content card body below. A mini-card pattern. Good for grouping related information with a clear label.

10. Key Benefits Text Blocks Clean paired title + body blocks in two columns, no boxes or backgrounds. For when visual simplicity is the goal.

11. Category Grid Row of header bars across the top, stacked content rows below each. For capability maps, deliverable catalogs, and multi-category comparisons.

C. Tiered / Pricing / Assessment

12. Tiered Pricing Table Color-graded rows built from shapes. Tier labels on the left column with graduated fill colors (light to dark). Data cells in a neutral background. Column headers in a dark fill.

13. Harvey Balls / Maturity Indicators Partially filled circles indicating capability/maturity levels (empty, quarter, half, three-quarter, full). Use graduated colors from light to dark.

14. Heat Map Table Table with cells colored by value. Dark header row, labeled left column, and data cells with fill colors indicating intensity or score.

15. Assessment Scorecard Grid Dense grid showing maturity across multiple dimensions. Combines table structure with maturity-level indicators.

D. Comparison & Matrix

16. Split Panel (Challenges / Solutions) Slide split into two zones with numbered items on each side and shared numbering in a center column. Shows parallel concepts (challenge-solution pairs).

17. Push / Pull / Hybrid Comparison Three equal zones showing model options. Each zone: header bar, description, positives box, challenges box. For comparing 3 approaches.

18. 2x2 Matrix Four quadrants with axis labels. Built as a 3x3 table: header row, header column, 4 content cells. For strategic positioning.

19. Persona Comparison Columns 3 persona columns with stacked rows. Header bars at top, row labels on the far left, content cards at each intersection. For role-based analysis.

20. Before / After Evolution Two-state comparison with a directional arrow between them. Two equal columns with header bars and content below each.

E. Process & Flow

21. Phased Approach (Activities + Deliverables) Three phase columns with header bars, plus two labeled sections within each (activities and deliverables). Side labels indicate section type.

22. Connected Circle Process Horizontal row of circles connected by lines, with titles and descriptions below each. Default for 3-5 step processes.

23. Stage Ribbon Horizontal row of colored blocks with stage labels. Each block spans an equal portion of content width. Use graduated colors for progression.

24. Chevron / Arrow Flow Horizontal arrow/chevron shapes for journey or progression. Each chevron contains a label. Use cycling brand colors for distinction.

25. Funnel Narrowing stages from widest (top) to narrowest (bottom). Centered horizontal bars with label and description. Graduated colors.

26. Radial / Lifecycle Diagram Central circle with items arranged in a ring around it. Central element = core concept; surrounding elements = related stages/domains. Trigonometric positioning.

27. Input / Process / Output Flow Three blocks: Inputs (narrow), Process (wide, center), Outputs (narrow). Each block contains a label and nested content cards for individual items.

F. Timeline & Roadmap

28. 30/60/90 Day Backlog Three-column timeline with header bars for each period. Row labels on the left (Milestone, Objective, Activities). Content cards at each intersection.

29. Swimlane Gantt / Roadmap Table with time columns across top and swimlane rows down the left. Colored bars span cells to show durations.

30. Use Case Opportunity Map Grid where rows = focus areas (labeled left), cells = use case cards with annotations. For portfolio views across categories.

G. Framework / Conceptual

31. Layered Framework Stack Full-width horizontal bands for framework layers. Each band: name/description on the left, sub-component cards within the band. Sub-components use a lighter shade. Bands use graduated colors (dark to light, top to bottom).

32. Hub-and-Spoke Diagram Central hub circle with surrounding domain circles. Hub = core concept; spokes = domain labels. Trigonometric positioning.

33. Maturity Journey Curve Ascending stages left to right. Each stage: dot positioned progressively higher, label below, description beneath. Connecting lines show progression.

34. Hexagon Grid / Pyramid / Venn

• Pyramid: Layers from narrowest (top) to widest (bottom), centered. Graduated colors. For hierarchies.
• Venn (2-circle): Two overlapping circles with transparency, label in the overlap zone. For concept convergence.

H. Narrative

36. Pull Quote Block Large decorative quotation mark + italic quote text + attribution line below. For featuring executive quotes or impactful findings.

(Note: Component #35 is not defined — numbering gap is intentional.)

Component Selection Guide

Component Rotation Guide

When multiple slides share the same content type, use different components from the alternatives below. Never use the same primary component on consecutive slides.

Rotation Alternatives by Content Type

Slide Archetype Categories

Every content slide falls into one of these archetypes. Vary the archetype across consecutive slides to create visual rhythm:

Ideal rhythm for a 10-slide keynote: A - D - B - C - D - A - C - B - D - A

This sequence ensures no archetype appears twice in a row and each archetype appears 2-3 times across 10 slides.