| 1 | # Standard 4:3 Layout Catalog |
| 2 | |
| 3 | This catalog describes 1600x1200 square-ish presentation structures. It is structural only: style controls color, type mood, decoration, shadows, and texture. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ## Zone Skeletons |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ### `title-body-synthesis` |
| 8 | |
| 9 | - **Use for**: most presentation slides. |
| 10 | - **Zone sketch**: title/claim band, body slot, optional synthesis/source band. |
| 11 | - **Balance rule**: the body must carry the message; synthesis stays compact. |
| 12 | - **Failure sign**: title consumes too much height and the body becomes cramped. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | ### `two-zone-balanced` |
| 15 | |
| 16 | - **Use for**: chart + insight, diagram + explanation, comparison pair. |
| 17 | - **Zone sketch**: two body zones under a title, equal or unequal depending on hierarchy. |
| 18 | - **Balance rule**: both zones should be readable and one should clearly be primary. |
| 19 | - **Failure sign**: both zones become equal paragraph boxes with no hierarchy. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | ### `center-with-rails` |
| 22 | |
| 23 | - **Use for**: concept, framework, or diagram with support facets. |
| 24 | - **Zone sketch**: central primary object, compact rails above/below or left/right. |
| 25 | - **Balance rule**: rails support the center and do not flatten it. |
| 26 | - **Failure sign**: support cards become the main visual mass. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | ## Patterns |
| 29 | |
| 30 | ### `title-plus-two-zone` |
| 31 | |
| 32 | - **Input shape**: one primary object plus interpretation. |
| 33 | - **Structure recipe**: title band, then two body zones; one is primary, one is support. |
| 34 | - **Budget rule**: both zones use the middle height; support stays concise but meaningful. |
| 35 | - **Failure signs**: primary zone is unclear; support zone is mostly empty or too verbose. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | ### `chart-insight-pair` |
| 38 | |
| 39 | - **Input shape**: one chart/table plus takeaway or metric context. |
| 40 | - **Structure recipe**: chart/data zone paired with an insight panel or bottom interpretation band. |
| 41 | - **Budget rule**: reserve width for labels and height for the plot before adding support. |
| 42 | - **Failure signs**: chart labels are cramped; interpretation repeats every datapoint. |
| 43 | |
| 44 | ### `matrix-2x2` |
| 45 | |
| 46 | - **Input shape**: four categories, quadrants, risks, options, or framework cells. |
| 47 | - **Structure recipe**: 2x2 grid with clear axis/row/column meaning. |
| 48 | - **Budget rule**: each cell gets a short title and 1-2 lines. |
| 49 | - **Failure signs**: cells become long essays; axis meaning is unclear. |
| 50 | |
| 51 | ### `center-concept-rails` |
| 52 | |
| 53 | - **Input shape**: one central concept with 2-4 supporting facets. |
| 54 | - **Structure recipe**: center block with side/top/bottom rails or a three-row composition. |
| 55 | - **Budget rule**: center carries the thesis; rails provide compact support. |
| 56 | - **Failure signs**: all facets become equal cards; center no longer dominates. |
| 57 | |
| 58 | ### `compact-table-rows` |
| 59 | |
| 60 | - **Input shape**: small tables, criteria, roadmap slices, or comparison dimensions. |
| 61 | - **Structure recipe**: table-like rows with few columns and consistent row heights. |
| 62 | - **Budget rule**: keep columns short; use grouped labels instead of paragraph cells. |
| 63 | - **Failure signs**: clipped cells; too many columns; tiny text pressure. |
| 64 | |
| 65 | ### `diagram-plus-takeaways` |
| 66 | |
| 67 | - **Input shape**: existing screenshots, diagrams, product views, or technical visuals. |
| 68 | - **Structure recipe**: visual as primary zone, with a short takeaway rail or bottom band. |
| 69 | - **Budget rule**: visual gets explicit ratio/object-fit constraints. |
| 70 | - **Failure signs**: image distortion; text surrounds the visual as equal full cards. |
| 71 |