ContextQMD
Back to Claude Scientific Skills

Presentation Development Workflow

skills/scientific-slides/references/presentation_workflow.md

2.57.07.0 KB
Original Source

Presentation Development Workflow

The six stages from planning through final preparation, with the checks that belong at each stage.

Workflow for Presentation Development

Stage 1: Planning (Before Creating Slides)

Define Context:

  1. What type of talk? (Conference, seminar, defense, etc.)
  2. How long? (Duration in minutes)
  3. Who is the audience? (Specialists, general, mixed)
  4. What's the venue? (Room size, A/V setup, virtual/in-person)
  5. What happens after? (Q&A, discussion, networking)

Research and Literature Review (Use research-lookup skill):

  1. Search for background literature: Find 5-10 key papers establishing context
  2. Identify knowledge gaps: Use research-lookup to find what's unknown
  3. Locate comparison studies: Find papers with similar methods or results
  4. Gather supporting citations: Collect papers supporting your interpretations
  5. Build reference list: Create .bib file or citation list for slides
  6. Note key findings to cite: Document specific results to reference

Develop Content Outline:

  1. Identify 1-3 core messages
  2. Select key findings to present
  3. Choose essential figures (typically 3-6 for 15-min talk)
  4. Plan narrative arc with proper citations
  5. Allocate time by section

Example Outline for 15-Minute Talk:

1. Title (30 sec)
2. Hook: Compelling problem (60 sec) [Cite 1-2 papers via research-lookup]
3. Background (90 sec) [Cite 3-4 key papers establishing context]
4. Research question (45 sec) [Cite papers showing gap]
5. Methods overview (2 min)
6-8. Main result 1 (3 min, 3 slides)
9-10. Main result 2 (2 min, 2 slides)
11-12. Result 3 or validation (2 min, 2 slides)
13-14. Discussion and implications (2 min) [Compare to 2-3 prior studies]
15. Conclusions (45 sec)
16. Acknowledgments (15 sec)

NOTE: Use research-lookup to find papers for background (slides 2-4) 
and discussion (slides 13-14) BEFORE creating slides.

Stage 2: Design and Creation

Choose Implementation Method:

Option A: PowerPoint (via PPTX skill)

  1. Read assets/powerpoint_design_guide.md
  2. Read skills/pptx/SKILL.md
  3. Choose approach (programmatic or template-based)
  4. Create master slides with consistent design
  5. Build presentation following outline

Option B: LaTeX Beamer

  1. Read references/beamer_guide.md
  2. Select appropriate template from assets/
  3. Customize theme and colors
  4. Write content in LaTeX
  5. Compile to PDF

Design Considerations (Make It Visually Appealing):

  • Select MODERN color palette: Match your topic (biotech=vibrant, physics=sleek, health=warm)
    • Use pptx skill's color palette examples (Teal & Coral, Bold Red, Deep Purple & Emerald, etc.)
    • NOT just default blue/gray themes
    • 3-5 colors with high contrast
  • Choose clean fonts: Sans-serif, large sizes (24pt+ body)
  • Plan visual elements: What images, diagrams, icons for each slide?
  • Create varied layouts: Mix full-figure, two-column, text-overlay (not all bullets)
  • Design section dividers: Visual breaks with striking graphics
  • Plan animations/builds: Control information flow for complex slides
  • Add visual interest: Background images, color blocks, shapes, icons

Stage 3: Content Development

Populate Slides (Visual-First Strategy):

  1. Start with visuals: Plan which figures, images, diagrams for each key point
  2. Use research-lookup extensively: Find 8-15 papers for proper citations
  3. Create visual backbone first: Add all figures, charts, images, diagrams
  4. Add minimal text as support: Bullet points complement visuals, don't replace them
  5. Design section dividers: Visual breaks with images or graphics (not just text)
  6. Polish title/closing: Make visually striking, include contact info
  7. Add transitions/builds: Control information flow

VISUAL CONTENT REQUIREMENTS (Make Slides Engaging):

  • Images: Use high-quality photos, illustrations, conceptual graphics
  • Icons: Visual representations of concepts (not decoration)
  • Diagrams: Flowcharts, schematics, process diagrams
  • Figures: Simplified research figures with LARGE labels (18-24pt)
  • Charts: Clean data visualizations with clear messages
  • Graphics: Visual metaphors, conceptual illustrations
  • Color blocks: Use colored shapes to organize content visually
  • Target: MINIMUM 1-2 strong visual elements per slide

Scientific Content (Research-Backed):

  • Citations: Use research-lookup EXTENSIVELY to find relevant papers
    • Introduction: Cite 3-5 papers establishing context and gap
    • Background: Show key prior work visually (not just cite)
    • Discussion: Cite 3-5 papers for comparison with your results
    • Use author-year format (Smith et al., 2023) for readability
    • Citations establish credibility and scientific rigor
  • Figures: Simplified from papers, LARGE labels (18-24pt minimum)
  • Equations: Large, clear, explain each term (use sparingly)
  • Tables: Minimal, highlight key comparisons (not data dumps)
  • Code/Algorithms: Use syntax highlighting, keep brief

Text Guidelines (Less is More):

  • Bullet points, NEVER paragraphs
  • 3-4 bullets per slide (max 6 only if essential)
  • 4-6 words per bullet (shorter than 6×6 rule)
  • Key terms in bold
  • Text is SUPPORTING ROLE, visuals are stars
  • Use builds to control pacing

Stage 4: Visual Validation

Generate Images:

bash
# Convert PDF to images
python scripts/pdf_to_images.py presentation.pdf review/slides

# Or create thumbnail grid
python skills/pptx/scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx review/grid

Systematic Review:

  1. View each slide image
  2. Check against issue checklist
  3. Document problems with slide numbers
  4. Test readability from distance (view at 50% size)

Common Issues to Fix:

  • Text extending beyond boundaries
  • Figures overlapping with text
  • Font sizes too small
  • Poor contrast
  • Misalignment

Iteration:

  1. Fix identified issues in source
  2. Regenerate PDF/presentation
  3. Convert to images again
  4. Re-inspect
  5. Repeat until clean

Stage 5: Practice and Refinement

Practice Schedule:

  • Run 1: Rough draft (will run long)
  • Run 2: Smooth transitions
  • Run 3: Exact timing
  • Run 4: Final polish
  • Run 5+: Maintenance (day before, morning of)

What to Practice:

  • Full talk with timer
  • Difficult explanations
  • Transitions between sections
  • Opening and closing (until flawless)
  • Anticipated questions

Refinement Based on Practice:

  • Cut slides if running over
  • Expand explanations if unclear
  • Adjust wording for clarity
  • Mark timing checkpoints
  • Prepare backup slides

Stage 6: Final Preparation

Technical Checks:

  • Multiple copies saved (laptop, cloud, USB)
  • Works on presentation computer
  • Adapters/cables available
  • Backup PDF version
  • Tested with projector (if possible)

Content Final:

  • No typos or errors
  • All figures high quality
  • Slide numbers correct
  • Contact info on final slide
  • Backup slides ready

Delivery Prep:

  • Notes prepared (if using)
  • Timer/phone ready
  • Water available
  • Business cards/handouts
  • Comfortable with material (3+ practices)