Presentation Development Workflow

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

Treat the section ranges below as planning options, not additive time budgets. Choose one concrete allocation whose sum includes transitions, buffer, and any in-slot Q&A. The timing guide gives checked 5-, 15-, and 45-minute budgets; rehearsal, not slide count, determines whether the deck fits.

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 (PptxGenJS or python-pptx)

1. Read assets/powerpoint_design_guide.md
2. Choose approach (programmatic or template-based)
3. Create master slides with consistent design
4. 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 the topic-based palettes in assets/powerpoint_design_guide.md (Teal & Coral, Bold Red & Orange, Deep Purple & Magenta, 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:

# PowerPoint decks: export to PDF first (Beamer already produces one)
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf presentation.pptx

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

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)