Build slide decks and presentations for research talks. Use this for making PowerPoint slides, conference presentations, seminar talks, research presentations, thesis defense slides, or any scientific talk. Provides slide structure, design templates, timing guidance, and visual validation. Works with PowerPoint and LaTeX Beamer.
Scientific presentations are a critical medium for communicating research, sharing findings, and engaging with academic and professional audiences. This skill provides comprehensive guidance for creating effective scientific presentations, from structure and content development to visual design and delivery preparation.
Key Focus: Oral presentations for conferences, seminars, defenses, and professional talks.
CRITICAL DESIGN PHILOSOPHY: Scientific presentations should be VISUALLY ENGAGING and RESEARCH-BACKED. Avoid dry, text-heavy slides at all costs. Great scientific presentations combine:
Compelling visuals: High-quality figures, images, diagrams (not just bullet points)
Research context: Proper citations from research-lookup establishing credibility
Minimal text: Bullet points as prompts, YOU provide the explanation verbally
Professional design: Modern color schemes, strong visual hierarchy, generous white space
Story-driven: Clear narrative arc, not just data dumps
Remember: Boring presentations = forgotten science. Make your slides visually memorable while maintaining scientific rigor through proper citations.
When to Use This Skill
This skill should be used when:
Preparing conference presentations (5-20 minutes)
Developing academic seminars (45-60 minutes)
Creating thesis or dissertation defense presentations
Designing grant pitch presentations
Preparing journal club presentations
Giving research talks at institutions or companies
Teaching or tutorial presentations on scientific topics
Slide Generation with Nano Banana Pro
This skill uses Nano Banana Pro AI to generate stunning presentation slides automatically.
There are two workflows depending on output format:
Default Workflow: PDF Slides (Recommended)
Generate each slide as a complete image using Nano Banana Pro, then combine into a PDF. This produces the most visually stunning results.
How it works:
Plan the deck: Create a detailed plan for each slide (title, key points, visual elements)
Generate slides: Call Nano Banana Pro for each slide to create complete slide images
Combine to PDF: Assemble slide images into a single PDF presentation
Step 1: Plan Each Slide
Before generating, create a detailed plan for your presentation:
# Presentation Plan: Introduction to Machine Learning
## Slide 1: Title Slide
- Title: "Machine Learning: From Theory to Practice"
- Subtitle: "AI Conference 2025"
- Speaker: Dr. Jane Smith, University of XYZ
- Visual: Modern abstract neural network background
## Slide 2: Introduction
- Title: "Why Machine Learning Matters"
- Key points: Industry adoption, breakthrough applications, future potential
- Visual: Icons showing different ML applications (healthcare, finance, robotics)
## Slide 3: Core Concepts
- Title: "The Three Types of Learning"
- Content: Supervised, Unsupervised, Reinforcement
- Visual: Three-part diagram showing each type with examples
... (continue for all slides)
Step 2: Generate Each Slide
Use the generate_slide_image.py script to create each slide.
CRITICAL: Formatting Consistency Protocol
To ensure unified formatting across all slides in a presentation:
Define a Formatting Goal at the start of your presentation and include it in EVERY prompt:
Color scheme (e.g., "dark blue background, white text, gold accents")
Typography style (e.g., "bold sans-serif titles, clean body text")
Layout approach (e.g., "generous white space, left-aligned content")
Always attach the previous slide when generating subsequent slides using --attach:
This allows Nano Banana Pro to see and match the existing style
Creates visual continuity throughout the deck
Ensures consistent colors, fonts, and design language
Default author is "K-Dense" unless another name is specified
Include citations directly in the prompt for slides that reference research:
Add citations in the prompt text so they appear on the generated slide
Use format: "Include citation: (Author et al., Year)" or "Show reference: Author et al., Year"
For multiple citations, list them all in the prompt
Citations should appear in small text at the bottom of the slide or near relevant content
Attach existing figures/data for results slides (CRITICAL for data-driven presentations):
When creating slides about results, ALWAYS check for existing figures in:
The working directory (e.g., figures/, results/, plots/, images/)
User-provided input files or directories
Any data visualizations, charts, or graphs relevant to the presentation
Use --attach to include these figures so Nano Banana Pro can incorporate them:
Attach the actual data figure/chart for results slides
Attach relevant diagrams for methodology slides
Attach logos or institutional images for title slides
When attaching data figures, describe what you want in the prompt:
"Create a slide presenting the attached results chart with key findings highlighted"
"Build a slide around this attached figure, add title and bullet points explaining the data"
"Incorporate the attached graph into a results slide with interpretation"
Before generating results slides: List files in the working directory to find relevant figures
Multiple figures can be attached: --attach fig1.png --attach fig2.png
Example with formatting consistency, citations, and figure attachments:
# Title slide (first slide - establishes the style)
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Title slide for presentation: 'Machine Learning: From Theory to Practice'. Subtitle: 'AI Conference 2025'. Speaker: K-Dense. FORMATTING GOAL: Dark blue background (#1a237e), white text, gold accents (#ffc107), minimal design, sans-serif fonts, generous margins, no decorative elements." -o slides/01_title.png
# Content slide with citations (attach previous slide for consistency)
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Presentation slide titled 'Why Machine Learning Matters'. Three key points with simple icons: 1) Industry adoption, 2) Breakthrough applications, 3) Future potential. CITATIONS: Include at bottom in small text: (LeCun et al., 2015; Goodfellow et al., 2016). FORMATTING GOAL: Match attached slide style - dark blue background, white text, gold accents, minimal professional design, no visual clutter." -o slides/02_intro.png --attach slides/01_title.png
# Background slide with multiple citations
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Presentation slide titled 'Deep Learning Revolution'. Key milestones: ImageNet breakthrough (2012), transformer architecture (2017), GPT models (2018-present). CITATIONS: Show references at bottom: (Krizhevsky et al., 2012; Vaswani et al., 2017; Brown et al., 2020). FORMATTING GOAL: Match attached slide style exactly - same colors, fonts, minimal design." -o slides/03_background.png --attach slides/02_intro.png
# RESULTS SLIDE - Attach actual data figure from working directory
# First, check what figures exist: ls figures/ or ls results/
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Presentation slide titled 'Model Performance Results'. Create a slide presenting the attached accuracy chart. Key findings to highlight: 1) 95% accuracy achieved, 2) Outperforms baseline by 12%, 3) Consistent across test sets. CITATIONS: Include at bottom: (Our results, 2025). FORMATTING GOAL: Match attached slide style exactly." -o slides/04_results.png --attach slides/03_background.png --attach figures/accuracy_chart.png
# RESULTS SLIDE - Multiple figures comparison
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Presentation slide titled 'Before vs After Comparison'. Build a side-by-side comparison slide using the two attached figures. Left: baseline results, Right: our improved results. Add brief labels explaining the improvement. FORMATTING GOAL: Match attached slide style exactly." -o slides/05_comparison.png --attach slides/04_results.png --attach figures/baseline.png --attach figures/improved.png
# METHODOLOGY SLIDE - Attach existing diagram
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Presentation slide titled 'System Architecture'. Present the attached architecture diagram with brief explanatory bullet points: 1) Input processing, 2) Model inference, 3) Output generation. FORMATTING GOAL: Match attached slide style exactly." -o slides/06_architecture.png --attach slides/05_comparison.png --attach diagrams/system_architecture.png
IMPORTANT: Before creating results slides, always:
List files in working directory: ls -la figures/ or ls -la results/
Check user-provided directories for relevant figures
Attach ALL relevant figures that should appear on the slide
Describe how Nano Banana Pro should incorporate the attached figures
Prompt Template:
Include these elements in every prompt (customize as needed):
[Slide content description]
CITATIONS: Include at bottom: (Author1 et al., Year; Author2 et al., Year)
FORMATTING GOAL: [Background color], [text color], [accent color], minimal professional design, no decorative elements, consistent with attached slide style.
Step 3: Combine to PDF
# Combine all slides into a PDF presentation
python scripts/slides_to_pdf.py slides/*.png -o presentation.pdf
PPT Workflow: PowerPoint with Generated Visuals
When creating PowerPoint presentations, use Nano Banana Pro to generate images and figures for each slide, then add text separately using the PPTX skill.
How it works:
Plan the deck: Create content plan for each slide
Generate visuals: Use Nano Banana Pro with --visual-only flag to create images for slides
Build PPTX: Use the PPTX skill (html2pptx or template-based) to create slides with generated visuals and separate text
Step 1: Generate Visuals for Each Slide
# Generate a figure for the introduction slide
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Professional illustration showing machine learning applications: healthcare diagnosis, financial analysis, autonomous vehicles, and robotics. Modern flat design, colorful icons on white background." -o figures/ml_applications.png --visual-only
# Generate a diagram for the methods slide
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Neural network architecture diagram showing input layer, three hidden layers, and output layer. Clean, technical style with node connections. Blue and gray color scheme." -o figures/neural_network.png --visual-only
# Generate a conceptual graphic for results
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Before and after comparison showing improvement: left side shows cluttered data, right side shows organized insights. Arrow connecting them. Professional business style." -o figures/results_visual.png --visual-only
Step 2: Build PowerPoint with PPTX Skill
Use the PPTX skill's html2pptx workflow to create slides that include:
Generated images from step 1
Title and body text added separately
Professional layout and formatting
See document-skills/pptx/SKILL.md for complete PPTX creation documentation.
Nano Banana Pro Script Reference
generate_slide_image.py
Generate presentation slides or visuals using Nano Banana Pro AI.
# Full slide (default) - generates complete slide as image
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "slide description" -o output.png
# Visual only - generates just the image/figure for embedding in PPT
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "visual description" -o output.png --visual-only
# With reference images attached (Nano Banana Pro will see these)
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Create a slide explaining this chart" -o slide.png --attach chart.png
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Combine these into a comparison slide" -o compare.png --attach before.png --attach after.png
Options:
-o, --output: Output file path (required)
--attach IMAGE: Attach image file(s) as context for generation (can use multiple times)
--visual-only: Generate just the visual/figure, not a complete slide
--iterations: Max refinement iterations (default: 2)
--api-key: OpenRouter API key (or set OPENROUTER_API_KEY env var)
-v, --verbose: Verbose output
Attaching Reference Images:
Use --attach when you want Nano Banana Pro to see existing images as context:
"Create a slide about this data" + attach the data chart
"Make a title slide with this logo" + attach the logo
"Combine these figures into one slide" + attach multiple images
"Explain this diagram in a slide" + attach the diagram
Environment Setup:
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY='your_api_key_here'
# Get key at: https://openrouter.ai/keys
slides_to_pdf.py
Combine multiple slide images into a single PDF.
# Combine PNG files
python scripts/slides_to_pdf.py slides/*.png -o presentation.pdf
# Combine specific files in order
python scripts/slides_to_pdf.py title.png intro.png methods.png -o talk.pdf
# From directory (sorted by filename)
python scripts/slides_to_pdf.py slides/ -o presentation.pdf
Options:
-o, --output: Output PDF path (required)
--dpi: PDF resolution (default: 150)
-v, --verbose: Verbose output
Tip: Name slides with numbers for correct ordering: 01_title.png, 02_intro.png, etc.
Prompt Writing for Slide Generation
Full Slide Prompts (PDF Workflow)
For complete slides, include:
Slide type: Title slide, content slide, diagram slide, etc.
Title: The slide title text
Content: Key points, bullet items, or descriptions
Visual elements: What imagery, icons, or graphics to include
Design style: Color scheme, mood, aesthetic
Example prompts:
Title slide:
"Title slide for a medical research presentation. Title: 'Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy'. Subtitle: 'Clinical Trial Results 2024'. Professional medical theme with subtle DNA helix in background. Navy blue and white color scheme."
Content slide:
"Presentation slide titled 'Key Findings'. Three bullet points: 1) 40% improvement in response rate, 2) Reduced side effects, 3) Extended survival outcomes. Include relevant medical icons. Clean, professional design with green and white colors."
Diagram slide:
"Presentation slide showing the research methodology. Title: 'Study Design'. Flowchart showing: Patient Screening → Randomization → Treatment Groups (A, B, Control) → Follow-up → Analysis. CONSORT-style flow diagram. Professional academic style."
Visual-Only Prompts (PPT Workflow)
For images to embed in PowerPoint, focus on the visual element only:
"Flowchart showing machine learning pipeline: Data Collection → Preprocessing → Model Training → Validation → Deployment. Clean technical style, blue and gray colors."
"Conceptual illustration of cloud computing with servers, data flow, and connected devices. Modern flat design, suitable for business presentation."
"Scientific diagram of cell division process showing mitosis phases. Educational style with labels, colorblind-friendly colors."
Visual Enhancement with Scientific Schematics
In addition to slide generation, use the scientific-schematics skill for technical diagrams:
When to use scientific-schematics instead:
Complex technical diagrams (circuit diagrams, chemical structures)
Publication-quality figures for papers (higher quality threshold)
For detailed guidance on creating schematics, refer to the scientific-schematics skill documentation.
Core Capabilities
1. Presentation Structure and Organization
Build presentations with clear narrative flow and appropriate structure for different contexts. For detailed guidance, refer to references/presentation_structure.md.
Universal Story Arc:
Hook: Grab attention (30-60 seconds)
Context: Establish importance (5-10% of talk)
Problem/Gap: Identify what's unknown (5-10% of talk)
Thesis defenses (60 min): Complete dissertation overview, all studies covered
Grant pitches (15 min): Emphasis on significance, feasibility, and impact
Journal clubs (30 min): Critical analysis of published work
2. Slide Design Principles
Create professional, readable, and accessible slides that enhance understanding. For complete design guidelines, refer to references/slide_design_principles.md.
ANTI-PATTERN: Avoid Dry, Text-Heavy Presentations
❌ What Makes Presentations Dry and Forgettable:
Walls of text (more than 6 bullets per slide)
Small fonts (<24pt body text)
Black text on white background only (no visual interest)
No images or graphics (bullet points only)
Generic templates with no customization
Dense, paragraph-like bullet points
Missing research context (no citations)
All slides look the same (repetitive)
✅ What Makes Presentations Engaging and Memorable:
Implement iterative improvement through visual inspection. For complete workflow, refer to references/visual_review_workflow.md.
Visual Validation Workflow:
Step 1: Generate PDF (if not already PDF)
PowerPoint: Export as PDF
Beamer: Compile LaTeX source
Step 2: Convert to Images
# Using the pdf_to_images script
python scripts/pdf_to_images.py presentation.pdf review/slide --dpi 150
# Or use pptx skill's thumbnail tool
python ../document-skills/pptx/scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx review/thumb
Step 3: Systematic Inspection
Check each slide for:
Text overflow: Text cut off at edges
Element overlap: Text overlapping images or other text
Font sizes: Text too small (<18pt)
Contrast: Insufficient contrast between text and background
Layout issues: Misalignment, poor spacing
Visual quality: Pixelated images, poor rendering
Step 4: Document Issues
Create issue log:
Slide # | Issue Type | Description | Priority
--------|-----------|-------------|----------
3 | Text overflow | Bullet 4 extends beyond box | High
7 | Overlap | Figure overlaps with caption | High
12 | Font size | Axis labels too small | Medium
Step 5: Apply Fixes
Make corrections to source files:
PowerPoint: Edit text boxes, resize elements
Beamer: Adjust LaTeX code, recompile
Step 6: Re-Validate
Repeat Steps 1-5 until no critical issues remain.
Stopping Criteria:
No text overflow
No inappropriate overlaps
All text readable (≥18pt equivalent)
Adequate contrast (≥4.5:1)
Professional appearance
7. Timing and Pacing
Ensure presentations fit allocated time. For comprehensive timing guidance, refer to assets/timing_guidelines.md.
The One-Slide-Per-Minute Rule:
General guideline: ~1 slide per minute
Adjust for complex slides (2-3 minutes)
Adjust for simple slides (15-30 seconds)
Time Allocation:
Introduction: 15-20%
Methods: 15-20%
Results: 40-50% (MOST TIME)
Discussion: 15-20%
Conclusion: 5%
Practice Requirements:
5-minute talk: Practice 5-7 times
15-minute talk: Practice 3-5 times
45-minute talk: Practice 3-4 times
Defense: Practice 4-6 times
Timing Checkpoints:
For 15-minute talk:
3-4 minutes: Finishing introduction
7-8 minutes: Halfway through results
12-13 minutes: Starting conclusions
Emergency Strategies:
Running behind: Skip backup slides (prepare in advance)
Create detailed plan for each slide (title, key points, visual elements)
Target 15-18 slides
Generate Slides with Nano Banana Pro (1-2 hours):
Important: Use consistent formatting, attach previous slides, and include citations!
# Title slide (establishes style - default author: K-Dense)
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Title slide: 'Your Research Title'. Conference name, K-Dense. FORMATTING GOAL: [your color scheme], minimal professional design, no decorative elements, clean and corporate." -o slides/01_title.png
# Introduction slide with citations (attach previous for consistency)
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Slide titled 'Why This Matters'. Three key points with simple icons. CITATIONS: Include at bottom: (Smith et al., 2023; Jones et al., 2024). FORMATTING GOAL: Match attached slide style exactly." -o slides/02_intro.png --attach slides/01_title.png
# Continue for each slide (always attach previous, include citations where relevant)
python scripts/generate_slide_image.py "Slide titled 'Methods'. Key methodology points. CITATIONS: (Based on Chen et al., 2022). FORMATTING GOAL: Match attached slide style exactly." -o slides/03_methods.png --attach slides/02_intro.png
# Combine to PDF
python scripts/slides_to_pdf.py slides/*.png -o presentation.pdf
Review & Iterate (30 minutes):
Open the PDF and review each slide
Regenerate any slides that need improvement
Re-combine to PDF
Practice (2-3 hours):
Practice 3-5 times with timer
Aim for 13-14 minutes (leave buffer)
Record yourself, watch playback
Prepare for questions (use research-lookup to anticipate)
Finalize (30 minutes):
Generate backup/appendix slides if needed
Save multiple copies
Test on presentation computer
Total time: ~5-6 hours for quality AI-generated presentation
Alternative: PowerPoint Workflow
If you need editable slides (e.g., for company templates):
