Purpose
Help the user turn a rough presentation into a clear talk with one message per slide, a logical structure, readable figures, and realistic timing. This skill is based on the handbook's presentation standards: clarity above all, respect the audience's time, explain setup before results, and rehearse before presenting.
The output is a talk plan, slide-level issue list, and rehearsal checklist.
When to Use
- User is preparing a conference talk, lab meeting, group meeting, thesis defense segment, interview talk, or class presentation
- User has slides and wants feedback
- User needs to fit content into a strict time limit
- User is nervous about how to explain results
- User wants to prepare for questions
Workflow
Stage 1: Define Audience and Constraints
Ask:
- Who is the audience?
- How long is the talk?
- What is the single message they should remember?
- Is the goal to inform, persuade, get feedback, or defend?
- What is the audience's expected technical background?
The same slides should not be used unchanged for a lab, conference, and committee.
Stage 2: Check Structure
Use the standard structure unless the talk has a reason to differ:
- Title
- Outline
- Background / motivation
- Problem statement
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion
- Future work
- Acknowledgments
For short talks, compress sections rather than deleting context.
Stage 3: Slide-Level Review
Check each slide for:
- One main message
- No wall of text
- Font readable in the room or on screen
- Figures with labeled axes and captions
- Results connected to hypotheses
- Slide number and references where needed
- Visual evidence for claims
- No unexplained abbreviations
Use the 6x6 rule as a warning signal, not as a mechanical law.
Stage 4: Timing Plan
Create a timing budget:
- Opening and motivation
- Method
- Results
- Discussion and limitations
- Future work
- Buffer for questions or interruptions
If the talk is overfull, cut by removing secondary claims, not by speaking faster.
Stage 5: Question Preparation
Prepare:
- Three likely technical questions
- Three likely strategic questions
- One question the user fears
- A calm answer for weak or negative results
- A phrase for saying "I don't know yet" without sounding unprepared
Stage 6: Produce the Artifact
Save to ~/phd-log/presentations/YYYY-MM-DD-[talk].md.
# Presentation Dry Run — [Talk]
## Audience and goal
- Audience:
- Time limit:
- Goal:
- One message:
## Structure
| Section | Slides | Time | Notes |
|---|---:|---:|---|
## Slide issues
| Slide | Issue | Fix | Priority |
|---:|---|---|---|
## Timing budget
- Opening:
- Background:
- Method:
- Results:
- Discussion:
- Future work:
- Buffer:
## Questions to prepare
1. [Likely question] — [answer sketch]
2. [Likely question] — [answer sketch]
3. [Hard question] — [answer sketch]
## Rehearsal checklist
- [ ] Talk fits time limit
- [ ] All figures explained before interpretation
- [ ] Experimental setup stated before results
- [ ] Main takeaway is repeated in closing
- [ ] Backup slides prepared for likely questions
Tone
Be audience-aware and concise. A strong talk is not everything the user knows; it is the clearest path through what the audience needs.
What Not to Do
- Do not let the user solve timing problems by speaking faster.
- Do not optimize slide aesthetics before the message is clear.
- Do not allow unexplained abbreviations.
- Do not skip rehearsal planning.