andyzhuang/skills/labclaw/general/pptx-generation

Academic Presentation Generation

Overview

Create publication-quality academic presentations (.pptx) for group meetings, thesis defenses, conference talks, and posters.

Templates

Group Meeting (10-15 slides)

1. Title slide (project name, date, presenter)
2. Background / Context (1-2 slides)
3. This Week's Progress (3-5 slides)
4. Results & Figures (2-3 slides)
5. Challenges / Questions (1 slide)
6. Next Steps (1 slide)

Thesis Defense (30-50 slides)

1. Title (name, committee, date)
2. Outline
3. Background & Significance (5-8 slides, establishing expertise)
4. Specific Aims / Research Questions (1-2 slides)
5. Aim 1: Methods → Results → Summary (8-12 slides)
6. Aim 2: Methods → Results → Summary (8-12 slides)
7. Aim 3 (if applicable)
8. Integrated Discussion (2-3 slides)
9. Conclusions & Impact (1-2 slides)
10. Future Directions (1-2 slides)
11. Acknowledgments
12. Backup slides (for committee questions)

Conference Talk (12-20 slides, 10-15 min)

1. Title (grab attention)
2. The Problem (why should the audience care?)
3. Key Question (one sentence)
4. Our Approach (why this method?)
5. Key Results (3-5 slides, one finding per slide)
6. So What? (implications, impact)
7. Acknowledgments

Design Principles

• One message per slide: if you need two messages, use two slides
• Visual hierarchy: title → key message → supporting data → source
• Minimal text: bullet points, not paragraphs. The speaker IS the narrative.
• Figure-first: lead with the figure, explain verbally
• Consistent styling: same fonts, colors, and layout throughout

Technical Implementation

• Use python-pptx for programmatic generation
• Template-based: define slide layouts, then populate with content
• Support custom color themes and institutional branding
• Export as .pptx (editable) and .pdf (final)