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 wit

Scientific Slides Overview 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: 1. Plan the deck : Create a detailed plan for each slide (title, key points, visual elements) 2. Generate slides : Call Nano Banana Pro for each slide to create complete slide images 3. 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: 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: 1. 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") Visual style (e.g., "minimal, professional, corporate aesthetic") Layout approach (e.g., "generous white space, left aligned content") 2. 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 3. Default author is "K Dense" unless another name is specified 4. 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 5. 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: IMPORTANT: Before creating results slides, always: 1. List files in working directory: ls la figures/ or ls la results/ 2. Check user provided directories for relevant figures 3. Attach ALL relevant figures that should appear on the slide 4. Describe how Nano Banana Pro should incorporate the attached figures Prompt Template: Include these elements in every prompt (customize as needed): Step 3: Combine to 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: 1. Plan the deck : Create content plan for each slide 2. Generate visuals : Use Nano Banana Pro with visual only flag to create images for slides 3. Build PPTX : Use the PPTX skill (PptxGenJS or template based) to create slides with generated visuals and separate text Step 1: Generate Visuals for Each Slide Step 2: Build PowerPoint with PPTX Skill Use the PPTX skill's PptxGenJS workflow to create slides that include: Generated images from step 1 Title and body text added separately Professional layout and formatting See skills/pptx/SKILL.md for complete PPTX creation documentation. 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) Diagrams requiring scientific accuracy review How to generate schematics: For detailed guidance on creating schematics, refer to the scientific schematics skill documentation. Core Capabilities Presentation structure and organization, slide design principles, data visualization for slides, talk specific guidance, implementation options (Beamer / PowerPoint / generated PDF), visual review and iteration, timing and pacing, and validation are all documented in [references/slide capabilities.md](references/slide capabilities.md). The staged development process — planning, design and creation, content development, visual validation, practice and refinement, and final preparation — is in [references/presentation workflow.md](references/presentation workflow.md). Prompt writing guidance for both full slide and visual only generation is in [references/prompt writing.md](references/prompt writing.md). Every bundled script's arguments and options are in [references/script reference.md](references/script reference.md). The mistakes that most often sink a talk are catalogued in [references/common pitfalls.md](references/common pitfalls.md). Integration with Other Skills Research Lookup (Critical for Scientific Presentations): Background development : Search literature to build introduction context Citation gathering : Find key papers to cite in your talk Gap identification : Identify what's unknown to motivate research Prior work comparison : Find papers to compare your results against Supporting evidence : Locate literature supporting your interpretations Question preparation : Find papers that might inform Q&A responses Always use research lookup when developing any scientific presentation to ensure proper context and citations Scientific Writing : Convert paper content to presentation format Extract key findings and simplify Use same figures (but redesigned for slides) Maintain consistent terminology PPTX Skill : Use for PowerPoint creation and editing Leverage scripts for template workflows Use thumbnail generation for validation Reference the PPTX skill's SKILL.md for programmatic creation Data Visualization : Create presentation appropriate figures Simplify complex visualizations Ensure readability from distance Use progressive disclosure Reference Files Comprehensive guides for specific aspects: references/presentation structure.md : Detailed structure for all talk types, timing allocation, opening/closing strategies, transition techniques references/slide design principles.md : Typography, color theory, layout, accessibility, visual hierarchy, design workflow references/data visualization slides.md : Simplifying figures, chart types, progressive disclosure, common mistakes, recreation workflow references/talk types guide.md : Specific guidance for conferences, seminars, defenses, grants, journal clubs, with examples references/beamer guide.md : Complete LaTeX Beamer documentation, themes, customization, advanced features, compilation references/visual review workflow.md : PDF to images conversion, systematic inspection, issue documentation, iterative improvement references/slide capabilities.md : presentation structure, design principles, data visualization, talk types, implementation options, visual review, timing, validation references/presentation workflow.md : the six development stages from planning to final preparation references/prompt writing.md : full slide and visual only prompt patterns references/script reference.md : arguments and options for every bundled script references/common pitfalls.md : content, design, and timing mistakes to avoid Assets Templates assets/beamer template conference.tex : 15 minute conference talk template assets/beamer template seminar.tex : 45 minute academic seminar template assets/beamer template defense.tex : Dissertation defense template Guides assets/powerpoint design guide.md : Complete PowerPoint design and implementation guide assets/timing guidelines.md : Comprehensive timing, pacing, and practice strategies Quick Start Guide For a 15 Minute Conference Talk (PDF Workflow Recommended) 1. Research & Plan (45 minutes): Use research lookup to find 8 12 relevant papers for citations Build reference list (background, comparison studies) Outline content (intro → methods → 2 3 key results → conclusion) Create detailed plan for each slide (title, key points, visual elements) Target 15 18 slides 2. Generate Slides with Nano Banana Pro (1 2 hours): Important: Use consistent formatting, attach previous slides, and include citations! 3. Review & Iterate (30 minutes): Open the PDF and review each slide Regenerate any slides that need improvement Re combine to PDF 4. 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) 5. 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): 1. Plan slides as above 2. Generate visuals with visual only

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