Presentation Dry Run
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.
If the user does not have slides yet and is asking what the PPT should look like, what each page should contain, or how to create a reusable deck style, use
research-slide-deck-builder
first.
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
.
markdown
# Presentation Dry Run — [Talk]
## Audience and goal
- Audience:
- Time limit:
- Goal:
- One message:
## Structure
|---|---:|---:|---|
## Slide issues
|---:|---|---|---|
## 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.