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.

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:

1. Title
2. Outline
3. Background / motivation
4. Problem statement
5. Methodology
6. Results
7. Discussion
8. Future work
9. 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.