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PowerPoint Design Guide for Scientific Presentations

Overview

This guide provides comprehensive instructions for creating professional scientific presentations using PowerPoint, with emphasis on integration with the pptx skill for programmatic creation and best practices for scientific content.

CRITICAL: Avoid dry, text-heavy presentations. Scientific slides should be:

Visually engaging: High-quality images, figures, diagrams on EVERY slide
Research-backed: Citations from research-lookup for credibility (8-15 papers minimum)
Modern design: Contemporary color palettes, not default themes
Minimal text: 3-4 bullets with 4-6 words each, visuals do the talking
Professional polish: Consistent but varied layouts, generous white space

Anti-Pattern Warning: All-bullet-point slides with black text on white background = instant boredom and forgotten science.

Using the PPTX Skill

Reference

For complete technical documentation on PowerPoint creation, refer to:

Main documentation: document-skills/pptx/SKILL.md
HTML to PowerPoint workflow: Detailed in pptx/html2pptx.md
OOXML editing: For advanced editing in pptx/ooxml.md

Two Approaches to PowerPoint Creation

1. Programmatic Creation (html2pptx)

Best for: Creating presentations from scratch with custom designs and data visualizations.

Workflow:

Read document-skills/pptx/SKILL.md completely
Design slides in HTML with proper dimensions (720pt × 405pt for 16:9)
Create JavaScript file using html2pptx() function
Add charts and tables using PptxGenJS API
Generate thumbnails and validate visually
Iterate based on visual inspection

Example Structure:

const pptx = new PptxGenJS();

// Add title slide
const slide1 = pptx.addSlide();
slide1.addText("Your Title", {
  x: 1, y: 2, w: 8, h: 1,
  fontSize: 44, bold: true, align: "center"
});

// Add content slide with figure
const slide2 = pptx.addSlide();
slide2.addText("Results", { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, fontSize: 32 });
slide2.addImage({ path: "figure.png", x: 1, y: 1.5, w: 8, h: 4 });

pptx.writeFile({ fileName: "presentation.pptx" });

2. Template-Based Creation

Best for: Using existing PowerPoint templates or editing existing presentations.

Workflow:

Start with template.pptx
Use scripts/rearrange.py to duplicate/reorder slides
Use scripts/inventory.py to extract text
Generate replacement text JSON
Use scripts/replace.py to update content
Validate with thumbnail grids

Key Scripts:

rearrange.py: Duplicate and reorder slides
inventory.py: Extract all text shapes
replace.py: Apply text replacements
thumbnail.py: Visual validation

Design Principles for Scientific Presentations

1. Layout and Structure

Slide Master Setup:

Create consistent master slides
Define 4-5 layout types (title, content, figure, two-column, closing)
Set default fonts, colors, and spacing
Include placeholders for logos and footers

Standard Layouts:

Title Slide:

┌─────────────────────────┐
│                         │
│   Presentation Title    │
│   Your Name             │
│   Institution           │
│   Date / Conference     │
│                         │
└─────────────────────────┘

Content Slide:

┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Slide Title             │
├─────────────────────────┤
│ • Bullet point 1        │
│ • Bullet point 2        │
│ • Bullet point 3        │
│                         │
│ [Optional figure]       │
└─────────────────────────┘

Two-Column Slide:

┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Slide Title             │
├───────────┬─────────────┤
│           │             │
│  Text     │   Figure    │
│  Content  │   or        │
│           │   Data      │
└───────────┴─────────────┘

Full-Figure Slide:

┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Figure Title (small)    │
├─────────────────────────┤
│                         │
│    Large Figure or      │
│    Visualization        │
│                         │
└─────────────────────────┘

2. Typography

Font Selection:

Primary: Sans-serif (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica)
Alternative: Verdana, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS
Avoid: Serif fonts (harder to read on screens), decorative fonts

Font Sizes:

Title slide title: 44-54pt
Slide titles: 32-40pt
Body text: 24-28pt (minimum 18pt)
Captions: 16-20pt
Footer: 10-12pt

Text Formatting:

Bold: For emphasis (use sparingly)
Color: For highlighting (consistent meaning)
Size: For hierarchy
Alignment: Left for body, center for titles

The 6×6 Rule:

Maximum 6 bullet points per slide
Maximum 6 words per bullet
Better: 3-4 bullets with 4-8 words each

3. Color Schemes

Selecting Colors:

Consider your subject matter and audience:

Academic/Professional: Navy blue, gray, white with minimal accent
Biomedical: Blue and green tones (avoid red-green combinations)
Technology: Modern colors (teal, orange, purple)
Clinical: Conservative (blue, gray, subdued greens)

Example Palettes:

Classic Scientific:

Background: White (#FFFFFF)
Title: Navy (#1C3D5A)
Text: Dark gray (#2D3748)
Accent: Orange (#E67E22)

Modern Research:

Background: Light gray (#F7FAFC)
Title: Teal (#0A9396)
Text: Charcoal (#2C2C2C)
Accent: Coral (#EE6C4D)

High Contrast (for large venues):

Background: White (#FFFFFF)
Title: Black (#000000)
Text: Dark gray (#1A1A1A)
Accent: Bright blue (#0066CC)

Accessibility Guidelines:

Minimum contrast ratio: 4.5:1 (body text)
Preferred contrast ratio: 7:1 (AAA standard)
Avoid red-green combinations (8% of men are color-blind)
Use patterns or shapes in addition to color for data

4. Visual Elements

Figures and Images:

Resolution: Minimum 300 DPI for print, 150 DPI for projection
Format: PNG for screenshots, PDF/SVG for vector graphics
Size: Large enough to be readable from back of room
Placement: Center or use two-column layout

Data Visualizations:

Simplify from journal figures (fewer panels, larger text)
Font sizes: 18-24pt for axis labels
Line widths: 2-4pt thickness
Colors: High contrast, color-blind safe
Labels: Direct labeling preferred over legends

Icons and Shapes:

Use for visual interest and organization
Consistent style (all outline or all filled)
Size appropriately (not too large or small)
Limit colors (match theme)

5. Animations and Transitions

When to Use:

✅ Progressive disclosure of bullet points
✅ Building complex figures incrementally
✅ Emphasizing key findings
✅ Showing process steps

When to Avoid:

❌ Decoration or entertainment
❌ Every single slide
❌ Distracting effects (fly in, bounce, spin)

Recommended Animations:

Appear: Clean, professional
Fade: Subtle transition
Wipe: Directional reveal
Duration: Fast (0.2-0.3 seconds)
Trigger: On click (not automatic)

Slide Transitions:

Use consistent transition throughout (or none)
Recommended: None, Fade, or Push
Avoid: 3D rotations, complex effects
Duration: Very fast (0.3-0.5 seconds)

Creating Presentations with PPTX Skill

Design-First Workflow

Step 0: Choose Modern Color Palette Based on Topic

CRITICAL: Select colors that reflect your subject matter, not generic defaults.

Topic-Based Palette Examples:

Biotechnology/Life Sciences: Teal (#0A9396), Coral (#EE6C4D), Cream (#F4F1DE)
Neuroscience/Brain Research: Deep Purple (#722880), Magenta (#D72D51), White
Machine Learning/AI: Bold Red (#E74C3C), Orange (#F39C12), Dark Gray (#2C2C2C)
Physics/Engineering: Navy (#1C3D5A), Orange (#E67E22), Light Gray (#F7FAFC)
Medicine/Healthcare: Teal (#5EA8A7), Coral (#FE4447), White (#FFFFFF)
Environmental Science: Sage (#87A96B), Terracotta (#E07A5F), Cream (#F4F1DE)

See full palette options in pptx skill SKILL.md (lines 76-94).

Step 1: Plan Design System (With Modern Palette)

// Define design constants with MODERN colors (not defaults)
const DESIGN = {
  colors: {
    primary: "0A9396",    // Teal (modern, engaging)
    accent: "EE6C4D",     // Coral (attention-grabbing)
    text: "2C2C2C",       // Charcoal (readable)
    background: "FFFFFF"  // White (clean)
  },
  fonts: {
    title: { size: 40, bold: true, face: "Arial" },
    heading: { size: 28, bold: true, face: "Arial" },
    body: { size: 24, face: "Arial" },
    caption: { size: 16, face: "Arial" }
  },
  layout: {
    margin: 0.5,
    titleY: 0.5,
    contentY: 1.5
  }
};

Step 2: Create Reusable Functions

function addTitleSlide(pptx, title, subtitle, author) {
  const slide = pptx.addSlide();
  slide.background = { color: DESIGN.colors.primary };
  
  slide.addText(title, {
    x: 1, y: 2, w: 8, h: 1,
    fontSize: 44, bold: true, color: "FFFFFF",
    align: "center"
  });
  
  slide.addText(subtitle, {
    x: 1, y: 3.2, w: 8, h: 0.5,
    fontSize: 24, color: "FFFFFF",
    align: "center"
  });
  
  slide.addText(author, {
    x: 1, y: 4, w: 8, h: 0.4,
    fontSize: 18, color: "FFFFFF",
    align: "center"
  });
  
  return slide;
}

function addContentSlide(pptx, title, bullets) {
  const slide = pptx.addSlide();
  
  slide.addText(title, {
    x: DESIGN.layout.margin,
    y: DESIGN.layout.titleY,
    w: 9,
    h: 0.5,
    ...DESIGN.fonts.heading,
    color: DESIGN.colors.primary
  });
  
  slide.addText(bullets, {
    x: DESIGN.layout.margin,
    y: DESIGN.layout.contentY,
    w: 9,
    h: 3,
    ...DESIGN.fonts.body,
    bullet: true
  });
  
  return slide;
}

Step 3: Build Presentation (Visual-First Approach)

const pptx = new PptxGenJS();
pptx.layout = "LAYOUT_16x9";

// Title slide with background image or color block
const titleSlide = pptx.addSlide();
titleSlide.background = { color: DESIGN.colors.primary }; // Bold color background
addTitleSlide(
  pptx,
  "Research Title",
  "Subtitle or Conference Name",
  "Your Name • Institution • Date"
);

// Introduction with image/icon
const introSlide = pptx.addSlide();
introSlide.addImage({
  path: "concept_image.png",  // Visual representation of concept
  x: 5, y: 1.5, w: 4, h: 3
});
introSlide.addText("Background", { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, fontSize: 36, bold: true });
introSlide.addText([
  "Key context point 1 (AuthorA, 2023)",
  "Key context point 2 (AuthorB, 2022)",
  "Research gap identified (AuthorC, 2021)"
], {
  x: 0.5, y: 1.5, w: 4, h: 2,
  fontSize: 24, bullet: true
});

// Results slide - FIGURE DOMINATES
const resultsSlide = pptx.addSlide();
resultsSlide.addText("Main Finding", { x: 0.5, y: 0.5, fontSize: 32, bold: true });
resultsSlide.addImage({
  path: "results_figure.png",  // Large, clear figure
  x: 0.5, y: 1.5, w: 9, h: 4   // Nearly full slide
});
// Minimal text annotation only
resultsSlide.addText("34% improvement (p < 0.001)", {
  x: 7, y: 1, fontSize: 20, color: DESIGN.colors.accent, bold: true
});

// Save
pptx.writeFile({ fileName: "presentation.pptx" });

Key Changes from Dry Presentations:

Title slide uses bold background color (not plain white)
Introduction includes relevant image (not just bullets)
Results slide is figure-dominated (not text-dominated)
Citations included in bullets for research context
Text is minimal and supporting, visuals are primary

Adding Scientific Content

Equations (as images):

// Render equation as PNG first (using LaTeX or online tool)
// Then add to slide
slide.addImage({
  path: "equation.png",
  x: 2, y: 3, w: 6, h: 1
});

Tables:

slide.addTable([
  [
    { text: "Method", options: { bold: true } },
    { text: "Accuracy", options: { bold: true } },
    { text: "Time (s)", options: { bold: true } }
  ],
  ["Method A", "0.85", "10"],
  ["Method B", "0.92", "25"],
  ["Method C", "0.88", "15"]
], {
  x: 2, y: 2, w: 6,
  fontSize: 20,
  border: { pt: 1, color: "888888" },
  fill: { color: "F5F5F5" }
});

Charts:

// Bar chart
slide.addChart(pptx.ChartType.bar, [
  {
    name: "Control",
    labels: ["Metric 1", "Metric 2", "Metric 3"],
    values: [45, 67, 82]
  },
  {
    name: "Treatment",
    labels: ["Metric 1", "Metric 2", "Metric 3"],
    values: [52, 78, 91]
  }
], {
  x: 1, y: 1.5, w: 8, h: 4,
  chartColors: [DESIGN.colors.primary, DESIGN.colors.accent],
  showTitle: false,
  showLegend: true,
  fontSize: 18
});

Visual Validation Workflow

Generate Thumbnails

After creating presentation:

# Create thumbnail grid for quick review
python scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx review/thumbnails --cols 4

# Or for individual slides
python scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx review/slide

Inspection Checklist

For each slide, check:

Text readable (not cut off or too small)
No element overlap
Consistent colors and fonts
Adequate white space
Figures clear and properly sized
Alignment correct

Common Issues

Text Overflow:

Reduce font size or text length
Increase text box size
Split into multiple slides

Element Overlap:

Use two-column layout
Reduce element sizes
Adjust positioning

Poor Contrast:

Choose higher contrast colors
Use dark text on light background
Test with contrast checker

Templates and Examples

Starting from Template

If you have an existing template:

Extract template structure:

python scripts/inventory.py template.pptx inventory.json

Create thumbnail grid:

python scripts/thumbnail.py template.pptx template_review

Analyze layouts and document which slides to use
Rearrange slides:

python scripts/rearrange.py template.pptx working.pptx 0,5,5,12,18,22

Replace content:

python scripts/replace.py working.pptx replacements.json output.pptx

Best Practices Summary

Do's (Make Presentations Engaging)

✅ Use research-lookup to find 8-15 papers for citations
✅ Add HIGH-QUALITY visuals to EVERY slide (figures, images, diagrams, icons)
✅ Choose MODERN color palette reflecting your topic (not defaults)
✅ Keep text MINIMAL (3-4 bullets, 4-6 words each)
✅ Use LARGE fonts (24-28pt body, 36-44pt titles)
✅ Vary slide layouts (full-figure, two-column, visual overlays)
✅ Maintain high contrast (7:1 preferred)
✅ Generous white space (40-50% of slide)
✅ Cite papers in intro and discussion (establish credibility)
✅ Test readability from distance
✅ Validate visually before presenting

Don'ts (Avoid Dry Presentations)

❌ Don't create text-only slides (add visuals to EVERY slide)
❌ Don't use default themes unchanged (customize for your topic)
❌ Don't have all bullet-point slides (vary layouts)
❌ Don't skip research-lookup (presentations need citations too)
❌ Don't cram too much text on one slide
❌ Don't use tiny fonts (<24pt for body)
❌ Don't rely solely on color
❌ Don't use complex animations
❌ Don't mix too many font styles
❌ Don't ignore accessibility
❌ Don't skip visual validation

Accessibility Considerations

Color Contrast:

Use WebAIM contrast checker
Minimum 4.5:1 for normal text
Preferred 7:1 for optimal readability

Color Blindness:

Test with Coblis simulator
Use patterns/shapes with colors
Avoid red-green combinations

Readability:

Sans-serif fonts only
Minimum 18pt, prefer 24pt+
Clear visual hierarchy
Adequate spacing

Integration with Other Skills

With Scientific Writing:

Convert paper content to slides
Simplify dense text
Extract key findings
Create visual abstracts

With Data Visualization:

Simplify journal figures
Recreate with larger labels
Use progressive disclosure
Emphasize key results

With Research Lookup:

Find relevant papers
Extract key citations
Build background context
Support claims with evidence

Resources

PowerPoint Tutorials:

Microsoft PowerPoint documentation
PowerPoint design templates
Scientific presentation examples

Design Tools:

Color palette generators (Coolors.co)
Contrast checkers (WebAIM)
Icon libraries (Noun Project)
Image editing (PowerPoint built-in, external tools)

PPTX Skill Documentation:

document-skills/pptx/SKILL.md: Main documentation
document-skills/pptx/html2pptx.md: HTML to PPTX workflow
document-skills/pptx/ooxml.md: Advanced editing
document-skills/pptx/scripts/: Utility scripts

Quick Reference

Common Slide Dimensions

16:9 aspect ratio: 10" × 5.625" (720pt × 405pt)
4:3 aspect ratio: 10" × 7.5" (720pt × 540pt)

Measurement Units

PowerPoint uses inches
72 points = 1 inch
Position (x, y) from top-left corner
Size (w, h) for width and height

Font Size Guidelines

Element	Minimum	Recommended
Title slide	40pt	44-54pt
Slide title	28pt	32-40pt
Body text	18pt	24-28pt
Caption	14pt	16-20pt
Footer	10pt	10-12pt

Color Usage

Backgrounds: White or very light colors
Text: Dark (black/dark gray) on light, or white on dark
Accents: One or two accent colors max
Data: Color-blind safe palettes (blue/orange)

Troubleshooting

Problem: Text appears cut off

Solution: Increase text box size or reduce font size

Problem: Figures are blurry

Solution: Use higher resolution images (300 DPI)

Problem: Colors look different when projected

Solution: Test with projector beforehand, use high contrast

Problem: File size too large

Solution: Compress images, reduce image resolution

Problem: Animations not working

Solution: Check PowerPoint version compatibility

Conclusion

Effective PowerPoint presentations for science require:

Clear, simple design
Readable text (24pt+ body)
High-quality figures
Consistent formatting
Visual validation
Accessibility considerations

Use the pptx skill for programmatic creation and the visual review workflow to ensure professional quality before presenting.

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