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architecting-slides skill

/plugins/sys-research/skills/architecting-slides

This skill guides you in structuring research talks with LaTeX Beamer, narrative flow, and visuals for rigorous, clear technical slides.

npx playbooks add skill git-fg/thecattoolkit --skill architecting-slides

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: architecting-slides
description: "Expertise in narrative structure, academic storytelling, and LaTeX Beamer presentations. Use when designing the flow of research talks and building technical slide decks with a focus on scientific rigor and narrative clarity."
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Bash]
---

# Architecting Slides Protocol

## Overview



## Quick Start

```bash
# Plan talk structure
# (Narrative planning is the first step)

# Choose a LaTeX template
# assets/beamer_template_conference.tex

# Integrate visuals from sys-multimodal
python scripts/slides_to_pdf.py slides/*.png -o presentation.pdf
```

## Workflows

### LaTeX Beamer (Default - Recommended)

**Best for**: Mathematical content, consistent formatting, academic rigor.

1. **Choose template** from `assets/` (e.g., `beamer_template_conference.tex`)
2. **Customize theme** and colors
3. **Add content** (equations, code, algorithms)
4. **Narrative Review**: Ensure flow matches the story arc in `references/presentation_structure.md`
5. **Compile** to PDF

See `references/beamer_workflow.md` for documentation.

### Visual Presentations (Hybrid)

**Best for**: Visually stunning results, fast creation.

1. **Plan**: Create detailed narrative plan for each slide.
2. **Generate**: Use `sys-multimodal` or `canvas-design` skills for visual assets.
3. **Combine**: Assemble into PDF with `scripts/slides_to_pdf.py` (powered by `sys-multimodal` utilities).

## Reference Library

### Base Templates
- **Structure**: [Presentation Structure](references/presentation_structure.md) - Story arcs, talk types, timing
- **Design**: [Slide Design Principles](references/slide_design_principles.md) - Typography, color, layout, accessibility
- **Visualization**: [Data Visualization](references/data_visualization_slides.md) - Chart types, simplification, recreation

### Advanced Guides
- **Talk Types**: [Talk Types Guide](references/talk_types_guide.md) - Conference, seminar, defense, grant, journal club specific guidance
- **Beamer**: [Beamer Guide](references/beamer_guide.md) - LaTeX themes, customization, advanced features
- **Visual Review**: [Visual Review Workflow](references/visual_review_workflow.md) - Validation, iteration, quality assurance

Overview

This skill helps design the flow and structure of research talks and build technical slide decks with academic rigor. It specializes in narrative planning, scientific storytelling, and producing LaTeX Beamer presentations for consistent, publication-grade output. Use it to convert a research narrative into a coherent slide sequence and compile visuals into a final PDF.

How this skill works

The skill inspects your talk goals, audience, and key results to propose a story arc and slide-level plan grounded in presentation_structure guidance. For output it offers two workflows: a LaTeX Beamer pipeline for equations, code, and consistency, and a hybrid visual workflow that integrates generated images and assembles them into PDFs using provided scripts. Templates, design principles, and visualization guides are referenced to ensure typographic and data-visual quality.

When to use it

  • Preparing conference talks with mathematical content or formal proofs
  • Designing thesis defenses, seminars, or grant presentations requiring scientific rigor
  • Converting research draft figures and diagrams into a cohesive slide narrative
  • Creating visually strong decks that still need a clear scientific story
  • Reformatting slides into a consistent LaTeX Beamer template for publication or distribution

Best practices

  • Start with a narrative plan: define the problem, contribution, evidence, and takeaways before making slides
  • Use the Beamer workflow for equations, algorithms, and consistent typography
  • Keep each slide focused: one idea, one visual, one takeaway
  • Follow slide_design_principles for legible type, high-contrast colors, and accessible charts
  • Iterate with visual_review_workflow: validate data visuals, check captions, and test timing on a dry run

Example use cases

  • Turn a 12-page paper into a 12-slide conference talk with a clear intro, methods, results, and conclusion arc
  • Assemble PNG figures from analysis pipelines and compile them into a Beamer PDF using scripts/slides_to_pdf.py
  • Design a defense presentation that emphasizes experimental rigor and reproducibility with equation typesetting and annotated figures
  • Produce a hybrid deck: generate visuals with a multimodal tool, then lay them out in the Beamer template for a polished academic look

FAQ

Do I need to know LaTeX to use the Beamer workflow?

Basic LaTeX familiarity helps, but templates and example files are provided so you can paste content and compile. For complex customization, some LaTeX editing is required.

Can I mix generated images with LaTeX-rendered equations?

Yes. The workflow supports embedding PNG/SVG visuals into Beamer slides and typesetting equations natively in LaTeX for consistent appearance.

How do I ensure slides fit time constraints?

Use the presentation_structure guidance to allocate minutes per section and build a slide plan that maps one slide to a single core point or two minutes of speaking time.