Presentation Creator — Process Reference

Detailed workflow for each phase. The SKILL.md has the overview; this file has the operational detail.

Phase 0: Intake & Context Loading — Detail

Step 0.1: Load the Vault

Read three vault documents in order from the vault root.

A. Rhetoric vault summary — rhetoric-style-summary.md

The constitution. Contains all cataloged patterns across rhetoric dimensions, areas for improvement, speaker-confirmed intent, and per-talk observation log.

Pay special attention to the Speaker-Confirmed Intent section. These are ground-truth design decisions that override any pattern inference. Read the confirmed_intents array in the speaker profile for the structured version.

B. Slide design spec — slide-design-spec.md

Visual design reference: background colors, typography, footer structure, shape census, template layout catalog, and generation rules.

C. Speaker profile — speaker-profile.json

Structured design decisions: presentation modes, rhetoric defaults, confirmed intents, guardrail sources, pacing data, infrastructure, and instrument catalog.

The summary is the rich narrative; the profile is the structured data. When you need nuance, voice examples, or context — read the summary. When you need thresholds, counts, or rules — read the profile.

Freshness check: Compare speaker-profile.json → generated_date against the Last updated line in rhetoric-style-summary.md. If the summary is newer, warn:

"The vault summary was updated {date} but the speaker profile was generated {date}. Run 'update speaker profile' to sync, or proceed with the current profile?"

Step 0.2: Gather User Context

Extract from the conversation what the user has already shared. Common starting points:

• "I need a talk about X for Y conference" — topic and venue known
• "I got accepted to speak at X, help me build the talk" — venue known, topic TBD
• "I want to adapt my [talk name] talk for X" — adaptation scenario
• "Write me a CFP for X conference" — abstract-writing scenario
• "I have this idea about X, could it be a talk?" — exploratory scenario

Step 0.3: Report and Advance

Summarize what you know and what you need.

Phase 1: Intent Distillation — Detail

The Art of Asking

Don't dump all questions at once. Use AskUserQuestion for structured choices when the vault provides a finite set of options, and conversational questions when the answer is open-ended.

Batch questions logically:

1. First batch: Purpose & thesis (the "what" and "why")
2. Second batch: Audience & venue specifics (the "who" and "where")
3. Third batch: Constraints & preferences (the "how" and "how not")

Use the vault to inform questions. If the topic overlaps with existing talks in the vault, reference them: "This overlaps with your [talk name] territory. Should we build on that argument or take a different angle?"

Co-Presented Talks

If the spec has a co-presenter:

• Identify who owns which expertise domain
• Determine the role split: provocateur/depth, alternating sections, or parallel tracks
• Clarify whose deck/template to use (default: the vault speaker's template)
• Determine how handoffs work (verbal cue, slide type change, both)
• Use [SPEAKER A]: / [SPEAKER B]: prefixes in all speaker notes throughout the outline

Spec Validation

Before presenting the spec, cross-check:

• Does the thesis pass the "one sentence" test?
• Does the time slot match the content ambition?
• Is the mode selection consistent with the audience?
• Are there contradictions? (e.g., "zero profanity" + "heavy meme density" — flag it)
• If co-presented: is the role split clear? Does each presenter have enough airtime?

When Adapting Existing Talks

Pre-fill the spec from the vault's analysis of the original talk:

1. Read the original talk's entry in the tracking database
2. Read its analysis file from {vault_root}/analyses/
3. Pre-populate: mode, opening type, narrative arc, humor register, closing pattern
4. Present to author: "Here's the original spec. What changes for the new venue?"

Phase 2: Rhetorical Architecture — Detail

The Joint Selection Process

This phase is a conversation, not a monologue. For each decision:

1. Extract the options from the vault summary (sections 2-13) and speaker profile (instrument_catalog). The vault is the living source — new instruments appear as more talks are parsed.
2. Present the options to the author with brief descriptions
3. Recommend based on the spec (with reasoning)
4. Let the author choose — they may want something the vault doesn't recommend

Mode Selection Logic

Read presentation_modes[] from the speaker profile. Each mode has a when_to_use field — use these to build a selection logic table dynamically. Present the modes with their descriptions and match signals from the spec.

Opening Pattern Selection Logic

Read instrument_catalog.opening_patterns[] from the speaker profile. Each pattern has a best_for field. Match to the spec's audience warmth, venue size, and context.

Narrative Arc Templates

Read instrument_catalog.narrative_structures[] from the speaker profile. Each has acts and time_allocation. Present the options with their time splits and best-for context.

Decision #10: Pattern Strategy

Read references/patterns/_index.md for the full taxonomy and profile → pattern_profile for the speaker's pattern history.

Present patterns in 4 tiers:

PATTERN STRATEGY for "{talk title}"
===================================
YOUR TOOLKIT (signature):
  ✓ Narrative Arc (22/24 talks) — recommended for this format
  ✓ Bookends (18/24) — strong with this audience
  ✓ Expansion Joints (20/24) — essential for 45→20 min adaptation

WORTH CONSIDERING (contextual):
  ○ Talklet (3/24) — good fit for the 20-min constraint
  ○ Foreshadowing (7/24) — pairs well with your arc style

NEW TO YOU:
  ★ [NEW] Preroll — display bio/topic on screen before you start
  ★ [NEW] Seeding the First Question — plant an easy Q for Q&A

SHAKE IT UP:
  ⚡ [WILD CARD] Red, Yellow, Green — audience voting with colored cards
  ⚡ [WILD CARD] Cave Painting — one giant canvas instead of slides

WARNINGS:
  ⚠ Shortchanged (8/24 detections) — plan cut lines for the 20-min slot
  ⚠ Dual-Headed Monster — co-presented talk, define handoff points
===================================

Tier logic:

1. Signature — mastery_level: signature patterns (80%+ usage), always shown
2. Contextual — patterns matching spec context that speaker uses occasionally (10-80%)
3. New to You — from never_used_patterns, filtered by spec relevance, marked [NEW]
4. Shake It Up — 1-2 random picks from never_used_patterns, NOT filtered by relevance. Provocations, not prescriptions.

Antipattern warnings — merge speaker's recurring antipatterns (from pattern_profile.antipattern_frequency) + contextual warnings derived from the spec (co-presented → Dual-Headed Monster, dense content → Bullet-Riddled Corpse, new format → Shortchanged, etc.)

Summary-only mode (no profile yet): Pattern taxonomy still works — patterns come from the reference files alone (no usage stats). All patterns presented as "new" (no tier separation, just a flat relevant-patterns list). Contextual antipattern warnings still apply.

Enhance decisions 2-9 with pattern cross-references as shared vocabulary: when recommending an opening pattern, reference the taxonomy ID; when selecting a narrative structure, note which Presentation Patterns it maps to (e.g., "problem-solution" = Narrative Arc + Triad).

Slide Budget Calculation

Read guardrail_sources.slide_budgets[] from the speaker profile. Match the spec's duration to the closest budget entry. Read pacing for WPM and slides/min targets.

Phase 3: Content Development — Detail

Writing the Outline

The outline needs to be:

1. Structurally complete — every section, every transition, every interaction cue
2. Voice-authentic — speaker notes in the speaker's actual voice
3. Visually directional — enough detail for the author to build slides from
4. Flexible — marked sections that can be cut for shorter slots or expanded

Outline Format

# [Talk Title]

**Spec:** [mode] | [duration] | [venue] | [audience]
**Slide budget:** [N slides — from profile guardrail_sources.slide_budgets]
**Pacing target:** [from profile pacing.wpm_range]

---

## Opening Sequence [3 min, slides 1-5]

### Slide 1: Title Slide
- Visual: [description]
- Footer: [from profile design_rules.footer.pattern]
- Speaker: [no notes — title slide is visual-only]

### Slide 2: [Opening hook type — from Phase 2 architecture]
- Visual: [description]
- Speaker: "[opening lines in the speaker's voice]"

### Slide 3: Brief Bio
- Visual: [from profile speaker.bio_short]
- Speaker: "[brief intro]"

### Slide 4: Shownotes URL
- Visual: [from profile speaker.shownotes_url_pattern] with QR code
- Speaker: "Everything — slides, links, resources — [shownotes URL]"

### Slide 5: [First content beat]
...

## Act 1: [Title] [N min, slides X-Y]
...

## [CUT LINE: Everything below here can be dropped for short version]
...

## Closing Sequence [3 min, slides N-end]

### Slide N: Summary
### Slide N+1: CTA
### Slide N+2: Thanks / Social

Callback Identification

Proactively identify and suggest callback opportunities. Check the vault summary for whether the speaker uses within-talk callbacks as a structural device. Look for:

• Recurring memes — call back later with a twist
• Progressive lists — add items on later appearances
• Running gags — escalate across 2-3 callbacks
• Deferred payoff — plant early, resolve later

Flag every callback explicitly in the outline:

[CALLBACK: reference to {element} from slide {N} — {variation}]
[PROGRESSIVE LIST: {list name} gains Nth item from slide {N}]
[RUNNING GAG: Nth appearance of {gag}]

Voice Calibration

Read verbal signatures from the vault summary (recurring phrases section) and the profile's instrument_catalog.verbal_signatures[]. Place them where they fit organically — don't force them.

General placement principles:

• Confirmation tags — after explaining something, not every sentence
• Transition fillers — into the next point, sparingly
• Bold claim framers — before provocative statements, max once per talk
• Dismissal phrases — when rejecting a concept the audience might believe in
• Profanity — only in the speaker's natural rhythm, calibrated to the spec's register
• Self-deprecating humor — most effective in openings and transitions
• Bullet symbols — read default from design_rules.default_bullet_symbol in the profile, but proactively suggest contextual symbols where they fit

The specific phrases come from the vault, not from this file.

Placeholder Types

Use numbered, typed placeholders:

[AUTHOR 01: your specific data/story for this point]
[DEMO 01: description of what to demo]
[DATA 01: need survey stat — describe what's needed]
[SCREENSHOT 01: description of what to capture]

Meme briefs — structured brief for each meme:

[MEME 01]
Template: [meme template name]
Search query: "[search terms to find the template image]"
Overlay text: [specific text to apply]
Rhetorical function: [what argument this meme serves]

Each type uses independent numbering.

Phase 4: Revision & Guardrails — Detail

Guardrail Check Procedure

After each revision, run through references/guardrails.md systematically with thresholds from the speaker profile. Present results as a checklist:

GUARDRAIL CHECK
===============
[PASS/FAIL] Slide budget: {actual}/{max from profile} for {duration}-min slot
[PASS/WARN/FAIL] Act 1 ratio: {%} (limit from profile)
[PASS/FAIL] Branding: footer elements from profile
[PASS/FAIL] Profanity: register from spec, on-slide rules from profile
[PASS/FAIL] Data attribution: sources visible
[PASS/FAIL] Time-sensitive: no expired content
[PASS/FAIL] Closing: summary + CTA + social present
[PASS/FAIL] Cut lines: present for adaptation
[INFO] Anti-patterns: checks from profile recurring_issues

Iteration Protocol

• Apply the author's changes first, guardrail check second
• If a guardrail fails after the author's change, flag but don't block
• Track intentionally overridden vs accidentally missed guardrails
• Keep file versions: Before major revisions, create a timestamped copy
• The current/active outline is always presentation-outline.md

Phase 5: Slide Generation & Interactive Iteration — Detail

Full technical reference: references/slide-generation.md

Step 5.1: Create the Deck

Read the template path from speaker-profile.json → infrastructure.template_pptx_path. Strip demo slides from template, keep layouts only (see slide-generation.md for code). Save to the presentation file convention from the profile.

Step 5.2: Walk the Outline

For each slide, select the layout from the profile's infrastructure.template_layouts[], add via MCP, populate placeholders. See slide-generation.md for the workflow.

Step 5.3: Inject Speaker Notes

Batch-inject via python-pptx (MCP doesn't support notes). Key slides only — not every slide.

Step 5.4: Present to Author

Save and present a generation report with slide count, layouts used, and placeholders needing author content.

Step 5.5: Iteration Loop

Free-form conversation. The author gives feedback in whatever format is natural. Handle content changes (MCP), structural changes (python-pptx), and note changes (python-pptx). See slide-generation.md for patterns.

Step 5.6: Final Save

Save the .pptx. Export and publishing happen in Phase 6.

Phase 6: Publishing — Detail

The publishing workflow is speaker-specific. Read publishing_process from speaker-profile.json. If the section is missing or empty, fall back to asking the author interactively and document their answers for next time.

Step 6.1: Export

Read publishing_process.export_format and publishing_process.export_method.

• If export_script is provided, run it (substituting the deck path)
• If export_method is a description, follow its instructions
• Common pattern: PowerPoint AppleScript for PDF (see references/slide-generation.md)
• If no export info, ask: "How do you want to export? PDF, keep .pptx only, or both?"

Step 6.2: Shownotes

Read publishing_process.shownotes_publishing. If enabled:

• Follow the method description (git push, CMS, manual)
• If shownotes_repo_path and shownotes_template are provided, generate the page
• Include: title, abstract, slide embed/download link, resource links, speaker bio
• Use the shownotes_url_pattern from speaker to construct the final URL

If not enabled, skip.

Step 6.3: QR Code

Read publishing_process.qr_code. If enabled:

• Generate QR code pointing to the shownotes URL (or target URL)
• If insert_into_deck is true, add to the deck at the specified slide_position
• Re-save the deck after insertion

Step 6.4: Additional Steps

Read publishing_process.additional_steps[]. For each entry:

• If automated is true and script is provided, run it
• If automated is false, present the step to the author as a manual TODO
• Report completion status for each step

Step 6.5: Go-Live Preparation Checklist

Before delivery, surface unobservable patterns from references/patterns/_index.md (the "Unobservable Patterns — Go-Live Checklist" section) as a preparation reminder. These are patterns the vault cannot score retroactively because they involve pre-event logistics, physical stage behaviors, or external systems — but they still matter for delivery quality.

GO-LIVE CHECKLIST — {talk title}
==================================
PRE-EVENT:
[ ] Preparation — backups, cables, hydration, room layout check
[ ] Carnegie Hall — completed 4 rehearsals (pace, delivery, fixes, groove)
[ ] The Stakeout — staging area identified near venue
[ ] Posse — supporter(s) confirmed for front row
[ ] Seeding Satisfaction — plan to arrive early and mingle
[ ] Shoeless — comfort ritual ready

DURING DELIVERY:
[ ] Lightsaber — if laser pointer needed, max 2-3 steady moments
[ ] Red/Yellow/Green — exit feedback cards set up (if venue supports)

AVOID:
[ ] Laser Weapons — don't wave the pointer; use built-in highlights
[ ] Bunker — step out from behind the podium
[ ] Backchannel — don't monitor social media during the talk
==================================

Step 6.6: Publishing Report

PUBLISHING REPORT — {talk title}
==================================
[DONE/SKIP] Export: {format} → {output path}
[DONE/SKIP] Shownotes: {url or "not configured"}
[DONE/SKIP] QR code: {inserted at slide N or "not configured"}
[DONE/SKIP/TODO] {additional step name}: {status}
[INFO] Go-live checklist: {presented above}
==================================