aaronvanston Presentation Outline
Generate presentation structures following a proven flow pattern with bold, minimal slides designed for live presenting.
Core Principles
- Slides are conversation starters, not scripts — each slide prompts discussion
- Bold statements over explanations — headlines that land, not sentences that explain
- Breathing room — fewer slides with more impact beats many dense slides
- Clear sections — the audience should always know where they are
- Section colors — each major section gets its own accent color to reinforce structure
Standard Flow
The base arc adapts to the content. A typical presentation follows 5-7 sections:
1. OPENING (color: teal)
- Title slide (topic + subtitle)
- Goals/agenda (3 key takeaways max)
2. CONTEXT / THE PROBLEM (color: red)
- Current state / where we are today
- The tension or question to resolve
3-5. CORE SECTIONS (colors: purple, amber, green, blue)
- Section dividers between major topics
- 3-5 content slides per section
- Mix of statement, data, code, framework, and quote slides
6. CLOSING (color: teal)
- Recap (one-liner per section)
- Resources
- Q&A
Sections can expand or contract — a complex topic might have 4 core sections, a focused talk might have 2.
Slide Types
| Type | When to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | Land a key point | "Speed is a feature" |
| Big statement | Maximum impact, one idea | "AI has no memory" |
| Question | Create tension | "What would we do differently?" |
| Section divider | Signal topic shift | "Where we play" |
| Goals | Set expectations | "Goals for today" |
| Data | Prove with numbers | "3x growth in 6 months" |
| Code | Show implementation | Syntax-highlighted code block |
| Framework | Show a model or list | Do's and don'ts, comparison |
| Quote | Borrow authority | "What got you here won't get you there" |
| Recap | Summarize before close | "Recap" |
| Resources | Link references | Grouped by section |
| Next steps | Drive action | "Where to from here?" |
Output Format
# [Presentation Title]
[One-line purpose]
---
## 1. Opening
**Section color:** teal
### Slide 1: Title
- **Headline:** [Title]
- **Subtitle:** [Context or date]
### Slide 2: Goals for today
- **Headline:** Goals for today
- **Points:**
- [Takeaway 1] — [Brief explanation]
- [Takeaway 2] — [Brief explanation]
- [Takeaway 3] — [Brief explanation]
---
## 2. [Section Name]
**Section color:** [color]
### Slide 3: Section divider
- **Type:** Section divider
- **Headline:** [Section title]
### Slide 4: [Slide purpose]
- **Type:** [Statement/Big statement/Data/Code/etc.]
- **Headline:** [Bold headline]
- **Supporting:** [1-2 sentences or bullets]
---
## X. Closing
**Section color:** teal
### Slide N: Recap
- **Headline:** Recap
- **Points:** [One-liner per section]
### Slide N+1: Resources
- **Type:** Resources
- **References:** [Grouped by section]
### Slide N+2: Q&A
Workflow
- Ask about context — audience, purpose, setting (live vs. async)
- Identify key messages — what 3 things must land?
- Map the arc — Opening → Problem/Context → Core sections → Close
- Assign section colors — one color per major section
- Draft outline — use the format above
- Review density — cut slides that don't earn their place