How do I install the Project Deck skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add flonat/project-deck in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Project Deck safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Project Deck?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Project Deck free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Project Deck?

flonat (@flonat) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Project Deck by flonat — Agent Skill

Name: Project Deck
Rating: 4.666666666666667 (3 reviews)
Author: flonat

Project Deck

Create a concise presentation deck that communicates a project's current state, decisions, evidence, risks, and next steps. Use when preparing a project update for collaborators, supervisors, or stakeholders. Not for a research talk centered on one paper; use $talk-deck.

flonat Updated Sep 10, 2026

File contents

Project Deck Skill

Create beautiful presentation decks to communicate project status to your future self and collaborators.

Purpose

Based on Scott Cunningham's Part 7: "Making Beautiful Decks For My Future Self" - using decks not for public speaking but to efficiently communicate work status across time and to coauthors.

The Philosophy

"I use decks to help me keep track of the work I was doing so that I can communicate it to my coauthors and myself later in the week when we meet to go over our projects."

Claude has absorbed the "rhetoric of decks" - the tacit knowledge about what makes presentations effective:

One idea per slide
Titles are assertions, not labels
Lead with conclusions
Visual hierarchy signals importance
Repeat for retention
Transition explicitly

When to Use

Before a supervisor meeting
At the end of a research sprint
When handing off to a coauthor
When returning to a dormant project
Weekly project status updates

Workflow

Read project context - Progress logs, current focus, recent work
Design deck structure:
- Research question
- What's been done (with figures/tables)
- Key findings so far
- Current blockers
- Next steps
Create beautiful output - Clean design, good typography, optimal cognitive density
Include visuals - Figures, tables, diagrams that capture the work

Deck Rhetoric Principles

## Principles for Effective Decks

1. **One idea per slide** - Don't overload
2. **Titles are assertions** - "Distance increases abortion rates" not "Results"
3. **Lead with conclusions** - Don't bury the lede
4. **Visual hierarchy** - Most important things stand out
5. **Optimal cognitive density** - Smooth delivery, not overloaded
6. **Beautiful figures and tables** - Data visualisation matters
7. **Explicit transitions** - Guide the reader through the narrative

Extended Rhetoric Principles

For Research Decks

Motivation slides: Why should anyone care? What's the gap?
Methods slides: Identification strategy in plain English, visualize variation
Results slides: Lead with main coefficient, visualize where possible
Figures: Clear titles, labeled axes, no chartjunk

For "Decks as Thinking Tools"

When making decks for yourself/coauthors:

Document decisions — Why did we choose this approach?
Visualize data — Patterns you've discovered
Track progress — What's done, what's next
Summarize code — What scripts do what
Capture context — So future-you remembers

Beamer Tips

Custom themes > recognizable templates
Metropolis or Madrid themes as starting points
Sans-serif fonts for readability
Generous margins and whitespace
Compile without warnings (fix overfull hboxes)

Example Prompt

"Create a project deck for my Indifference Adjustments paper. Read my progress logs and the current state of the project, then make a 10-slide deck that I can use in my supervisor meeting next week. Include the key figures and a clear 'what's next' section."

---name: project-deckdescription: Create a concise presentation deck that communicates a project's current state, decisions, evidence, risks, and next steps. Use when preparing a project update for collaborators, supervisors, or stakeholders. Not for a research talk centered on one paper; use $talk-deck.---# Project Deck Skill> Create beautiful presentation decks to communicate project status to your future self and collaborators.## PurposeBased on Scott Cunningham's Part 7: "Making Beautiful Decks For My Future Self" - using decks not for public speaking but to efficiently communicate work status across time and to coauthors.## The Philosophy"I use decks to help me keep track of the work I was doing so that I can communicate it to my coauthors and myself later in the week when we meet to go over our projects."Claude has absorbed the "rhetoric of decks" - the tacit knowledge about what makes presentations effective:- One idea per slide- Titles are assertions, not labels- Lead with conclusions- Visual hierarchy signals importance- Repeat for retention- Transition explicitly## When to Use- Before a supervisor meeting- At the end of a research sprint- When handing off to a coauthor- When returning to a dormant project- Weekly project status updates## Workflow1. **Read project context** - Progress logs, current focus, recent work2. **Design deck structure**: - Research question - What's been done (with figures/tables) - Key findings so far - Current blockers - Next steps3. **Create beautiful output** - Clean design, good typography, optimal cognitive density4. **Include visuals** - Figures, tables, diagrams that capture the work## Deck Rhetoric Principles```markdown## Principles for Effective Decks1. **One idea per slide** - Don't overload2. **Titles are assertions** - "Distance increases abortion rates" not "Results"3. **Lead with conclusions** - Don't bury the lede4. **Visual hierarchy** - Most important things stand out5. **Optimal cognitive density** - Smooth delivery, not overloaded6. **Beautiful figures and tables** - Data visualisation matters7. **Explicit transitions** - Guide the reader through the narrative```## Extended Rhetoric Principles### For Research Decks- **Motivation slides**: Why should anyone care? What's the gap?- **Methods slides**: Identification strategy in plain English, visualize variation- **Results slides**: Lead with main coefficient, visualize where possible- **Figures**: Clear titles, labeled axes, no chartjunk### For "Decks as Thinking Tools"When making decks for yourself/coauthors:1. **Document decisions** — Why did we choose this approach?2. **Visualize data** — Patterns you've discovered3. **Track progress** — What's done, what's next4. **Summarize code** — What scripts do what5. **Capture context** — So future-you remembers### Beamer Tips- Custom themes > recognizable templates- Metropolis or Madrid themes as starting points- Sans-serif fonts for readability- Generous margins and whitespace- Compile without warnings (fix overfull hboxes)## Example Prompt"Create a project deck for my Indifference Adjustments paper. Read my progress logs and the current state of the project, then make a 10-slide deck that I can use in my supervisor meeting next week. Include the key figures and a clear 'what's next' section."

Frequently asked questions