G1 Slide Deck Guide

TIM Gate 1 (G1) Slide Deck Guide

What This Skill Helps With

Use this skill when you are building or reviewing a Carleton University Technology Innovation Management (TIM) Gate 1 presentation and need help with slide order, required content, formatting, pathway alignment, or presentation expectations.

Ask for this skill with prompts like

• Use $g1-slide-deck-guide to review whether my Gate 1 deck has the right slide order.
• Use $g1-slide-deck-guide to turn this TIM project outline into a G1 slide plan.
• Use $g1-slide-deck-guide to check whether my deliverables and novelty slides match the guideline.
• Use $g1-slide-deck-guide to compare my draft deck against the expected G1 structure.

Source and Scope

This skill summarizes TIM Gate 1 guideline materials, the official slide template, and example decks. Use it as a working guide for G1 slide support, then confirm any final submission details against the latest supervisor or program instructions.

Source documents synthesized:

1. Guidelines/G1 Slide Deck/Guide for G1 Slide Decks.txt - 6 official guidelines + G1 objectives
2. Guidelines/G1 Slide Deck/TIM_gate1_project_template_2025_Feb 14.ppt - official template
3. Guidelines/G1 Slide Deck/BRECK AGYEKUM. G1 deck.Aug 26.pdf - example (MEng, AI Logistics, 32 pages)
4. Guidelines/G1 Slide Deck/Veronica Ihem G1 deck Aug 26.pdf - example (MDTE, Agrifood Trade, 36 pages)

1. G1 Presentation Objectives

The Gate 1 project presentation emphasizes:

• Research method, data acquisition, and data analysis
• Preliminary results achieved to date of presentation
• How the TIM project meets pathway-specific requirements
• Reasons the project is novel and the expected project contribution to the client

G1 Deliverables

• A Gate 1 slide deck using the TIM project template - due the day before the G1 presentations
• A ten-minute presentation of the Gate 1 slide deck to the Supervisor and the audience (e.g., client, other TIM faculty)
• Answers to questions. On average the Q&A session lasts 15 minutes

2. Slide-by-Slide Structure

The following structure is derived from the official template and validated against both example decks. Slide numbers are approximate; some slides may span multiple pages depending on content volume.

Slide 1: Title Slide

• Content:
  • Project title (bold, large font)
  • Author name (regular or italic)
  • "Gate 1 ([Pathway]) Project presentation" in italics (e.g., "Gate 1 (MEng.) Project presentation" or "Gate 1 (MDTE) project presentation")
  • "Technology Innovation Management"
  • Date of presentation
• Visual elements: Carleton University logo (top right), red/blue header bar below logo, brown footer bar at bottom
• Footer: May or may not appear on the title slide (Breck omits footer on Slide 1; Veronica includes it)

Slide 2: Objectives and Deliverables

• Objective: A single paragraph stating the project objective. Must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and achievable within 13 weeks.
• Deliverables: A numbered list of deliverables (typically 2-7 items). Each deliverable should be a concrete output.

Slide 3: Relevance to the Client Company

• Required subsections:
  • Client: Name and brief description of the client organization
  • Client Contact: (optional but recommended) Name(s) of client contacts
  • Evidence of Interest: Why the client needs this research; specific challenges they face
  • Potential Value to Client: Bulleted list of benefits the research provides
  • Relationship to Client: (optional) How the project was initiated

Slide 4: Problem and Gap

• Client problem: A clearly structured problem statement that is solvable within 13 weeks and directly addressed by the research. Must include three elements:
  • Client: Who benefits from the research
  • Subject: The specific challenge the research addresses
  • Measurement: How the challenge's impact is measured
• What is Known: Bullet points with citations describing the current state of knowledge
• What is Not Known: Bullet points phrased as questions, each explicitly mapped to one or more deliverable numbers (e.g., "What is known about X? (Deliverable 1)")

Slide 5: Literature Review

• Format: Table with three columns:
  • Stream - the literature theme/topic
  • Key highlights of the stream - bullet points summarizing key findings
  • Citations to key sources - author-date citations
• Typically 4-7 streams are presented
• Each stream should connect to a deliverable or client need

Slide 5 (alternate position): Project Novelty

• Note: Some presenters (e.g., Veronica) place a "Project Novelty" slide before the Literature Review (as Slide 5), pushing Literature Review to Slide 6. This is an acceptable variation. Breck places Novelty near the end (after results).

Slide 6: Research Method

• Introductory sentence describing the overall method approach
• Table with three columns:
  • Step - numbered step (typically 5-10 steps)
  • Activity - description of what was done at each step
  • Outcome - what was produced at each step
• If the method table is long, it may span two slides (e.g., "Research Method 1/2" and "Research Method 2/2")

Slide 7: Data Acquisition

• Content varies by project but typically includes:
  • Type of data collected
  • Variables collected / measured
  • Data sources and retrieval methods
• May use a table format (columns: Data type, Source of data, Acquisition method)
• May use bullet-point format (Type of Data, Variables Collected, Data Sources & Retrieval)

Slide 8: Data Acquisition Process / Data Analysis

• This slide (or pair of slides) describes:
  • How data was collected (search strategies, screening, validation)
  • How data was analyzed (thematic coding, statistical methods, tools used)
• May include workflow diagrams or step-by-step descriptions
• If content is substantial, Data Acquisition and Data Analysis may each get their own slide

Slides 9+: Results / Deliverable Slides

• One section per deliverable, each with its own heading: "Deliverable 1. [Name]", "Deliverable 2. [Name]", etc.
• Each deliverable section may span 1-4 slides depending on complexity
• Include tables, charts, diagrams, flowcharts, and visual summaries as appropriate
• Results must directly correspond to the deliverables listed on Slide 2
• Content should show preliminary results achieved to the date of presentation

Discussion of Results

• Summarize key findings across all deliverables
• Highlight the most important insights
• Connect findings back to the client problem (Slide 4)
• Bullet-point format is typical

Pathway Requirements Slide

• Title: "Why your project meets your pathway requirements"
• Explain how the project satisfies the specific pathway requirements (MEng, MDTE, etc.)
• Typically 4-5 bullet points
• Content should reference the pathway's emphasis (e.g., applied research, engineering analysis, interdisciplinary integration, commercialization focus, professional communication for MEng)

Novelty Slide

• Title: "Novelty of The Project" or "Project Novelty"
• Explain what makes the project new or unique
• Typically 4-5 bullet points covering:
  • Underexplored area or novel application
  • Tailored approach for the specific context
  • Practical/actionable outputs
  • Reusable method or framework
• Placement: Can appear early (after Problem and Gap, before Literature Review) or late (after results, before Limitations). Both placements are observed in examples.

Limitations Slide

• Bullet-point list of project limitations (typically 4-6 items)
• Common limitations: limited data, time constraints, scope restrictions, transferability concerns, cost/integration uncertainty, data quality risks

Suggestions for Future Research / Recommendations

• Bullet-point list of future research directions or recommendations (typically 4-6 items)
• Should address how future researchers can overcome the identified limitations

Conclusion (optional, observed in Veronica's deck)

• Summary of key accomplishments and results
• May include a "Results Now, Mechanism to Scale" framing

References

• Numbered reference list
• May span multiple slides if the reference list is long (1-6 slides observed)
• Follow a consistent citation style throughout

3. The Six Official Guidelines

These are the six guidelines from the official "Guide for G1 Slide Decks":

Guideline 1: Define the Client Problem (Slide 4)

Structure your problem statement clearly, ensuring it is solvable within 13 weeks and directly addressed by your research. Include:

• The Client: Identify who benefits from the research
• The Subject: Describe the specific challenge faced
• The Measurement: Detail how the impact is measured by the client and stakeholders

Guideline 2: Highlight Research Benefits

Explicitly detail how your research will benefit the client and stakeholders.

Guideline 3: Connect "Not Known" to "Literature Review" and "Deliverables"

• Address unknown aspects (Slide 4) with findings from your literature review (Slide 5)
• Align deliverables (Slide 2) with these unknowns to provide solutions

Guideline 4: Clarify Your Objective (Slide 2)

Your objective should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and achievable within 13 weeks.

Guideline 5: Enhance Your Slides

• Aim for clear, precise communication and a professional appearance to positively influence audience perception
• Eliminate errors in spelling, grammar, and formatting
• Adhere to the "Guidelines to Write a TIM Project Report" for content consistency
• Favor succinct text over lengthy descriptions

Guideline 6: Align Deliverables (Slide 2) with Results (After Slide 8)

Ensure your deliverables (Slide 2) directly match the results presented after Slide 8. Avoid proposing deliverables A, B, C, and then presenting unrelated results W, X, Y, Z.

4. Footer and Formatting

Footer Format

The footer appears on a brown/dark bar at the bottom of each slide. It contains three elements:

• Left: Author's email address (italic, e.g., onwonaagyekum@cmail.carleton.ca or veronicaamadiihem@gmail.com)
• Center: Date (e.g., "July 29th, 2025" or "August 26th 2025")
• Right: Slide number (italic, e.g., "Slide 2", "Slide 3")

Header Format

• Carleton University logo in the top-right corner of every slide
• A thin red/blue horizontal line below the logo area, spanning the slide width

Slide Title Format

• Bold, large font
• Left-aligned
• No period at the end of slide titles

General Formatting Rules

• Use the official TIM project template (TIM_gate1_project_template_2025)
• Professional appearance with consistent fonts and spacing
• Tables should have clear column headers and consistent formatting
• Charts and figures should be properly labeled
• Succinct text preferred over lengthy descriptions
• Eliminate spelling, grammar, and formatting errors

Footer Numbering Notes

• Footer slide numbers should increment sequentially (Slide 1, Slide 2, Slide 3...)
• The title slide may be Slide 1 (with or without footer)
• Footer numbering should be consistent throughout the deck
• Known issue in examples: Some decks have numbering inconsistencies in later slides (e.g., multiple slides labeled "Slide 24"). Avoid this.

5. Critical Alignment Rules

These alignment requirements are essential for a well-structured G1 deck:

The Alignment Chain

Gap (Slide 4 "Not Known")
  --> Literature Review (Slide 5) addresses the gap
  --> Deliverable (Slide 2) provides the solution
  --> Method (Slide 6) produces the deliverable
  --> Result (Slides 9+) presents the deliverable output

Every "Not Known" item should trace through this chain. Every deliverable should trace back to a gap.

6. Connecting "Not Known" to Deliverables

The Gap-to-Solution Pipeline

On Slide 4, each "Not Known" item should:

1. Be phrased as a question or knowledge gap
2. Include a parenthetical reference to the deliverable(s) that address it
3. Connect logically to one or more literature review streams on Slide 5

Example pattern from Breck's deck:

• "What is known about AI logistic tools in the grey literature? (Deliverables 1)"
• "Which AI tools can satisfy ATD's need to support small teams? (Deliverables 2)"
• "Which tools are cost-effective, scalable, and usable by small teams? (Deliverables 3)"

Example pattern from Veronica's deck:

• "How can TOC tools like Current Reality Trees and Strategy & Tactic Trees be adapted for use across ATD's multi-country agri-food supply chains? (Deliverables 1, 3, 5)"
• "What diagnostic framework can ATD use to continuously identify and address supply chain constraints across different countries and supplier types? (Deliverables 2, 4)"

Key Principles

• Each deliverable should be referenced by at least one "Not Known" item
• Each "Not Known" item should reference at least one deliverable
• The "Known" section should establish context with citations
• The "Not Known" section should identify specific gaps that the project fills
• A single "Not Known" item may reference multiple deliverables if they work together to address the gap

7. Quick Reference Checklist

Structure Checks

• Title slide has: project title, author name, pathway designation, "Technology Innovation Management", date
• Slide 2 has both Objective (SMART, 13-week feasible) and numbered Deliverables
• Slide 3 has: Client, Evidence of Interest, Potential Value
• Slide 4 has: Client problem statement, "What is Known" (with citations), "What is Not Known" (mapped to deliverables)
• Literature Review slide uses a table with Stream / Key Highlights / Citations columns
• Research Method slide uses a table with Step / Activity / Outcome columns
• Data Acquisition slide describes data types, sources, and retrieval methods
• Data Analysis slide describes analytical methods used
• Each deliverable from Slide 2 has corresponding result slide(s) after Slide 8
• Pathway requirements slide explains how the project meets the specific pathway
• Novelty slide explains what makes the project unique
• Limitations slide lists project limitations
• Future Research / Recommendations slide is included
• References slide(s) at the end

Alignment Checks

• Every "Not Known" item on Slide 4 references at least one deliverable number
• Every deliverable on Slide 2 is referenced by at least one "Not Known" item
• Every deliverable on Slide 2 has corresponding results shown after Slide 8
• Literature review streams on Slide 5 connect to the gaps on Slide 4
• Method steps on Slide 6 produce the deliverables on Slide 2
• Client problem on Slide 4 is consistent with relevance on Slide 3
• Objective on Slide 2 addresses the client problem on Slide 4

Formatting Checks

• Using the official TIM G1 project template
• Carleton University logo on every slide (top right)
• Footer on every slide (or every slide after title): email | date | Slide N
• Red/blue header bar present on every slide
• Brown footer bar present on every slide
• Slide numbers are sequential and consistent
• No spelling, grammar, or formatting errors
• Text is succinct (not overly long descriptions)
• Tables and figures are properly labeled
• Citations are consistent throughout
• Professional appearance overall

Presentation Checks

• Presentation fits within 10-minute time limit
• Content supports answering questions during 15-minute Q&A
• Preliminary results are shown (not just planned work)
• Pathway-specific requirements are addressed
• Project novelty is clearly explained

8. Presentation and Q&A Tips

Time Management

• Practice the full presentation to fit within 10 minutes. A common pitfall is spending too long on early slides (problem, literature) and rushing through results.
• Rough allocation for 10 minutes:
  • 1 min: Title, objective, deliverables
  • 1 min: Relevance to client
  • 1 min: Problem and gap
  • 1-2 min: Literature review
  • 2 min: Research method, data acquisition, data analysis
  • 3-4 min: Results (deliverables)
  • 1 min: Novelty, limitations, future research
• The results slides are the most important — allocate the most time to them.

Common Q&A Topics

Prepare answers for these frequently asked questions:

• Method justification: "Why did you choose this method over alternatives?"
• Data validity: "How do you know your data is reliable?" or "What are the limitations of your data sources?"
• Feasibility: "Can you complete all deliverables in 13 weeks?"
• Scope: "Is this too ambitious/too narrow?" or "How will you handle it if X doesn't work?"
• Literature gaps: "What does the literature say about Y?" (where Y is tangentially related to your topic)
• Client value: "How specifically will the client use your deliverables?"
• Pathway alignment: "How does this meet the [MEng/MDTE/etc.] requirements?"

Backup Slides

Consider preparing 2-3 backup slides (placed after the References slide) for anticipated tough questions:

• Detailed methodology breakdown (if the main deck only has the summary table)
• Additional literature review sources (if questioned about coverage)
• Risk mitigation plan (if asked about feasibility concerns)
• Detailed data acquisition or analysis steps (if questioned about rigor)