Presentation Outliner

Purpose

Turn unstructured thoughts into a clear presentation outline with slide-by-slide guidance that makes the actual slide creation fast.

When to use

• planning an internal presentation, team update, or all-hands talk
• structuring a client pitch deck or business case presentation
• building a board deck, QBR presentation, or project review
• organizing scattered notes into a coherent narrative arc

When not to use

• creating actual slides (this produces the outline, not the deck)
• graphic design or visual layout decisions
• writing a document (use report-summarizer or executive-brief-writer)

Inputs

• topic and purpose of the presentation
• target audience (internal team, executives, clients, investors)
• time limit or slide count constraint
• key data points, facts, or arguments to include
• desired outcome (inform, persuade, request decision, celebrate)
• any corporate constraints (template, required sections)

Procedure

1. Clarify the one-sentence purpose: what should the audience do or believe after?
2. Choose a narrative arc:
   • Inform: Context → Findings → Implications → Next steps
   • Persuade: Problem → Evidence → Proposal → Ask
   • Decide: Situation → Options → Recommendation → Decision ask
3. Outline each slide with: title, key message (one sentence), supporting points, and data/visual callout.
4. Ensure the first slide hooks attention and the last slide has a clear call to action.
5. Flag slides that need data, charts, or visuals the user must prepare.
6. Suggest speaker notes for complex slides.

Output

• slide-by-slide outline (title, key message, supporting points, visual notes)
• narrative arc summary
• preparation checklist (data, charts, approvals needed)
• estimated presentation time

Definition of done

• every slide has one clear key message
• the deck tells a coherent story from slide 1 to the last
• there is a clear call to action on the final slide
• any required data or visuals are flagged in a preparation checklist

Examples

• "Outline a 10-slide pitch for our new product feature to the leadership team."
• "Structure a board deck for Q1 results — we need to explain the revenue miss and recovery plan."
• "Plan a 15-minute all-hands presentation about the engineering reorg."
• "Create an outline for a client QBR — highlight adoption gains and renewal ask."

Quality Criteria

• All claims reference specific frameworks, standards, or quantifiable data
• Content matches the stated audience's expertise level
• Recommendations are actionable — each includes a concrete next step
• No unsupported assertions or generic filler language

Verification (4C)

Check	Question
Correctness	Do referenced frameworks and standards match their official definitions?
Completeness	Are all key concepts covered without significant gaps for the stated audience?
Context-fit	Would this be useful for someone new to this domain, or is it too advanced/too basic?
Consequence	If a stakeholder acted on this immediately, what could they misinterpret?

Edge Cases

• Conflicting frameworks — State which framework takes precedence and why. Document the trade-off explicitly.
• Rapidly changing domain — Note information currency date. Flag sections likely to need updates.
• Audience has mixed expertise levels — Provide a glossary and mark advanced sections as optional.

Changelog

• v1.0.0 — Initial release