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AI Prompts for Creating Your Presentation

Jun 26, 2025

This is finally the part that you’ve been waiting for. We are using AI to help us organize our ideas and develop a strong story. All you need is access to a chat model like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. The following prompts will guide you step-by-step from foundation gathering to detailed slide outlines. The beauty of this approach is that you can adapt the same prompt structure for other projects—like developing outlines for scientific papers or grant proposals.

Important: Use all prompts within the same AI conversation so each step builds on your previous responses. Think of it as having an extended brainstorming session with an intelligent collaborator who remembers everything you've discussed.

These are templates with placeholders for your specific content - you'll need to fill in your research details, audience information, and key messages. The AI can't read your mind, but with the right information, it becomes a powerful partner in crafting your presentation narrative.

There are five prompts in total plus a bonus prompt. The first is the most general one. It instructs the model to interview you about your presentation. The second prompt uses this information to help you find and choose a story structure. The following three help you develop your story, your presentation outline and your slide outlines. I have also added a bonus prompt that helps you prepare for the event. It looks at your presentation and comes up with questions that the audience might have. Friendly questions, but also critical or even hostile questions. The beauty of AI is that it will also propose suitable answers. You can use this in two ways. First, to improve your presentation by clarifying points that the audience may not understand and second by preparing answers to the more challenging questions ahead of the event.

Quick note on visuals and design: Make sure you're using templates and colors that will display well on any projector—what looks good on your screen might appear quite different when projected. Your PowerPoint should be clear, readable, and visually accessible. In the “Step-by-Step Example” below, I used the tool Claude AI, which suggested a variety of visuals and design options. That said, you don’t have to follow its suggestions to the letter—you might not find exactly what it recommends, or you may come across something that suits your needs even better. Think of AI as a guide!

Prompt 1: Foundation Information Gathering

Copy and paste this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or your preferred AI tool:

I need help developing a research presentation. I want you to ask me a series of questions to gather the foundation information needed to create a compelling story and outline, such as my research, occasion, audience, time, my motive, and my main message.

Please ask me ONE question at a time, and wait for my answer before asking the next question. Build each question on my previous responses.

Start by asking me about my research topic and what I want to present.

What this prompt does: The AI will guide you through collecting all the foundation elements (occasion, audience, time, motive, main message) in a logical sequence, asking follow-up questions based on your answers.

Expected flow: The AI will ask about your research → presentation context → audience → time constraints → motivation → main message, adapting each question based on what you've already shared.

Prompt 2: Story Structure Development

Use this prompt after you've completed the foundation gathering:

Based on our previous conversation, help me develop the story structure for my presentation. Here's what we established:

[Copy your key information from the previous conversation:

Research topic:
Audience:
Presentation time:
Occasion:
Main message:
Motive: ]

Now I need you to:

Suggest 3 different story structures that would work well for this presentation (e.g., problem-solution, chronological, comparative analysis, etc.)
For each structure, briefly explain why it would be effective for my specific audience and message
Ask me which approach resonates most with me, then help me refine it

Remember: I want my audience to go on a journey from curiosity to understanding to conviction.

What this prompt does: The AI will suggest multiple narrative frameworks tailored to your specific context, explain the rationale for each, and help you choose and refine the best approach.

Prompt 3: Detailed Presentation Outline

Use this prompt after you've chosen your story structure:

Perfect! Now help me create a detailed presentation outline using the story structure we selected.

My presentation details:

Total time: [X minutes]
Story structure: [chosen structure]
Main message: [your main message]

Please create an outline following the 30-50-20 split (30% introduction, 50% main content, 20% conclusion). For my [X]-minute presentation, this means [Y] total slides.

For each slide, provide exactly three elements:

Slide title (one phrase or sentence)
What this slide shows (one sentence)
How it connects to the next slide (one sentence - this is crucial for flow)

Make sure the outline reads like a coherent story when the "what this slide shows" and "connection" sentences are read together. The story should take my audience from curiosity about my topic to conviction about my main message.

After you provide the outline, I'll read it aloud to test the flow, so please make the transitions smooth and logical.

What this prompt does: The AI will create a complete slide-by-slide outline with the three-sentence structure, ensuring proper time allocation and smooth transitions between slides.

Prompt 4: Outline Refinement

Use this prompt after testing your outline by reading it aloud:

I've read through the presentation outline you created, and I'd like to refine it. Here are the issues I noticed:

[Describe any problems: awkward transitions, unclear connections, slides that don't advance the story, timing issues, etc.]

Please help me fix these specific issues while maintaining the overall story arc. Remember:

Each slide must earn its place in advancing the narrative
Transitions should feel natural and inevitable
The audience should sense where we're going at each step
Everything should support my main message: [restate your main message]

Also, please double-check that my first slide properly introduces me and hooks the audience, and that my final slide reinforces my main message with a clear call to action (not just "Thank you").

What this prompt does: The AI will help you troubleshoot specific problems with flow, transitions, and story logic, ensuring your outline creates a compelling narrative journey.

Prompt 5: Content Development for Individual Slides

Use this prompt when you're ready to develop detailed content for specific slides:

Now I need help developing the detailed content for slide [X] of my presentation. Here's the context:

Slide title: [title from your outline] What this slide shows: [content description from outline] How it connects to next slide: [transition from outline] Overall story structure: [your chosen structure] Main message: [your main message]

Please help me:

Develop 2-5 sentences that lead to or support this slide's main message
Suggest what visuals (charts, images, diagrams) would best support this content
Ensure the content smoothly sets up the transition to the next slide

Keep in mind my audience is [audience description] and they care most about [key audience interests/concerns].

What this prompt does: The AI will help you flesh out individual slides with appropriate detail, visual suggestions, and smooth transitions, while keeping everything aligned with your overall narrative and audience needs.

Bonus Prompt: Q&A Preparation and Strategy

Use this prompt when your presentation content is ready and you want to prepare for audience questions:

I need to prepare for the Q&A session after my presentation. Based on everything we've discussed about my research, audience, and presentation content, help me anticipate potential questions and develop strategies to answer them effectively.

My presentation context:

Research topic: [your topic]
Audience: [your audience description]
Main message: [your main message]
Key findings/claims I'm making: [list 2-3 main points]

Please organize potential questions into these categories:

FRIENDLY & EASY - Supportive questions from genuinely interested audience members that are straightforward to answer

FRIENDLY & CHALLENGING - Well-intentioned questions that probe deeper into your methodology, implications, or limitations

NEUTRAL & TECHNICAL - Questions about specific details, clarifications, or technical aspects without obvious agenda

SKEPTICAL & CHALLENGING - Questions that challenge your assumptions, methodology, or conclusions (possibly from competitors or critics)

HOSTILE OR UNFAIR - Questions designed to undermine you, based on misunderstanding, or impossible to answer satisfactorily

For each category, provide:

2-3 example questions
A specific strategy for handling that type of question
A template response structure I can adapt

Also give me general tips for:

How to buy time when I need to think
How to gracefully admit when I don't know something
How to redirect hostile questions constructively
How to keep my answers concise and on-message

Remember: I want to come across as confident, knowledgeable, and gracious while protecting my credibility.

What this prompt does: The AI will help you systematically prepare for different types of audience questions, providing both specific examples tailored to your research and general strategies for handling challenging situations with confidence and grace.

Step-by-Step Example: "From Ocean to Outfit: Seaweed Leather as Fashion's Next Revolution"

Let's walk through how Maria, a graduate student in Environmental Design, applies our presentation framework to develop her 20-minute seminar presentation on seaweed leather.

Step 1: Foundation Building

Occasion and Audience:

Weekly "Sustainable Fashion" seminar
Mixed audience: fellow graduate students in fashion design, environmental studies, and business
Academic setting with peers who understand sustainability concepts but may not know technical details
Seminar format allows for discussion and questions

Presentation Time: 20 minutes + 5 minutes Q&A

Working Title: "Seaweed Leather: A Sustainable Alternative to Traditional Leather"

Draft Abstract (bullet points):

Leather industry environmental impact
What is seaweed leather and how it's made
Environmental benefits compared to animal leather
Current market applications and limitations
Future potential for fashion industry

Motive: "I want my audience to consider seaweed leather as a viable option they should research further for their own sustainable fashion projects."

Main Message: "Seaweed leather isn't just another eco-friendly alternative—it's a breakthrough material that could transform sustainable fashion from niche to mainstream."

Step 2: Story Development

Using our AI prompts, Maria explores three potential story structures:

Option A - Problem/Solution: Traditional leather problems → seaweed leather as solution

Option B - Journey of Innovation: From ocean waste to fashion runway

Option C - Comparative Analysis: Seaweed vs. other leather alternatives

Maria chooses Option B (Journey of Innovation) because it creates a compelling narrative arc and helps her audience visualize the transformation process.

Her Story Arc: "I'll take my audience on a journey from underwater forests to fashion runways, showing how marine biologists and fashion innovators are turning ocean farming into leather that could revolutionize sustainable fashion."

Step 3: Presentation Outline (20 minutes = 10 slides)

Using the 30-50-20 split: 3 introduction slides, 5 main content slides, 2 conclusion slides.

Introduction (6 minutes, 3 slides):

Slide 1: "From Ocean to Outfit: Seaweed Leather as Fashion's Next Revolution"

What it shows: In this presentation I will show you how seaweed can be turned into revolutionary fashion materials.
Connection: "But first, let me show you why we desperately need this innovation."

Slide 2: "The Hidden Cost of Looking Good"

What it shows: Traditional leather production devastates our environment through massive water consumption, toxic chemical pollution, and enormous carbon emissions.
Connection: "With fashion's environmental impact this severe, innovators are looking to unexpected places for solutions."

Slide 3: "Meet Nature's Leather Factory"

What it shows: Underwater seaweed forests grow 30 times faster than trees, absorb massive amounts of carbon, and require zero freshwater or fertilizers.
Connection: "These underwater forests hold the key to leather that grows without harming animals or devastating the environment."

Main Content (10 minutes, 5 slides):

Slide 4: "From Seaweed to Leather: The Science"

What it shows: Scientists extract natural polymers from seaweed and transform them into flexible, durable leather-like materials through innovative processing techniques.
Connection: "This process creates a material that rivals traditional leather in surprising ways."

Slide 5: "Performance Comparison: Seaweed vs. Traditional Leather"

What it shows: Seaweed leather matches traditional leather in durability and flexibility while exceeding it in water resistance and biodegradability.
Connection: "These performance benefits have caught the attention of major fashion brands."

Slide 6: "Early Adopters Leading the Way"

What it shows: Leading brands like Adidas and Stella McCartney are already incorporating seaweed leather into sneakers, handbags, and high-fashion pieces.
Connection: "But these pioneers are just the beginning of what's possible."

Slide 7: "The Scalability Opportunity"

What it shows: Global seaweed farming could expand dramatically, with coastal regions worldwide capable of producing enough material to supply the entire fashion industry.
Connection: "However, like any emerging technology, seaweed leather faces some challenges."

Slide 8: "Current Limitations and Solutions"

What it shows: Today's challenges include higher production costs and texture variations, but ongoing research is rapidly solving these issues through improved processing and economies of scale.
Connection: "Despite these challenges, the trajectory is clear and exciting."

Conclusion (4 minutes, 2 slides):

Slide 9: "The Fashion Revolution Timeline"

What it shows: Seaweed leather will move from today's luxury applications to mainstream fashion availability within the next five years.
Connection: "This brings us to why this matters for your work."

Slide 10: "Your Role in the Seaweed Leather Revolution"

What it shows: You can participate by forming research partnerships with marine biology labs, experimenting with seaweed leather in your design projects, and educating consumers about sustainable alternatives.
Connection: "The question isn't whether seaweed leather will transform fashion, but whether you'll be part of making it happen."

This creates a compelling story that flows naturally from problem to solution to opportunity to action.

Step 4: Testing the Outline

Maria stands up and reads her outline aloud:

“In this presentation I will show you how seaweed can be turned into revolutionary fashion materials. But first, let me show you why we desperately need this innovation. Traditional leather production devastates our environment through massive water consumption, toxic chemical pollution, and enormous carbon emissions. With fashion's environmental impact this severe, innovators are looking to unexpected places for solutions. Underwater seaweed forests grow 30 times faster than trees, absorb massive amounts of carbon, and require zero freshwater or fertilizers. These underwater forests hold the key to leather that grows without harming animals or devastating the environment..."

She notices the flow works well but realizes she needs stronger data for the environmental comparison and more concrete examples of current applications.

Step 5: First and Last Slide Details

First Slide Enhancement:

Name: "Maria Santos, Environmental Design Graduate Student"
Contact: maria.santos@university.edu
Subtitle: "How Ocean Farming Could Replace Animal Agriculture in Fashion"
Visual: Split-screen showing seaweed underwater morphing into luxury handbag

Last Slide Call to Action:

"Research Seaweed Leather for Your Next Project"
Three specific actions:
- Partner with marine biology labs
- Experiment with seaweed leather in design projects
- Educate consumers about sustainable alternatives
Contact information prominently displayed

Step 7: Content Development for Key Slides

Let’s look at slides 4 and 6 and how they can be fleshed out.

Slide 4: "From Seaweed to Leather: The Science"

Main message: Scientists extract natural polymers from seaweed and transform them into flexible, durable leather-like materials through innovative processing techniques.

Detailed content: The transformation begins with harvesting brown seaweed species rich in natural polymers called alginates. These polymers are extracted through a careful chemical process that preserves their binding properties. The extracted material is then processed with natural plasticizers to create flexibility and treated with bio-based compounds for durability. The final step involves pressing and curing the material into sheets that look and feel remarkably similar to traditional leather.

Visual support: Step-by-step process diagram showing seaweed → extraction → processing → final leather product

Transition note: "This process creates a material that rivals traditional leather in surprising ways."

Slide 6: "Early Adopters Leading the Way"

Main message: Leading brands like Adidas and Stella McCartney are already incorporating seaweed leather into sneakers, handbags, and high-fashion pieces.

Detailed content: Adidas launched their first seaweed leather sneakers in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans, selling over 100,000 pairs in the first year. Stella McCartney, a longtime sustainability advocate, has featured seaweed leather in her luxury handbag collections, proving that eco-materials can meet high-fashion standards. These early applications focus on accessories and footwear where durability requirements are high but the material costs can be absorbed into premium pricing.

Visual support: Product photos of actual seaweed leather items from major brands, with before/after comparisons to traditional leather versions

Transition note: "But these pioneers are just the beginning of what's possible."

Step 7: Q&A Preparation

Using Prompt 5, Maria anticipates questions by category:

Friendly & Easy:

"How does seaweed leather feel compared to animal leather?"
Strategy: Have sample materials to pass around

Friendly & Challenging:

"What about the carbon footprint of processing seaweed into leather?"

Strategy: Acknowledge processing energy needs but compare to total lifecycle impact

Skeptical & Challenging:

"Isn't this just another expensive eco-trend that won't scale?"
Strategy: Reference specific cost reduction projections and major brand investments

Technical:

"What specific species of seaweed work best for this application?"
Strategy: Know 2-3 species names and their properties

Result: A Compelling, Well-Structured Presentation

Maria's final presentation takes her audience on a clear journey from environmental problem to innovative solution to actionable opportunities. Her story structure (journey of innovation) keeps the audience engaged while her systematic preparation ensures she can handle any question confidently.

The key success factors: